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So i've been using DoW army painter to kinda create a scheme for my Tau. Fluff wise they come from a some what murky, down trodded planet constantly plagued with rainy weater hense the darkish blue color). I've gota some questions/requests though before i start painting (that and waiting for my models to come)

1.The main color i've figured is going to have to be custom made. I've done some research on what colors i should use to possibly make it, but if anyone else has a better sugestion, maybe even ratios that would help. Im guessin it's going to require combinations of something along the line of Adeptus or Astrinomican Grey, fenris grey, and mordian blue, along with a badab black and/or asurmen blue wash (sorry for using Citadel color names for anyone who uses something else. from what i've seen i'll prob actualy use Vallejo for anything that isn't metalic or washes, and prob some of the foundations)

2. In the even i do decide to keep pants/cloths in general black, how do i keep them from being shiny like. I remember reading somewhere that Citadel Chaos black (which is what i'll prob be using as priming...its winter and im in dorms so no spraypainting =/) ends up being kinda shiny...Do i just dry brush over with more Chaos black, or how should i get rid of this "shinynes" (remember....dark and kinda dreary like).

3. I've watched/read some tuturials on painting tau units, but hey all seem very customized (and in schemes i dont like) to the scheme being painted...so any advice on what i should paint first and how goign about it would be nice.

4. If anyone has a Tau army similar in color i'd appreciate if you could post it, as long as you dont mind me pecking away some questions if I see something that i want to incorporate


Ya so thanks for reading, and I hope you can help. I believe i posted this on the right forum (just joined) and im excited about my tau xD


*sorry but i dont know how to upload pictures into txt area yet so it should be an attachment

1st of all it is a great colour scheme IMHO. I'd say the Blue/Grey armour is almost exactly the same colour as Shadow Grey but you may have to darken it down a bit. I would suggest painting it like this; Basecoat with 1:1 Chaos Black Shadow Grey, 2nd layer on some darkened down Shadow grey I'd suggest 3:1 Shadow Grey Chaos Black, and then lightly wash with Asurmen Blue and then Badab Black, then if you want to highlight 1st with 3:1 Shadow Grey Skull White, then an extreme highlight of 2:1 Shadow Grey and Skull white.

To get rid of the "shiny" Black you talk about I would suggest this for the Pants/Cloth; Basecoat with a 3:1 Chaos Black Codex Grey, wash with Badab Black, highlight with 1st 1:1 Chaos Black Codex Grey, then extreme highlight Codex Grey. Or you forgo highlighting and get a darker effect.

The gun & metal parts would be drybrushed Boltgun Metal highlighted with Chainmail then darkened down with a couple washes or Badab black.

The red markings would be either Scab Red or Red gore with Blood Red to add tone wash with Baal Red and the Badab Black. Lenses the same (washes more for lenses though).

REMEMBER TO THIN YOUR PAINTS.

And if you want I have a couple spare Tau models that I will try this out on I will post pics here later and maybe make a tutorial for you if you like.
Hope this helps.

Check out my tau in the p@m gallery

Here is a test mini I did with the scheme, it's not a great pic because it had to be taken on my phone, but it looks close enough maybe a thinner wash of Badab Black would do it. It took me less than an hour to paint (it took me longer to find those Tau I knew I had somewhere), and I painted it all with a Standard Brush. Right now is just table top standard.



Just a comparison.


close enough right ?
The blue is not that dark in real life.

Wow thats awsome! Thanks, just about exactly how i imagined it. And thanks for the paint sugestions. I'll prob paint my first one this way (though it looks like i wont be geting my models till next mon-wed), and maybe tinker a little just to add the slightest bit more blue into ...idk. Once I've got most of the infantry painted I'll prob start experimenting with camo paterns for devilfish and what not on notecards or something

You could try dipping instead of a wash, I am no expert on it but it does look amazing

I would advise not mixing up a custom color. Inevitably, you'll running out, have to touch up, etc and getting exact matches will be a pain.

http://www.vallejo.nl/gb/assets/s2dmain.html?http://www.vallejo.nl/gb/vallejo/modelcolorchart/index.html

Take a look at some of the Vallejo Model/Game Color line and see if they have a comparable blue already available. I'm thinking Field Blue (964), French Mirage Blue (900) or Grey Blue (943)

If i do mix, then i intend to use vallejo. I've been told its easier with them cause of coming in a dropper bottle, so its easier to record how you made your custom colors

For tau i would use a wash, your test minis are nice only thing i could say is just to make the highlights alittle sharper.