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I am going to be getting an IG army next week and I want to start prepping for the stuff I am going to need to paint them. I want to do a very dark colored army, almost like a spec ops/ splinter cell-ish type theme. My last 2 armies were really bright blood red and orange...want to change things up. Here are some pictures of models I like the dark sort of theme for.

Vendetta/Valkyries:
http://www.coolminiornot.com/245375

Veterans: - probably a little darker than this so it matches the vehicles but this is on the right track
http://www.coolminiornot.com/96821

These are some of the pictures that inspired me:
http://static2.aintitcool.com/images2009/gijoe1.jpg
http://www.filmshaft.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/gijoe-18.jpg
http://www.filmshaft.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/gijoe-18.jpg
http://media.photobucket.com/image/gi%20joe%20vehicle/zephon_s774/GI%20Joe/RHINO/rhino37.jpg

This is the head bits that my Veterans will be using (will be placed on Cadian Shock Troops):
http://www.pig-iron-productions.com/hd2-kolony-militia-head-sprues-p-13.html

I'm going to be painting:
2x Hellhounds
5x Chimeras
2x LR:BT
2x Manticores
2x Sentinels
4x 10 Veterans
1x Company Command Squad
2x Vendettas

Well now that's out of the way! I need advice and suggestions on how to do this type of scheme. Should I primer black and use that as my basecoat since it's the primary color? Should I primer brown and drybrush black and wash badab black? How do I give the models more depth if black is my main color? I use to have a blood angel army and the death company was hard for me to make really detailed since it was just mostly black and thats it...how can I spice it up and make the these models look really cool? Maybe for the Vets a primer black. Dry brush everything except the head bit a dark grey? What should I do for the infantry? Vehicles?

I'm not really sure how to make this happen but any advice or help and suggestions to get this theme off the ground would be very greatly appreciated!

*Note: I would like to stick to GW paints since that is what I have mostly readily available

I would recommend that you try using a grey primer, (Tremclad works for me). You can paint clearly over it and notice any missed spots.
If you are looking to contrast the black, I'd use some darker browns, (I.E. Helmets , armour plates and boots ; Black, Shirt and or Pants: Scorched brown.), and apply a light coat of Devlan Mud wash over it. You'll still get a dark effect, but it'll break up the model well.
I've done this with my army, which are mostly Browns -Greens and Black. It has helped me improve the overall look of the models.
A piece of advice thats been working well for my Vetern squad list is make yourself a Sgt Bastonne model and throw him into A squad that has the Grenadiers Doctrine, with meltas and if you have the points to spare a demolitions Doctrine.
I've also thrown Sgt Harker in a Forward Sentries Vet squad. He confers his Catachcan Devils rule's to them,(specificly Stealth, giving them an additional +1 cover save, which combines with their camoline 's +1, so you get a 2+ cover save in most situation in the end).

Good luck and I hope you'll post some pics of them as WIP.

Tremclad, interesting. I use actual auto primer for my car models, so I tried it on my tanks... Amazing.

Cool to see other CF members on this board!

Yeah, there is a few us here.
Good luck.