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Hi all,
When reading tutorials on GW's official site, some of the tutorials show Ultramarines being painted using Regal Blue and others show them being painted using Moridian Blue. Is there an "official" blue that Ultramarines should be? For example, Drop Pod and AoBR all say mordian blue while the general tutorial and the Sicarius masterclass say Regal Blue.

I personally mix my own color and try to get my own take on 'Ultramarine' blue.

One thing to remember is that paint fades (I think this is true in the 41st millenium) so really, it's a personal choice.

Here is a picture of natural Ultramarine so you can see what we're talking about.



My 'Ultramarine' is a shade lighter than this 'synthetic' Ultramarine. With shading the color is similar to below.

I paint Ultramarines with Ultramarine Blue.

I don't know, somehow it seems appropriate.

lol, yeah, you could do that as well.

I just hate GW paints. The color is right obviously.

I personally HATE painting my marines anything official. My blood angels (once I've actually finished painting any) will be green. My space wolves are red. If I had ultramarines, I'd probably go wacky and pick orange or something. My grey knights are dirty white and purple. Pick a scheme that feels GOOD to you. You're the one who decides what the right colour is, not your opponent, not forum critics, not your coworkers, but maybe your spouse because if yours (should you have one) is anything like mine, she has an eye for colour.
Personally if I see ultramarines done in the standard colours, I get dismissive and think "Oh, more smurfs." But when someone has gone above and beyond to make something unique, then I'll take a second, maybe a third look.
Oh, and my spouse's recent suggestion was to look at something in nature that looks great and emulate it. Best advice I ever got. My grey knight grand master which I'm just finishing up has a helmet that's purple blending into orange, based on an orchid. Sound crazy? Yup. But it frigging pops.

"Emulating something found in nature" is a common tactic for painting Tyranids. It often looks great.

I guess what I'm saying, is, don't forget to check out bugs.

I paint mine with different shades of ultramarine blue.

Ultramarine blue - black wash - then ice blue (not gw paint)/ultramarine blue mix with two stages.

I think the confusion here is that in the Space Marine Codex the Ultramarines painted by the 'Eavy Metal team were painted using Regal Blue as the shading colour and Ultramarine Blue as the base colour.

However in the same Codex one of the example armies is painted by James Kirche (sp?) or Spikeyjames as he is known.

His Ultramarines are painted differently, in a march darker colour. He highlights up from Regal Blue, and this has become a very popular colour choice now for Ultramarines players (mainly because Spikeyjames' Ultras are gorgeous!).

Personally though I do prefer using Ultramarines Blue, as the darker Regal Blue makes them look too much like Crimson Fists.

My Ultras look like this:





These are Regal Blue shading on Ultramarine Blue, with Ultramarine Blue and Skull White highlights.

Straightsilver! awesome looking marines, i'd definitely go with this colour match for what looks 'right' as the chapter colour for them.

I dont have Ultramarines myself, but I paint devevstator helms of my Blood Angels the same as Ultramarines. I make them with regal blue badab black wash in recesses and a ultramarine blue highlight.

I love these

:



The top was painted with the old Coat D Arms Ultramarine Blue, the bottom looks like standard UB.

StraightSilver wrote:I think the confusion here is that in the Space Marine Codex the Ultramarines painted by the 'Eavy Metal team were painted using Regal Blue as the shading colour and Ultramarine Blue as the base colour.

However in the same Codex one of the example armies is painted by James Kirche (sp?) or Spikeyjames as he is known.

His Ultramarines are painted differently, in a march darker colour. He highlights up from Regal Blue, and this has become a very popular colour choice now for Ultramarines players (mainly because Spikeyjames' Ultras are gorgeous!).

Personally though I do prefer using Ultramarines Blue, as the darker Regal Blue makes them look too much like Crimson Fists.

My Ultras look like this:





These are Regal Blue shading on Ultramarine Blue, with Ultramarine Blue and Skull White highlights.

So what do you use as the highlight color on your SM? I love the pics by the way. :-)

Currently, a lot of GW tutorials say to use Mordian Blue from the foundation line:
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=cat210004&categoryId=600003§ion=&pIndex=1&aId=9300028&start=2&multiPageMode=true

Washes, highlights and such apply, but that's where it starts.

EDIT:
There's also this tutorial from 4th edition which is somehow still on the site. It uses gratuitous amounts of drybrushing and multiple defunct paints:
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=cat210004&categoryId=600003§ion=&aId=2500037

Brother SRM wrote:Currently, a lot of GW tutorials say to use Mordian Blue from the foundation line:
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=cat210004&categoryId=600003§ion=&pIndex=1&aId=9300028&start=2&multiPageMode=true

Washes, highlights and such apply, but that's where it starts.

EDIT:
There's also this tutorial from 4th edition which is somehow still on the site. It uses gratuitous amounts of drybrushing and multiple defunct paints:
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=cat210004&categoryId=600003§ion=&aId=2500037

That is where my confusion is coming from. The AoBR says Mordian Blue, but the following one was added 10/2008 and says Regal Blue is the base.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=cat440176a&categoryId=400028§ion=&pIndex=1&aId=9600034&start=2&multiPageMode=true

Me =

Mordian Blue, Ultra Marines Blue, Absurmen Blue Wash then highlight with Ultramarines blue. guy at mt local GW told me thats how he done it so I gave it a go and like it so I stuck with it.

Has anyone ever tried Enchanted Blue as the base?