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Subject title says it all. How do YOU come up with a colour scheme for your armies?

Personally I use trial and error but is there a more efficient way?

Use a colour wheel? They're great for picking out complimentary colours.

Yeah colour wheel is useful, personally I just pick colours I haven't really used in a while. I paint templars so painting black all the time can be quite boring so I love doing other armies with much more contrasting colours, to change things up a bit.

Normally, I'd say start with a color you like. My first army was red since my favorite color. However, if you're painting a full army, I say pick a color you enjoy painting. I liked my red army, but it took me so long to settle on a method of painting red that I liked that by the time I had a decent method, I was sick of it.

If you want to skip the color theory classes and still want to go with something not in the books, I say go to a toy store. Action figures (and toys in general) are made to get people's (specifically children's) attention and hold on to it. Transformers, G.I. Joe, Marvel, DC, even stuff like My Little Pony. Browse a toy aisle at a store and see what pops out at you.

I go into either Dawn of War or Dawn of War II, and just do stuff in Army Painter until I find something I like.

J.Black wrote:Use a colour wheel? They're great for picking out complimentary colours.

This.

It really helps the artistically challenged.

davethepak wrote:

J.Black wrote:Use a colour wheel? They're great for picking out complimentary colours.

This.

It really helps the artistically challenged.

Looks like it's a colour wheel for me then!

Well....Think, Think, THIIIINK...... BRAINBLAST!!!!!
Actually a color wheel may help but I usually base it around a theme that my faction has or just think up cool colors that will work together.

Try googleing Colour scheme designer.



I find it very helpful.

davethepak wrote:

It really helps the artistically challenged.

Of course, half the fun of choosing a paint scheme is in picking how to apply it to the model. Say you chose Orange and Blue for your main colours, how do you decide where to put them on the model? Depends on the model If you have 2 or more different textures available (Ex. Cloth and armour) then it's a simple choice of whether you prefer blue or orange armour.

Something else to consider is your painting skills..... Instead of Orange, you could try for a heavily rusted effect on the armour. Instead of just plain Blue, you could try a NMM effect. As long as the overall effect stays true to your choice of primary colours, it will look grand

Eavy metal. My favorite Tau scheme is the Eavy Metal style.