Picking a color scheme for Gorn

Allerka

Mongoose
So, I visited ADB this past weekend while driving from Michigan to El Paso on an unrelated mission. While there, I picked up a few Gorn ships. Now comes the next step: deciding how to paint them!

I've already done a Federation fleet in the standard gray, and I don't want to do a second fleet in gray, even if a radically different shade. I did my Klingons in TNG-era green with red engines for that reason.

As for the Gorn, I'm not 100% sure what color I want to do that will both look good and be thematic. I've been looking at a couple different sources, and here's a couple possibilities. I'm guessing there's not much reference material for non-standard schemes for them (though I'd be happy to look at some if there are).

1: A dark brown-yellow, shaded black (or REALLY dark brown), with bright blue on the engines and details. Basically I'm looking at brown reptiles for inspiration here, like the komodo dragon. You can see the approximate shade I'm thinking of at http://www.colorpicker.com/ and entering 734100 in the box at the top. I'm open to other shade suggestions, though.

2: A dark green-grey, pretty much like how the Gorn ships are in STO. Example at: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LQtZsmCAqAs/TT11EWEpRPI/AAAAAAAADVU/83oNyAFxHoo/s1600/gorn_01.jpg

3: A variant on that, going for more of a metallic and dark gunmetal green. Not sure of a good ready-made paint I can use for that, though. I can mix my own, if necessary. It's been suggested I do white scales rimmed in black, but I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Anyway, lemme hear what you think!
 
Allerka said:
So, I visited ADB this past weekend while driving from Michigan to El Paso on an unrelated mission. While there, I picked up a few Gorn ships. Now comes the next step: deciding how to paint them!

I've already done a Federation fleet in the standard gray, and I don't want to do a second fleet in gray, even if a radically different shade. I did my Klingons in TNG-era green with red engines for that reason.
If you don't want your Gorn any shade of grey because the Federation are already grey, then the green Klingon fleet rules out green Gorn ships for a similar reason. ;)

The problem with black is that, when the ships are on a black gaming table, they may look cloaked - take a look at this. :twisted:

So in your position, I'd go with the dark yellow-brown you suggested. Light blue details such as lights and engines would contrast nicely. Incidentally, I've just copied that picture of the ship from STO into Photoshop and examined the colours of various areas. They're generally equal values of red and green plus a lower of blue - put that all together and you get a low saturation yellow of varying intensity and darkness. The ship is not green-grey, it's yellow-grey. :)
 
My eyes must be getting worse than I thought.

Just a couple weeks ago, I saw a great piece of 40K art of what I thought was a dark green Chaos Space Marine, which inspired me to paint a model in that scheme (and now of course I want to do a whole army :p), then I went back and realized the artwork was actually black. Whoops. :p

I suppose the best way to test it all is to paint one up!
 
Allerka said:
I suppose the best way to test it all is to paint one up!
Yep.
I almost always fully paint one mini as a proof of concept. If I like the final version, I go for it... as often as not; however, something doesn't look right and the colors are off and the whole mini gets tripped and re-done.
But at least its only one mini being repainted - not an entire army or fleet.
 
Indeed. Also, these models should be WAY easier to strip than any of my Warhammer ones. Way less nooks and crannies for paint to get lodged in and be impossible to get out. :p
 
Ok, had a couple hours free tonight, so I test-painted one of the frigates. Thoughts?

gorn_frigate_by_allerka-d5rqi4l.jpg


I could probably stand to clean it up a little more, but you get the idea.
 
It looks good, though the last time I saw a ship in that sort of reddish brown, it was someone else's Kzinti. :) I thought you wanted to use a dark yellow and lighter blue, so after a bit of messing with Photoshop, here's how the ship might look...

(Incidentally, I find the idea of painting ships to look like the owning species' body amusing. Gorn painted in green with scales, Kzinti painted in tiger stripes, Federation painted in pinkish tan with a toupe on the bridge... :lol:)
 
Allerka said:
So, I visited ADB this past weekend while driving from Michigan to El Paso on an unrelated mission. While there, I picked up a few Gorn ships. Now comes the next step: deciding how to paint them!

Love the paint scheme.. Really like the fade on the engines.... makes them stand out...

I do have 1 small complaint.. Why wasn't i invited to visit ADB....! :mrgreen:
 
Zarathustra Suicune said:
That looks very nice, am so wishing I had picked up a couple of gorn ships last week..
LimeyDragon said:
Thanks!

Allerka said:
So, I visited ADB this past weekend while driving from Michigan to El Paso on an unrelated mission. While there, I picked up a few Gorn ships. Now comes the next step: deciding how to paint them!

Love the paint scheme.. Really like the fade on the engines.... makes them stand out...

I do have 1 small complaint.. Why wasn't i invited to visit ADB....! :mrgreen:
Well, you certainly could have gone with me, I passed right through OKC, but as I flew home from Texas to Michigan, you would have been on your own for getting back!


@AdrianH: Very interesting. I kinda like that shade. I might do some quick highlighting that's more yellowish. The mix I did was about 3/4 GW Scorched Brown and 1/4 Averland Sunset. I could push it a little more yellow.
 
Back
Top