Mecha Painting, bring on the flames.........

[Bent Brush]

Ok today I have posted my very first paint jobs of futuristic mecha.

http://www.coolminiornot.com/index.php?id=5318
http://www.coolminiornot.com/index.php?id=5319
http://www.coolminiornot.com/index.php?id=5320

What I would like is for someone, anyone, everyone, to look at them, rate them and then tear them to shreds.

I need to know what is good, what is bad, and what is ugly.

Go ahead and unload with both barells, I can take it.

with over 500 registered posters on this site I know I can pick some excellent painting brains.

Thanks.

 

[Errex]

Mech\'s and their cousins

Just seen your mechas, wich look neatly painted and clean, although the color scheme wasn\'t exactly to my taste.

I think that robotic figures as Mechs, Mechas and Heavy Gears benefit from very stark highlights, thus adding to the sense of scale (after all, those are suposed to be huge machines).

Camouflage schemes also look good, as long as they are not overly complex. In that regard, reference material on modern day war machines is very helpful.

My particular taste in mechas are at the two extremes of the Mech Painting Philosophy. I like my mechs:

A) In Real World cammo shades,
or
B) In very bright and garish colors (anime style, or even better, painted like actual racing vehicles).

 

[nadinbrzezinski]

Ah CAV

First off methinks you are doing RACH... which is cool. Now the Assasin, interesting Modification since those are not original missle launchers.

They are cleanly painted, and that is one school. Through if you are going to go for that school then go Rach all the way and use nice garish paint schemes.

Personally I prefer cammy, but that is me.

Nadiin, who is glad to see she is not the only one painting CAVs.

 

[Bent Brush]

Thanks for the praise.

I went looking through Robotech Animation and setteled on these colors (close to Bartly\'s veritech ) to be garish on te battle field.

They stand out well and recognition is easy.

Yeah those are not the orginal missile launchers but then those are not the original arms either. That Assassian is my favroite CAV.

So what is wrong that I don\'t even rate table top on the Gladiator?

And why would you sugest I was playing Rach? Is it the colors?

I have not chosen a race.

I have never been to big on the concept of camo for mechs. Seems kind of pointless. They are huge, might as well try and hide a building. Besides in game terms they are only targeted electronicly and camo can\'t prevent that.

That said Nadinbrzezinski I like the paint job on your specter.

Thanks for the feedback, keep it commin I want to know what is wrong with them. How do I improve? CAVs are not the same as other minitures when you try to paint them.

 

[Errex]

Well, thing is, mechs are sculpted most of the time as very static, blocky metal things. Despite the plethora of illustrations of mech warfare from different companies, sculpts tend to look as if the machine is parked in someone\'s lot.

I don\'t think there are many mechas in this site, and I doubt that they will ever reach scores as high as fantasy or WH40K stuff (Heck, most of the 40K Dreadnoughts don\'t score that high, either).

On a side note: In Battletech lore, if you power down your mech and stick to passive scanners, there\'s a definitely good possibilities of getting the jump on your opposition. Imagine trying to pull an ambush when your mechs are painted garishly. I concede that gaming wise cammo is kinda pointless, but I think that sometimes they look neat.

 

[nadinbrzezinski]

I thuoght RACH since they are suppsed to paint their machines in garish colors, those chosen by the sectiion leader or the company commander. I am going from fluff here, could be Merc as well.

As to Mechanical things not scoring as well, I noticed... and I still post them since I love my Mecha. Oh and I am happy to see somebody else posting them!

Nadin

 

[Bent Brush]

OK I see that Lord Sabane has posted some stuff and as far as I can tell they look pretty dam good, yet the Sovereign III languishes below 5.

It\'s has shading, highlites and cleanly painted. Easily Table Top.

You might think after 6 months on this site I would have figured that the ratings are $h!t but I still get exasperated.

I supose I\'ll go post on the gripe about the rating system being broke.

As for the garish colors, I have only 1 more model to paint in these colors. Then I am off to a diffirent set.

 

[nadinbrzezinski]

Hey only my Rhino and Specter are above that, adn I do not care at all. I just do it for fun, and to promote the hobby. I am picking tricks for painting fanatasy while at it and just having plain fun.

So do not take it seriously. I have some minis that imho are above where they are... others that lighting, or rather lack off did not help. But I am picking good tips and havng overall fun.

I will tell you what I tell the kids whom we are teaching to paint. If at the end of the day you are happy with the result that is all that matters. If aomebody else tells you , \"it\'s crap\" well you are happy and that is all that matters.

Do I paint to championship level? Nope. Am I making a living out of this? Heck no... so try to look at this in this fashion and a lot of the agravation goes away.

Also, and this is my feeling and I do not know whether I am onto somehing or not, but some lines do better than others, and fantasy definitely does better than sci fi. That is real across the industry... that is why I do not take it seriously.

Nadin

 

[kahoolin]

hi mate,
i like the colour scheme, for me camo doesnt work on mechs that well, i like squad based colours and your figs are pretty cool.
bit more work on highlights and shading but for gaming purposes they are above what i think is required.....keep it up

 

[Bent Brush]

Rite on thanks. :bouncy:

 

[Sand Rat]

Mech Painting Schemes

Personally, I go for the von Richtoffen\'s Flying Circus look for my mechs. The more garish or unusual the better, and I hope to be posting the shots of the Batlas and the Ost Wonder that go with it as soon as I get my machine back up at home. Overall, I would suggest taking some of the more abusive posts about your paint schemes with a huge grain of salt and listen to the ones that are really giving good constructive criticism

 

[Bent Brush]

Then how about my latest group. These I have used the Invid as inspiration.

Check them out.

Sovereign III CAV http://www.coolminiornot.com/index.php?id=5918

Gladiator CAV #2 http://www.coolminiornot.com/index.php?id=5752

Sabertooth Panther CAV http://www.coolminiornot.com/index.php?id=5782

I would be glad for more constructive / destructive critisim.

thanks

 

[Errex]

CAV vs. Battletech

I\'ve just seen your new Mechas, and I liked a lot your paintjobs (I liked the Sovereign best), but still, CAVs look too blocky for my taste. Anyway, they are only beginning, so I expect their design to improve over time.

I prefer Battletech designs, though they also have their share with the \"piled cardboard box\" look. Another line that I also like but doesn\'t appear too often here are the Heavy Gears.

 

[Bent Brush]

My understanding is that the CAV designers were individuals that had never played Battle Tech and the designs came from that group.

I am personaly fond of the Robotech Mecha Designs that B-Tech started with but those are not avalible.

I am finding that the more I paint of the CAV\'s produced by reaper the more I like them. There is a great attention to detail in the design angled to functionality.

Thanks for the kind words about my paint scheams.