"Science Fiction Paint Schemes" Topic

A while back, I noticed a photo of star ships beautifully painted in the classic John Deere green and yellow paint scheme link

John Deere is a large manufacturer of agricultural equipment here in the United States.

Anyway, this got me to wondering how do you decide how to paint your star ships? Certainly, if they are based on a novel or movie, you might have some directions, but what if they are not?

Grelber
Slave to the tyranny of historical gaming paint schemes

I'm partial to the Terran Trade Authority paint schemes/styles. The whole Star Trek/Star Wars homogenized painting style bores me to tears.

I take lots of action pictures of my models. I've moved away from complex dazzle patterns to high-saturation versions with pinstriping. Like race cars.

My latest picture:

I've got lots of pictures on the blog, including some of the wife's models. (She's a professional artist, so of course hers are better.)

The company blog: purplefuzzymonster.com

Make them look pretty, make them look distinctive.

I've used animal colouration for some sci-fi vehicle paint schemes, may use them for ships, and for my future Heavy Gear project (from their Kickstarter), I'm looking at squads in Canadian Football League team colours.

I have a Traveller space ship project planned, but no idea of colours yet.

I'm looking at squads in Canadian Football League team colours.

This is actually a pretty good idea for the color-combinationally-challenged. Most sports teams have figured out a color scheme that works for them. They won't all be good for spaceships (I'm thinking the Tequila Sunrise Astros), but most of them will.

For those unfamiliar with the reference:
link

Chris Foss, Turner Spaceship, 1991

I recommend Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss. Foss is one of the most influential SF artists around, having contributed design work to Alejandro Jodorowsky's abortive Dune and Ridley Scott's Alien. More recently, Foss did design concepts for Guardians of the Galaxy. The book wasn't cheap, but I refer to it quite often.

Ron

Thanks for the link Ron, I love that art too.

@Meiczyslaw – Tequila Sunrise Astros would rock as spaceship camo! Maybe a white or yellow base with the three oranges and two reds as trim colours, blinding their opponent's sensors.

Maybe a white or yellow base with the three oranges and two reds as trim colours, blinding their opponent's sensors.

If by "sensors" you mean "eyes", then yes.

(I own one of the Astros' current BP jerseys, which are sweet. The old rainbow jerseys, not so much. But maybe I just haven't drunk enough bleach to clear the memory of Craig Reynolds and his red-headed 'fro rocking the rainbow. The 70s were hideous.)

Is there no love for aztec schemes for spaceships? Never tried one myself, or more to the point, talked anyone into doing so FOR me, but it sure seemed to make a relative brick a handsome beast.

Too much like dazzle?

Doug