Ok, my test Fire Warrior is finished. I really like the color scheme. I think ill make the following changes:

1. Solarious Orange basecoat with Blazing Orange Highlights rather than yellow

2. Im going to base with an ash effect. These Tau come from a Volcanic Planet

Comments?

Here is the second go-round. Props to Deathpod for the Lens scheme. Made the following changes:

1. Highlighted the Blazing Orange with a 1:1 mix of Blazing Orange and Skull White.

2. Added a heavier drybrush to the cloth under the armor.

3. Highlighted the black with Adeptus Battlegrey.

Comments?

Here is model #1 (right) and #2 (left)



I don't know if you can see the lens, but it looks really good in person.



Just realized I forgot the gun markings.

Nice work!

The colour scheme is really striking, and fits your ash/volcanic world theme really well.
I particularly enjoyed your decision to paint the lenses in that icy blue colour.
It's really interesting, and seems to cool off the models on some level.

Any idea how you're going to base them, as the ash wasteland idea could look really cool.

To base them, I have the following ideas:

1. Paint the bases to look like lava (Blood Red, Burning Orange, Sunburst Yellow) and use the GW sand with a grey or black drybrush.

2. Buy some Pumice from a greenhouse and break that up to simulate the Volcanic rock.

To implicate ashes: use Delhaize green tea! (black with a little purple glow)
You could easily give it a grey drybrush and place a little treestump to finish

What is Delhaize green tea? Is it a type of tea I can buy in the US?

I'm a big fan of orange details and this is an awesome scheme using just that. Black and orange is cool and you pulled it of nicely. All you got to do now is make up some fluff for an dark/eternal night homeworld to account for the black armor. Keep it up m8.

You're a brave man painting such a vibrant colour over black, the effect is very striking. If you aim to larger surface areas, try a practice piece of plastic with Vermin Brown as a base before you apply your orange technique. It will soften the vibrancy slightly, but should give you a deeper body of colour across a larger surface.

A couple of light, milk consistancy coats should do the trick as a basecoat

As I mentioned, try it on some spare panel or plastic part to see what you think?

best,
Tael.

Very well done for your test model. It goes without saying, but I totally agree with Tael's suggestions. As it stands, the black clothe looks too un-finished. Maybe you can take a bit of inspiration from Graham Gilchrist's Tau. His scheme is very similar to yours.

First off, this is an awesome color scheme, and it is quite well executed!

I only see some slight things that bother my eye, and they are probably just my opinion.
1. I’m not certain of the recesses on his helmet being orange, maybe if you went for a glow effect, but just a flat orange doesn’t quite work.
2. Perhaps try slightly thinner sept markings? They seem slightly bulky and are looking a bit too much like the colored armor panels.
3. The white on the Tau sept shoulder pad symbol just doesn’t look right. It clashes with the color scheme; I'd suggest changing it to orange.
4. Edited in: on the subject of sept markings, (and this is very opinion based) you should always try to have them pointing either upwards, or towards the rear of the model, I don’t know why, but whenever they point sideways, or forwards it just doesn’t look right (although in rare occasions, it does work out).

Also, as far as the two prototypes are concerned, I think I like the original (right) one better, the yellow shading is just plain beautiful. Perhaps try a hybrid, using an orange base, yellow shading, and those whitish highlights?

All said, it's a piece of very nice work, and these are only my opinions.

Any black tea will serve...
It gives you a 'burnt tree pieces' look... Maybe even try some steel wool to implicate not-yet-extinguished fires?

EDIT: i agree on the helmet lines but i more like prototype number 2, the yellow clashes in my eyes

I like your choice of colors. Makes me eager to see the suits. Back when I was obsessed with the Armored Core series, almost all my mechs were painted Black and orange, much like your fire warriors. I did have a little white added into the mix too though.

Anyhow, back on topic, I'm not sure I'm a fan of the orange panel line on the helmets, although the orange looks good everywhere else. Of the 2 prototypes, I think I'm more in favor of the second model. The yellow bits bug my eyes xD

I want there to be color in the helm. That's why I colored the lines. If not the lines, suggestions?

This is a great colour scheme!

If you want to paint the helmets why not do a large sept stripe so the Devil Fish/Orca can pick out the different troops for pick up/evac etc?

Im not certain if this is what Kais'Saal is saying, but perhaps more sept symbols? I've found that one or two stripes right infront of the antenna creates a quite nice effect, and that it is a location that is visable from most angles.

Got to say love the choice of colors. I am very excited to see the suits and the fish, please post pics as soon as you have them. As far as tips go I got to say man for your first go this is great. I would suggest a little highlight on the black of the armor, but a word to the wary black highlights are very difficult to do, if I can find it or if some one knows where it is please post a link, but the best color to use for highlight on black is either a dark blue or purple.

More or less. Rather than having small sept symbols though, a large one, quite thick to break up the helmet. I know it's non-standard but it seems quite cool to me

I decided to work on the gun drones. I'm extremely happy with how this scheme is turning out. Im getting the hang of the highlights, but it is tough to get the mix on point every single time. Comments welcome.....

UP NEXT: Shas'ui

Those drones are looking great!
You've really done a good job on the highlights...
Wish I could do them like that.
Anyway, to get the mix of highlight right, and keep it consistant throughout
your army, why not mix up a whole pot some time.
That way you save time mixing paints for individual models, and you can be assured
that the results are gonna be uniform for every model.

Looking forward to more updates!

Fi'rios

Lovely stuff! Could I ask you to change the size of the photos? Photobucket tends to have a 'forum' preset size. I tend to use the thumbnails but with painting this good I can see why you didn't!