Re: Painting Camouflage on figs/tanks

On Sun, 27 Jun 1999, Thomas Barclay wrote:

> Funny how serendipity works - this same conversation just happened
> here days ago.
> 
> A magazine article I read mentioned (roughly) the following:
> 
> Camouflage is designed to obscure shape and form. Painting good
> camouflage makes minis hard to see. It appauls artists and appeals to
> simulation gamers.

I had more or less this disscussion with a friend a while back - I was
saying that really good, authentic camo isn't what miniatures need, they
need camo that looks good, even if it shows up a bit more that camo
should.

Doesn't mean you should go the GW 40k (or Ogre) route of neon striped
vehicles, but some compromise paint scheme.

> 1. If painting camouflage, consider making it not quite in colours
> that will match your terrain. At least then you can pick the fig out
> on the table (I've actually had battles where well camm'd figs have
> gotten forgotten about - "Sargeant, have you seen Williams?" "Now that
> you mention it, I haven't seen him since we moved out of the last
> thicket...").

<grin> None of my 15mm SG2 figures have camo facepaint on, not even the
two snipers, who are kitted out in full or partial ghillie suits but
still
have skin-colored faces - it just doesn't look right, having a wholly
cammoed figure - I find that I need that bit of flesh colour just to
say,
"Hey, this is a human figure here!"....

> 2. Use inks and washes or drybrushing to bring out the contrasting
> features. Consider not painting faces, or painting some of the gear on
> your vehicles in other colours - metallics, or other shades of green
> or brown - just something to catch the eye slightly.

The Roco Minitank vehicles I've modified for SG2 are great for this -
all
the vehicles have shovels, pickaxes, cables, all sorts of tools modelled
on the decks of the vehicles - they're great for adding little bits of
detail onto the camo.

> 4. If you want to paint camo, but want something good looking and
> maybe even with a flavor for the troop type you are painting, pick a
> historical scheme. 

The late-WW2 German army produced some very interesting camo schemes -
especially the SS units, for some reason. Splotch & tigerstripe schemes,
'ambush' schemes, load of others. Find a good color book of late-WW2
German vehicles (Osprey or similar) and it'll provide you with loads and
loads of camoflauging inspiration & information. Most of my troops in
DS2
& SG2 are done in camo schemes inspired by late-WW2 German
paintjobs.

Brian (yh728@victoria.tc.ca)			      
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