How to paint a decent camouflage effect (Aliens USCM armour)

[Soundwave]

Hi there,

Just wondering what is the best technique for painting military camouflage effects. I've been practicing, but they just never look right, they just look too random and scruffy, but whenver I see other schemes, I dunno they just look soo much better...maybe I just hate my own work.

Also what are the best paint colours to use? Do the USCM have squiggels of silver (or is it white) in their scheme? Excuse my use of technical terms!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Funky]

Contact stephen 210. His paint job is spot-on...very accurate, and the nicest guy in the world. I'm sure he could offer some tips.

 

[saber_holder]

......

 

[division 6]

The squiggles are grey.

When ia did mine I started with the black first than layed out the rest of the colors accordingly.
They are layed out in a certain order at least on Husdons.
Humbrol paints where used on the originals.
All Matt paints.
Dark Green (30)
Sand (63)
Black (33)
Lt Grey (147)
Chocolate (98 )
Brown Bess (170)

A couple colors are off on mine since I didn't have a list to go by, just pix.
You can find more info on the Aliens Legacy Board
D6

[attachmentid=6947]

 

[JP05]

This is my set...painted and made by Terry English who made them for the movie. Black is only used on the name letters.

http://radler.homestead.com/USCM.html

 

[Gigatron]

I always thought the USCM paint jobs kind of looked like the camo used by the marines in WWII in the pacific, just darker and more vibrant, but same pattern.

-Fred

 

[division 6]

At the time I painted mine the pix I used where off Harry's site.
And since the lighting was off it was hard to tell what the colors where.

Maybe my next set will be more accurate.

D6

 

[Harry Harris]

</SPAN><TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>At the time I painted mine the pix I used where off Harry's site. And since the lighting was off it was hard to tell what the colors where.</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE><SPAN CLASS=$row_color> Erm, what makes you think the lighting was 'off'?

Harry.

 

[division 6]

No offence to you Harry.

A friend printed them out for a group of us to use for painting.
The pix printed out yellowish and dark.

I didn't find your site until a few years later.

Now that I have better pix I should repaint, but at the moment I have far to many other projects.

D6

 

[b26354]

here's mine:

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~jallitt/armour_prog/

 

[Soundwave]

Thanks for your input guys! I truly appreciate it! Awesome sets of armour you've got there! (Show offs

) Love some of the custom paintjobs!! (Been thinking about that too!)

That Terry English Armour looks truly magnificent JP05 ! Must have cost you an arm or a leg!

The step by step photos you've got up b26354 are really useful too, thanks! You're mannequin display is coming along very nicely!

I'll also have to check out the Aliens Legacy Boards, so thanks also D6, I assume the guy in the pic is you, I love that custom paint job (especially the backplate)!

And don't worry the colour scheme of your armour works well and looks great!

I'll also try and contact Stephen, thanks Funky Jedi.

SaberHolder, any ideas of what type of armour you're painting or will you be going for you're own custom job...if so any good ideas?

Thanks again guys!

 

[GF]

</SPAN><TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
JP05 wrote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
This is my set...painted and made by Terry English who made them for the movie. Black is only used on the name letters.

http://radler.homestead.com/USCM.html
</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE><SPAN CLASS=$row_color>

Awesome!!!

GFollano

 

[The Stig]

Harry, I'll pay you a million dollars in hersheys kisses if you take an outdoors picture of your hudson mannequin.

</SPAN><TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
Harry Harris wrote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>At the time I painted mine the pix I used where off Harry's site. And since the lighting was off it was hard to tell what the colors where.</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE> Erm, what makes you think the lighting was 'off'?

Harry.
</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE><SPAN CLASS=$row_color>

 

[Hangar18Studios]

As with anything military, the key to making it look right is the weathering. Military stuff always looks more bad-assed when it's all beat up and dirty.
Scott

 

[Soundwave]

Definetly agreed!

Is their some kind of set font that they used for their names on the front of their armour?

 

[saber_holder]

......

 

[Soundwave]

Heheh, you gotta start thinking about it mate!! It's all I've been thinking about at night (sad I know...haha

)

Hudson's armour does seem to be a fave tho, although I do love the born again thing on Hicks armour, that's kinda cool!

It's well hard thinking about what to put on custom armour though...was actually thinking aobut putting 'Ultimate Badass' on there myself..lol, but that's kinda cheesy!

Need something to reflect myself I guess!

I think it's gonna be more fun customising the armour!

 

[Soundwave]

Damn, I should've asked Michael Biehn what he would've liked to put on his own armour when I met him a few months back! Daammmnnn!!

 

[saber_holder]

......

 

[Soundwave]

Yeah I know, but Michael Biehn didn't get to design his, as he wasn't originally cast as Hicks and was brought in at the last minute.

At the talk I attended Michael actually said that he didn't really like his paint scheme, especially the heart as he felt it was kind of a target for the enemy!

Yeah I think it'd be cool to incorporate other things you like into it.