Ultra Marines WIP & colour question

[Suber]

I have commited myself to reorganize my Ultramarines Army in the most RT fashion I can. I have stripped and repainted a few minis and now I have a dilemma about the colour for the weapons. Let me show:

Well, the phone pic burns all the colours, but you get the idea. The black weapon looks too dull I guess, so that is a no. Grey works fine for me and it was going to be my option, but then I tried that beige and then I said 'hey, this could work really nice'. So I came here to ask for your opinions, as I have been staring at the models for days being unable to make a choice. I am almost decided to go for the beige, but grey does not displease me. Any wise advice, please?

 

[Asslessman]

Definitely beige, it's the one which offers the best contrast and beige has this old vibe, almost starwaresque...
For a bichromatic army like this (if you decide it's beige for the weapons) the baserim question would be an intersting one too, I'm pretty sure the same beige on the sides would be good.

 

[Blue in VT]

This is a vexing problem that I'm dealing with right now myself. I'm personally leaning towards the black with sharp grey edge highlighting...but am still conflicted. Of your three options I like both the grey and the beige. The beige might look a bit odd on things like heavy support weapons though...?

Blue

 

[Jeff McC]

Depends on what you're looking for. I think the grey matches the "uniform" better, as it stays in the cool color realm. However, if you want to make the weapons pop, then the warmer beige is the way to go.

 

[The Fat Git]

From a purely aesthetic viewpoint, the beige. Mainly because that gun doesn't look metal, it has always given me the impression of being plastic.

 

[phreedh]

Beige, man. No question about it. Agree on the nice 60s/70s scifi style feeling (Star Wars, for instance).

 

[Just John]

I vote for beige too. Hmm what else can I say to fulfil the word quota..

 

[Orjetax]

I'll add to the chorus of people singing the praises of "beige."

 

[Count Von Bruno]

Beige indeed.

What about the boltguns?

 

[Chico]

Black for me I'm afraid.. i hate weapons with colour reminds of the Gw ''red period'' too much when nothing was ever just plain and simple.

 

[Plaiecivile]

Am I the only one who automaticly thought of the ZF-1 in the 5th Element when seeing that beige gun?
http://www.moviecitizens.com/wp-content ... zf1gd9.jpg

The beige on blue is realy looking good... and out of the ordinary!
As Blue in TV mentionned, try it on a heavy weapon before going for a squad, it might show you if it is the way you want to go.

 

[axiom]

Beige adds a nice retro dimension (as if they need it of course). Black is just too dull for my tastes and if you're going for a light colour, then I think the beige trumps the grey

 

[Erny]

I'm with grey.

I'm not helping am I?

 

[Luikki]

I say beige for the retro, 50s sci-fi, Buck Rogers look.

 

[cheetor]

Although I sometimes do paint them specific colours for certain forces (like Tau for example) I dont like Imperial sidearms painted something other than a sensible colour, regardless of what they are supposed to be made from. I definitely regret painting dark red weapons on my chaos marines. Even though it looks fine and suits the army aesthetically, it just looks a bit daft (as much as magic evil rotting soldiers from space can look more daft).

I vote for grey weapons on the Ultramarines shown and to possibly use some yellow or beige to add small rank insignia or dials or knobs or something else on the model to lift it instead of having big honking beige rifles.

 

[Suber]

Thank you all! I guess I'll give beige a try on a missile launcher and see how does it come out. The combination of colours looks kinda appealing to me. I hope I can show you some results in a few days

PS: I have never been able to paint red weapons, that was too much even for me!

 

[cheetor]

PS: I have never been able to paint red weapons, that was too much even for me!

In my defence, it was a dark red meant to be suggestive of putrid innards, but like many things that I did in the nineties, I wouldnt do it again (see left below).

 

[Mutantdale]

I prefer the grey too (I'm with you Erny).. but then I do almost all my imperial weapon grey or black as I see them just coming off factory lines by the thousands each day.

You could break it up a bit by adding personalised kill markings like in the RT book though.

I was also guilty of red boltguns but that was in the red era in the 90s so I have an excuse. Ultramarines and khorne beserkers both got weaponry from the same factory back then

MD

 

[Asslessman]

Guilty of red bolters and weapons too

I have to add that beige is the most best "graphic" choice for me, I really believe that an army of these gys with the beige weapons will work better. That said the black is obviously more "classy" and feels right because let's face it, any weapon manufacturer building weapons in other colours than black or camouflaged would be going mad... but then, beige has to be considered on a more artistic level, there are no worng answers I guess.

 

[Suber]

Guilty of red bolters and weapons too
...any weapon manufacturer building weapons in other colours than black or camouflaged would be going mad...

We could say the same about those blue or yellow power armours, I guess