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painting nids

594 views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  Marvus 
#1 ·
im getting a big box of nids hopefully within the next two weeks and ive seen many pics of nids but ive been trying to figure out what colors i want to paint them, i want to buy the paints when i get the box(makes sense) anyways i was thinking about using black and red for the exoskeleton a bone for blades, claws, etc a combination of the three for guns and then using a purple for the gooeier sides of the tyranids, prob is i know im going to need some more colors, but i dont want to use complementary colors(colors opposite each other on the color wheel) any suggestions of what to do color wise or how to paint them
 
#2 ·
I found for my Nids the best inspirations were in nature. Google for pictures of beetles, wasps, lizards, snakes, reef fish, crabs or fungi. Or pop on down to your local library and browse through the nature section. Pick a colour scheme from a gribbly you like, or blend a couple together.

I've gone for a very waspy yellow and black look, with softer body parts brown. It's fairly natural (and probably boring) scheme, but it looks very aggressive with the swarm en masse.
 
#3 ·
If you are getting a large box of them, the best thing I reckon you could do is to grab a few smaller models and start experimenting :)
Thats the best way to see if something looks good. Try it on hormagaunts or something.
I think you will have to be careful with those colours to make sure that the purple and the red don't "blend" into each other and look very similar. The bone will be a very nice contrast.
 
#4 ·
Black/Red/Bone/Purple should be perfectly coherent, if a bit dark. Don't be afraid to use a louder, complementary, or even clashing color scheme though. I started out my nids using a similar color scheme; black body, blue armor plates, purple hurty-bits. It looked good, but it was very dark. I recently dropped the black body and replaced it with pink and purple on a Zoanthrope; it looks great. It's loud and garish, but it works. I think you can get away with colors on a tyranid that you would need to be far more skilled than I to pull off on a Space Marine.

Nids take dry brushing and ink/paint washes very well... they are (or can be at least) a horde army with models that are perfect for speed painting, which is nice. I try to be a bit more traditional on the armor plates and things like scything talons, however.
 
#5 ·
Garish was the way I went with my nids. I alternated a blue/green color scheme for flesh/armor. Half of my army I used Ice Blue and Regal blue for the flesh and Dark Angel Green and Scorpion Green for the armor, the other half I swapped that up.
 
#6 ·
I saw an Alien themed army, almost entirely black, but with Fortress grey highlights and a generous 'ardcoat. Looked the buisiness. But yes, I agree, get the small ones and experiment (rippers will do the job, three schemes per base :D!)
 
#7 ·
My nids are (or some of them):
http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e76/Marvus/Tyranids/

With these i've found they're been pretty easy to paint when you use a darker coulour for the reases of the exo-skeleton (i think that's it, or the fleshy bone stuff). It provides good contrast and is easy to paint (just got to paint the rasied areas). SO you could apply the same technique for your guys but with the different colours ofcourse. Replacing the green with the red could work well. SO the under skin stuff would be red and the highlights of the chitin (Armour plates). personally i like the lighter skin and darker armour, but that's just me. what ever you do i hope it works for you, as you are the one painting billions of them and it's YOUR army :) HAppy hunting
 
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