When paint scheme ideas go wrong

[captainventanus 5097xp 1]

While clearing out some storage boxes at the weekend I came across this Scourge cruiser in a test scheme back DFC first came out. Rather than use the metallic and clear paints from the official scheme back then I thought it would be a neat idea to use the thinned-down, denatured, late WW2 German paints to give that sort of sickly organic look. Different shades of red oxide, weak yellow and green etc..

The individual colours look great and off I went airbrushed the first base coats and gave it a red-brown enamel wash. It is quite striking and the picture unfortunately doesn’t do it all the justice. The problem was, and it never even remotely occurred to me at the time because I was so fixed on late war German tanks, that precisely this colour combination looked like a Rattlesnake – and as I am not fond of snakes one bit, that wasn’t going to happen so over to Plan B.

This is to be taken in a light-hearted way. I am though curious if you all have other examples of paint scheme ideas for armies that seemed really great at the time and then in practice just weren’t.

 

[angelicdespot 4700xp 1]

Thanks for posting.   I think it looks great!   I’m sure I’ve had many bad paint scheme mistakes over the years, but I’m not sure i’ve got any photos.

Your post resonates with me for another reason though.   My girlfriend has a phobia of butterflies.   I haven’t yet painted anything to look like one, but I own a few models which I’ve considered painting like one.   I suppose I’ll have to think long and hard about whether it’s for a game she’ll be interested in playing!

[davehawes 7769xp 1]

I have to say I think it looks pretty good, and the first thing it reminded me of was a Lionfish rather than a snake!

[captainventanus 5097xp 1]

@angelicdespot Butterflies could to be quite a challenge. I would think it is relatively rare for someone to completely dislike or not to be able to stomach a scheme on the table. While I don’t like snakes I could have lived with it, just I wouldn’t have wanted to paint up 30+ ships. But if it does occur then yes its something certainly to consider.

@davehawes I’m not going to lie, I had to look up what a Lionfish looks like. It is sort of the inverted way around in terms of colours. It could really work though yes.

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