I am wondering how you folks put the paint on your armor? Like the designs, not the paint color. An example is Hudson's "Louise" or "Death or Glory" icon on his armor. Is it custom-painted on or some kind of weathered decal?

I was thinking of something in the Irish motif, but I'm not good with artwork.

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United States Colonial Marine Corps
Private J.Hughes
A05/TQ0.0.12152E1

CURRENTLY IN TRAINING
Basic Training
&
Smartgunner Specialty School

All the graffiti Ive done has been hand painted acrylic paint, but that tends to be fairly permanent.

One other way of doing it is to get a decal of your chosen graffiti and paint it into place (Like using black paint round the edges if its a black bordered item) This makes removal later easier if you want to change your decals / sell the armour.

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MSgt Samantha 'Boltie' Watters
Chief Medical Officer, UKCM
1st Batt. 42nd Regiment - Hadrian's Wall

Area 52 Bioweapons division - Amber T. Alien


"Harsh"

All my graffiti is hand painted with regular acrylic paint. It works well because it scratches and chips away with use for a nice weathered look. However, it is somewhat three dimensional, so would be very difficult to perfectly cover or remove.

For a simple one-color piece, you could cut out a stencil, then spray paint it on. Spray tends to be a lot "flatter" and would be much easier to cover if you so desired.

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"Screen what? I wouldn't know screen accurate if it were driving a bus and ran me over during the parade."

LCpl. Av "Spectre" Taylor
Long Range Infantry Support

I'm going to go on a limb and say the vast majority is hand painted. The originals (screen used) were for sure.

If your design is simple the stensil idea is a good one. Otherwise I suggest practicing your design on spare parts a couple times then diving in. Any screw ups can be scratched out and passed off as "weathering"

A good technique if you're not confident in your painting ability is to draw it on in pencil first (or, if you can't draw, have someone more talented draw it on) then fill in the colors like a paint-by-number.

Additionally, don't sweat it too much. Remember, we're badass space warriors, not namby-pamby artisans.

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"Screen what? I wouldn't know screen accurate if it were driving a bus and ran me over during the parade."

LCpl. Av "Spectre" Taylor
Long Range Infantry Support

I'm just angry because I slaved over that Draconis Combine logo for hours to get it perfect, only to hear "LOL, dude, Mortal Kombat roxzors!!!11" at every convention for 5 years.

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"Screen what? I wouldn't know screen accurate if it were driving a bus and ran me over during the parade."

LCpl. Av "Spectre" Taylor
Long Range Infantry Support

Wait, you're not from Mortal Kombat?



In other news, my personal kit is all hand painted and I'm not that great of a painter in any sense of the word. I just took my time, a lot of damn time, and it came out fine.

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http://www.tentaclechris.com

"Take your time, and do it fine, or you won't be on the ready line!" -Roadblock

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"Awww, someone tell me that's a boot!

It's a boot!"

III drops

I just ask Mantroon to do mine, he is after all the lord and master

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SSgt Kris "Bloodsucker" Kobus, VAS.
A09/TQ2.0.12136E1

That's how I did my actual camo pattern on my armor. worked out pretty well I thought.

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"A writer needs a pen, a painter a brush, and a filmmaker an army." - Orson Wells.

http://www.rookscastle.com
http://www.alchemyarms.com

A technique I have used is the past is projection. I have one of those old overhead projectors (like they used in school way back when). I print out whatever the design is on a clear plastic sheet (they sell them at Office Depot, Staples, et all). Then I project that onto the armor, align and zoom and necessary. Once I have a it set up, then I hand paint over the projection. A big bonus is you can get a great idea of how the finished items will look. Using that method I did this on my Mando:





Charlie

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"There is a clause in the contract which specifically states any systematized transmission indicating a possible intelligent origin must be investigated. On penalty of total forfeiture of shares. No money."