So, are you tired of green yet? With the massive amounts of models you receive in the box, plus the number of models neede to field a decent army, you may be a little jaded (urgh). Hopefully this will help you out some.
Fist off, let me just say that the Lizardman Book is indispensible. It has many
different colour schemes to help you paint your models, particularly your character
models. But painting massive amounts of Skinks and Saurus tends to get a little monotonous
at times. The solution? Just buy a can of Dark Angels Green spray paint and use this to
undercoat your models. A quick drybrush with Snot Green and Goblin Green and you are 3/4
of the way done. Just some minor details, and you have bunches of models ready, and they
look good too.
If the Dark Angels Green is a little dark for you, then you have several other options.
You can try to find a green at your local hobby store that you can use, but make sure that
it doesn't contain anything that will melt your models. I am not very sure of what these
ingredients are (I am sure there are several), but if you do not know, just ask. If that
doesn't work, then just test the spray on a small piece of styrofoam. If the foam melts,
then the spray has a chemical that will eat away at your minis.
For the truly adventurous, they can make there own shade of green and airbrush it onto the
models. This allows you to choose the exact color you want them to be, but can take some
getting used to. For one, airbrushs can be expensive. Two, it takes some practice getting
the proper mixture of water and paint to allow you to spray it, but still stick to the
model without looking blotchy. In addition, you also run the risk of running out of paint
and trying to mix up a batch for the last couple of guys.
For the Skinks and Sauruses, don't take huge amounts of time on each model. If the paint
is blotchy or built up in creases on the model, it doesn't matter. They are rank and file
troops that no one really pays much attention to. Characters and centerpieces are another
matter entirely.
Characters should have just that: character. Painting a Saurus Hero that blends in with
the rest of your units doesn't do him justice. Instead, use the colour schemes in the
Lizardman book to give you an awe-inspiring figure. When your opponent asks you about the
white Saurus in your units, you can go on and on about what albino colouring means to the
Lizardmen. In addition, painting your characters in different colours allows you to find
them on the battlefield as well. How many times have you realized after two turns into the
game that that unit of Skinks has a Champion in it that could have been using his magic
item to help out his regiment?
Centerpieces provide the opportunity for you to do truly nice work. Stegadons, A
Slaan-Mage, or even a unit of Terradons are all examples of this: something that
immediately attracts the attention of any who walk by the table. Sure you can paint these
things in the typical green colours of the lizards (i.e.green and brown), but it is much
more fun to use these to display your painting skills and sense of colour. Now, I'm not
saying paint that Stegadon in a bright neon-pink. The colours should still have an
earth-tone, but that opens up the range much more, allowing reds, blacks, and even some
muted blues. True. Lizards in the real world often display colourful markings, but it is
just that: markings. Small bits of wild colour on a model will make it stand out more.
My suggestion is to get a book on Lizards, and check out some of the colour schemes
that real world reptiles and amphibians have. If you decide to experiment with colour,
then do it smartly. Paint a little on a piece of paper, or even use a plastic Skink. That
way you don't mess up a $40 miniature and have to worry about stripping it.