HML Leviathan coloured in assorted Paintschemes

[Tonbo Karasu]

We've almost got a complete set of Parade colours for the big 8, so I thought, with my being off work, that I could do something.  Here we have Leviathan ('cos there's not many either side elevation pictures) coloured in those styles.
I'm not much of an artist, but I felt like giving it a go:

American (3 minor variants)


Austro-Hungarian


British (2 distinct versions)


French (2 distinct versions)


German


Japanese


Russian


Hmm, I need to go off and find Italy.

[Weirdo]

Hey look, someone launched Camo Specs Levs!

But semi-seriously, those are really cool. Great way to see how ships can be painted very differently, while still looking professional.

[Istal Devalis]

Is it me or do the British ships look like cruise liners? 

[blackbrunswicker]

Those are fantastic! Though I think I'd leave off the different underwater paint on most of those if I were painting them. Wasn't that usually for anti-rust?

[ravehnhuhrxt]

Those are fantastic! Though I think I'd leave off the different underwater paint on most of those if I were painting them. Wasn't that usually for anti-rust?

I agree. It looks kinda silly having the waterline and underwater paint on a vessel that will never be in water.

[trboturtle]

Maybe a sky blue hull with wiite upperworks? Or a sky version of the zig-zag paiting scheme?

Craig

[Worktroll]

I agree that the below-water colours may not translate well into the air ... still, Tonbo Karasu, it's wonderful to see them!

Could I ask a favour - could you post the plain line-image version of the HML Leviathan you've been using, so others can use it for their experiments?

Btw, I can also imagine the "camo-mad" Americans trying this ...

[Tonbo Karasu]

Sure, here it is:



I've been using a multi-layer graphics package with this on the top, and just putting blocks of colour into the layer below, with the detail getting picked out kind of automatically.

While I agree that 'below-the-waterline' has no meaning for flying ships, having it colourscheme split horizontally does make for a more interesting look.  I could also imagine some places (like the British Admiralty) coming out with "I don't care that it will never be in the water: Her Majesty's vessels are all painted red on the lower half of the hull, with a horizontal white line above it, so this one will be too.  Do I make myself clear?"

I'll so what a gradient from dark grey to white looks like, for the Germans, given the description of their 'No 9' scheme.

[Toolian]

Maybe a sky blue hull with wiite upperworks? Or a sky version of the zig-zag paiting scheme?

Craig

Don't think a blue belly will help you at all. With all that black smoke coming out, you'll still stand out.

But would still be pretty neat as a camo scheme.

[Worktroll]

Thanks, TK! (For the rest of us, save the image provided as a .gif file; this flattens the colours out. You can then use MS Paint's fill function to add colours.)

As for the underwater ... there's plenty of room for variations. I'd imagine initially tradition would preserve the ship scheme (with the potential exception of the Russians, whose Berkuts owe more to cavalry traditions), with different forces moving faster or slower towards the "modern" schemes - perhaps with "show the flag" featuring more for some empires than for others.

[Worktroll]

Oh, and Deathrider6 - I want to see a Coastie version

[Deathrider6]

Well sheesh...get me a coastie style Lev and I'll see what I can do:) On the upside it's probably pretty easy to slap on the racing stripe 

[pianobar]

There are some great ideas here...thanks for the visuals!

[Deathrider6]

Oh yeah and just for the record the Coast guard has TWO schemes. One for Cutters and one for everything else:)

[Weirdo]

I imagine that brightly painted undersides would be a benefit to Levs that have to work with ground or naval forces, to better enable identification and prevent friendly fire. If your Levs have red bellies, and the enemy ones are black, your naval units have less of an excuse when they start shooting at you.

*looking forward to later Japanese Levs painted Yamato-style*