For a Mars scenario

[LotB]

By you, how much it should be red the ground of the red planet (Mars) ?
Thank you.

[dijit]

I googled Mars Lander, and got some of the following pictures:

[Rhoderic]

What kind of sci-fi setting, more specifically? Realistic / hard sci-fi or something more pulpy and wildly imaginative?

I'd go for a quite saturated dark red, but then I wouldn't be very likely to game hard sci-fi encounters on a "believable" future version of Mars. If I was, I'd go for a more common earthy, greyish brown with just a hint of red.

[Steve F]

The red colour is generally (though not universally) thought to be rust, so that should provide a guide to the colours to use.

[Rhoderic]

More precisely, here's what I mean by "a quite saturated dark red". It's not realistic, but it looks cool.

http://s583.photobucket.com/user/MadKalnod/library/Heavy%20Gear%20-%20Caprician%20Units?sort=6&page=1

This is the Dream Pod 9 studio terrain for Caprice, a planet in the Heavy Gear universe that's quite strongly inspired by Mars. I've always liked it and wanted to copy it (although I'd probably make the cliffs more of an off-black colour for contrast) but haven't gotten around to it.

[LotB]

I googled Mars Lander, and got some of the following pictures:

[omissis]

Many thanks, Diijit, for the pictures. In fact they represented two different approaches, with different shades of ocher - sienna color.
I was wondering if I should dare a bit 'more, choosing a color more "red".

[LotB]

What kind of sci-fi setting, more specifically? Realistic / hard sci-fi or something more pulpy and wildly imaginative?

I'd go for a quite saturated dark red, but then I wouldn't be very likely to game hard sci-fi encounters on a "believable" future version of Mars. If I was, I'd go for a more common earthy, greyish brown with just a hint of red.

I have in mind a futuristic scenario, such as those of the films of Riddick, as the setting for battles between WH40K type armies and / or assume that there is a breathable atmosphere, and also for  wargames like Stargate, Aliens, Predators, ecc.

[LotB]

The red colour is generally (though not universally) thought to be rust, so that should provide a guide to the colours to use.

So a color "rust" basic, with shades of red - orange to simulate light and shadow?

[LotB]

More precisely, here's what I mean by "a quite saturated dark red". It's not realistic, but it looks cool.

http://s583.photobucket.com/user/MadKalnod/library/Heavy%20Gear%20-%20Caprician%20Units?sort=6&page=1

This is the Dream Pod 9 studio terrain for Caprice, a planet in the Heavy Gear universe that's quite strongly inspired by Mars. I've always liked it and wanted to copy it (although I'd probably make the cliffs more of an off-black colour for contrast) but haven't gotten around to it.

Beautiful pictures, thank you very much.
To get the nuances so, what colors should be used? Only the red? And to lighten or darken?

[Rhoderic]

To get the nuances so, what colors should be used? Only the red? And to lighten or darken?

That, I can't answer, sorry. Wouldn't mind knowing myself

[LotB]

That, I can't answer, sorry. Wouldn't mind knowing myself

O.K., thank you.
Cheers

[aliensurfer]

Is it only me, but in the second pic, does it look like the tracks from the lander have drawn out a giant cock on the surface of Mars?

[Predatorpt]

Is it only me, but in the second pic, does it look like the tracks from the lander have drawn out a giant cock on the surface of Mars?

Unfortunately they did draw it on Mars:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/24/mars-rover-penis-draws-nasa_n_3148422.html

[LotB]

This seems to be the answer:

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/videos/index.cfm?v=29&a=2

Of course if we want to reproduce as faithfully as possible to the real color of the soil of Mars.
But in a fantasy-futuristic sfx, I think we can opt for a color much more .... "red".

Like this:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/308306-gorthaurs-mars-basing-guide/

 

Sergio
Naran Team Turin
http://www.naran.it/naran

[Rhoderic]

This seems to be the answer:

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/videos/index.cfm?v=29&a=2

Of course if we want to reproduce as faithfully as possible to the real color of the soil of Mars.
But in a fantasy-futuristic sfx, I think we can opt for a color much more .... "red".

That's what I was getting at. The real Mars isn't terribly red (and would be even less so if it was terraformed) so for the dedicated hard sci-fi gamer, a butterscotch colour would be best. But for 40K-style science fantasy and Hollywood-style space romps along the lines of Riddick, Stargate and Alien/Predator, you can't beat that fantastical "red planet" look.

By the way, here's a test piece I made a couple of months back for a fairly generic desert/semi-desert board that was intended to have a subtly red hue. I wasn't going for Mars, but more like parts of central Australia or the American Southwest. Anyway, it turned out more "dirty pink" than I wanted it. This may not be a bad thing after all, seeing as upon reflection it would make a good Mars (and I collect Martian Empires among other games, so I do need a Martian gaming surface).



I used a mix of artist's acrylics to paint it. Specifically, a mix of Primary Magenta of a local craft store brand, Liquitex Cadmium Yellow Deep Hue, Liquitex Titanium White and Liquitex Mars Black (auspicious name!). Magenta and yellow mixed together make primary red, so the colour I mixed from these four paints may actually be very similar to a simpler mix of primary red and light grey. As for lighter and darker, when doing a two-layer paintjob (basecoat and one highlight/drybrush) I always mix or choose my highlight/drybrush colour first and then make the basecoat/shading colour by darkening that with a bit of black. YMMV.

The silly thing is that now I'm thinking of making two Mars / red planet gaming surfaces, in different shades of red! One "dirty pink" like the test piece I made, and one darker red like the DP9 studio terrain I linked to earlier in the thread. Ridiculous, I know, but I like them both!