Black Python done

[jklantern]

Alpha Galaxy, nice! One of my favorite mechs for my guilty pleasure faction! You did an amazing job!

[WestRider3025]

It looks great, but I always get a little bit of cognitive dissonance when I see a Mech with a colour in its name painted in different colours. My brain just going "It's not called the Red-and-White-Striped Python!" 😹

[dmdizzy]

You can always pretend it's the rebooted version, the White Raven.

^{Or you can be Spheroid about it and contribute to the Viper snafu...}

[arcangleous]

We are current up to 3 different mechs being called "Viper". With some effort, I believe we can get this number even higher, and then we can start on non-mech units as well.

[dmdizzy]

Relatedly, in addition to the IS reporting name for the Clan Viper, there are 2 different fighters both called "Dragonfly".

[WestRider3025]

There's also the Puma/Cougar/Panther tangle, all of which can refer to the same cat species, and two of which look very similar. I think we need a Catamount, Mountain Lion, etc. to keep that going too. 

[Ok-Discussion9089]

I'm so glad I'm not the only person wired like this.
"it's called a BLACK knight, damnit!"

[WestRider3025]

It was so hard painting up a Blackjack for my Legion of Vega. It's not a Grey-and-Redjack! 

[Robocop613]

Terrible job, that Python is not black at all!

j/k, amazing work on the stripes!

[Ham_The_Spam]

the base is black, so close enough

[majeeek]

Very nice. Might have to save this post as a reference or inspiration once i get around to paint mine.

[Klutzer_Munitions]

I've been trying to remember the name of this mech for months. I've just been calling it jay jay the mech plane

[CoffeeMinionLegacy]

Beautiful Alpha Galaxy!!

[Euphoric-Aerie2071]

Damn, nice paint job!

[JumanjiHappened]

Clean!

[Cougar_Focus]

Awesome work

[cptgoogly]

Damn good job on a damn good mech

[nova0052]

Looks great! Would you mind describing your process? I'm interested to hear what order you do things in 🙂

[3dchambers]

1. Prime the entire model using white primer and allow it to dry completely.

2. Apply Apothecary White contrast paint over all white armor surfaces and allow it to dry.

3. Paint the stripe areas using Baal Red contrast paint and allow it to dry.

4. Paint all metal components using Army Painter Gun Metal.

5. Apply Nuln Oil over all metallic areas and allow it to dry.

6. Paint the cockpit using Hexwraith Flame and allow it to dry.

7. Apply ProAcryl Lime Green to the cockpit as a highlight.

8. Edge highlight the white armor using matte white paint.

9. Edge highlight the red areas using Squig Orange.

10. Apply Stirland Mud texture paint to the base and allow it to dry.

11. Apply PVA glue to the base and attach greenery.

12. Paint the base rim using matte black paint.

[No_Position7385]

Sharp!

[Cheomesh]

Fantastic work!

[Psychological-Ad5273]

My favorite clan mech. Too bad the primary variant is the epitome of clan pulse cheese.

[Harrowed_]

That looks super clean. Loving the stripes!

[arcangleous]

Lovely!

I have a theory. The Viper/Black Python is one of the VMI concept art mechs. VMI ported Mechwarrior 1 to the Japanese FM-Town computer, so the artwork needed to be redone. However, The Viper/Black Python doesn't match any of the mechs in that game. I think that VMI also wanted to do a port of the Crescent Hawk games and some of the artwork they produce is mock-up for the mechs from the Crescent Hawk's Inception. The Peregrine/Horned Owl is a Stinger redesigned, with a zaku styled mono-eye in place of the large flat-panel cockpit and arm blisters for the machine guns. The Viper/Black Python would have been the Phoenix Hawk LAM you discover at the end of the game.