thanks for the responses folks. The day after I posted painting begins! he, she, it (I haven't decided yet) took a serious nose dive off of a table and suffered some serious damage. Weapons broke off, antennae broke off and arms jarred loose. Its OK though as I've used this opportunity to magnetise the weapons so the load out is changeable.
I'm currently working on a way to magnetize the neutron cannon so that it can be carried in the right claw (I've listened all along to all of you who thought the cannon was too high on the model.) I would want if to fit into the claw in a similar fashion to that of a tyranid bio weapon; in that the fingers, or in this case, claws, fit snuggly into the weapon. The weapon would not be mounted on the outside of the arm like a crisis suit but on the inside with the three claws integrated into it. So basically all you would see would be the outside of the claw, the carapace part, flush with the neutron cannon.
Ways to do this? I think the best idea I've had so far is to make a sort of claw plate. A flat piece with the three claws attached to it with a magnet on the other side. Lose the three claws that are currently model on there and put in a magnet. Lastly put a magnet on the the side of the neutron cannon. When the cannon is mounted on the shoulder I would put on the claw plate and put the plasma or whatever other weapon on the outside as it looks now. So it would look the same. If I wanted the cannon in its claw, I would remove the claw plate thing and magnetize the weapon directly to the hand. So it would look like the claws are gripped into the gun. Shouldn't be too hard. I've had great luck and great fun with magnetizing Tau weaponry so far. Most of my crisis suits are done.
Any way. Back to the painting. I like your ideas Rudkin and I'm leaning in this direction though I wonder if the three different colors would be too much. I've though of doing all the 'hard carapace' areas, as you put it, in the red but I worry about too much of a boxer look with its big hands. Having those areas in the softer stealth color could work. I didn't really see it until right now but having some areas in the vespid purple would make for some decent contrast and a bit of an organic look. Can't decide!
Here are the three (arrgh! four) main options I'm considering:
All red. My original idea. Very Invid looking. Could be very cool. Could be boring.
Red areas as is and everything else painted in the stealth suit maroon. A bit of a safe option which could be a bit boring. Although I think it works well on the stealth suits.
Red areas as is, hard carapace maroon stealth and under parts like the the thighs and arms vespid purple.
Read areas as is plus the hard carapace areas in red (fists, feetsky's) in the red. Under areas in vespid purple (I'm thinking lightish vespid purple) or stealth maroon. I'm liking this option right now as it has the most contrast.
-thanks for the pic Bournstar. That thing is dope. -Kezzerdrix: I aspire to someday have a whole army of Tau auxiliaries including tons of Vespid, kroot and other races with more of these suits, sort of the upper echelon of a Vespid society, but for now it is just the one and a squad of 8 vespid with six unassembled (still can't decide if I want to make the stealths.) -Sanctjud: Helios pattern with vespid escort so keep those CSMs away. heh heh. -Arkion: thanks for the thoughts. yeah I'm staying away from the grey. As for other pics there are links in my signature to other threads that have tons of pics but they seem to be broken for me. If they don't work I'll add new links.
later
-oh and one more thought. I realized that the carapace on the suit doesn't have the space for integrated wires and circuitry for the weapons as Tau crisis suits do. So I'll be adding a wire tube thing from the back of the right hand to the back of the body somewhere similar to Jes Goodwins' original crisis suit concept art where there are tubes on the exterior of the suit.
-edit
Damage update: I noticed when I started painting (going with option 4) that all three claws on the left hand are gone. It must have stuck out this hand to stop the fall. Very strange angle.