paint scheme for sunfish?

[mainbutter]

I've got a sunfish swimbait under construction and want to plan my paintjob for it.

I'm not very talented at painting yet but I'd like to at least try to get a basic sunfish look out of this lure. Anyone want to help me out? Bluegill, pumpkinseed, whatever species of sunfish you have a paint scheme for I'd LOVE some help picking out what colors I'd want.

p.s. a pre-emptive "you guys are all awesome, and thanks for all the advice/help!"

[gunnie3035]

Here are the colors I use all transparent createx unless otherwise stated:

plain white - cover the bait

pearl gold -paint stripes down the laterial line using a hair comb, mist around eye, and paint straight down the back.

light brown - paint stripes right next too the gold stripes using comb to cover the gold.

dark brown - re-paint the top half of the light brown stripes only.

sky blue [cant remember the official name] paint gill plates, tail section, light mist down the lower half of the bait.

violet- mist down center of bait just below the laterial line and around the eye.

chartreuse - paint breast

orange - paint breast [over the chartreuse]

shimmering gold [Wasco] - dust entire bait.

med bass green [Wasco] - paint back and sides about 2/3 rds down the bait.

dark bass green [Wasco] - paint back and shoulders

shimmer green [Wasco] - dust all green areas

You can get much more creative with scale material and so forth, but these are the colors and steps I use. PS: I do basically the same colors for perch and smallies too.

[atrophius]

I did mine a little different, I hand painted it, but you could do the same with an airbrush. basecoat it, then select the mix or colors that you think represent what type of bluegill you want. I googled bluegill and got a bunch of images to get my colors. I started by 2 toning the bait after base coat. Then I took the bottom color and brought it up into the top color in a "bar". Then took the top color and brought it down to the bottom color in a bar. This is all with the mesh on. For the gill plate I did it freehand in the top base color, but for an airbrush i would make a stencil. Add the black mark, then add in details from your googled image on the gill plate, around the eyes, and mouth. I then speckled some yellow through the body. Then I just added the yellow/orange throat on. Just the way I did it. Many ways to do a pattern like that. I am not into using more then a few colors on a bait hehe.

Forgive my MSpaint skills, I posted a pic. Oh, the blugill i did is my avatar and in my gallery.

[clamboni]

When I was using Createx.......

white basecoat

Pearl white over entire bait

light coat of satin gold, top and sides, leave belly white

transp. light brown and transparent green mixed to taste....through comb and mesh

spray shoulders with same color through mesh

remove mesh and spray back

Flourescent orange belly

sky blue for gill, under throat and tail area

Coat back and sides with transparent green, little heavier on top

Pearl purple dusting

Gill spot, I punch a hole in a piece of tape and stick it on.

Edited August 13, 2009 by clamboni

[CL Rods]

Here is one version, base coat white, pearl white, back and part of side sprayed with Pearl Ex interference bronze in translucent base, portions of bait sprayed through mesh with a blend of blues over the bronze and pearl white belly, top - shoulders and sides a mix of Createx & Auto Air golds sprayed through mesh over the bronze, back and front belly is sunrise yellow sprayed through mesh and then oversprayed slightly with the mesh off, front belly then has pearl copper added, light & dark brown blend for bar/stipe accents sprayed through a template, gill accents are done in Faschange Blue using 1/2 of a medicine cup to create the curve, pectoral fins are yellow ochre and translucent brite yellow sprayed through a template, gill tab is just opague black using a template, back is then accented with a very faint hint of brown/bronze and topped with Gem Ruby and an ultrafine gold glitter in translucent base. Apply the 3D eye followed by two coats of clear. Every now and then I'll add black glitter for a slightly different look.

Just your basic pattern

[.dsaavedra.]

for my bluegill paintjob (acrylic paints, hand brushes), i did a basecoat of white, then i mixed up a light gray-ish blue and painted the entire bait with that. after that i took my light olive green and painted the sides with that, starting on the back and fading it halfway down the body. then i took regular olive green and repeated, fading halfway down the light olive. i also painted the head/gills with this color. then i added brown to my olive green and painted the stripes, and i also took this brown/olive and painted the top of the back, fading it down a little bit. took some bright yellow and mixed in a little light olive and painted the breast with this. then i added black to the brown/olive and painted the gill oulines with it. also painted scales on the top of the head with this. solid black gill spot. put a little of the original blue and some of the yellow on the gill plate as desired. then i mixed up some light purple and dabbed it on the belly and a little bit up the sides with a dry brush.

[FERG DADDY]

@ DSV

Very nice paint job. I like that it has the hard lines yet you were able to blend it almost like an airbrush. The eye is a great touch.

[.dsaavedra.]

thanks Ferg! i sure hope i can re-create that pattern

[b75nweav]

Here's mine. You might be able to figure it out from the picture....