I've watched alot of Godzilla movies to check the color of the suit to match the year model I am working on and it is sometimes hard to tell just what color it is on that kaiju's hide.  Thanks to freeze frame on the VCR and a generous stack of Hobby Japan magazines, I can get pretty close.

    Yes, Godzilla is grey, but has hues of several colors too (probably thanks to studio lights). For painting Godzilla, I use a brush most of the time and an airbrush on the dorsal fins (occasionally).  Your paint arsenal should have these different shades of brown: burnt sienna(red/brown) and raw sienna(purple/yellow). These are great to tone down the complimentary colors they are composed of. 

Start with black...-pour five or six separate amounts (about the amount that would fit in a Coke bottle cap) in separate paint cups -add about three drops of white in each amount til it turns dark grey.... now all should be the same dark grey shade.  -add two drops of purple to the first portion -add two drops of light green to the second portion -add two drops of dark green to the third portion -add two drops of light blue to the fourth portion -add two drops of dark blue to the fifth portion Get the idea?    Paint a stroke of each color on a piece of white paper, dry with a blowdryer and look at the difference....several shades of grey, right? Choose one that best fits your model version of Godzilla or looks best to you. I usually end up with the dark grey with green or purple or raw sienna added.

    You can add more drops of the secondary color(green, purple,blue..etc) for a more color intense base coat. Basecoat the figure in this color.   Mix enough of this color to use later as a basecolor for washes and drybrushing later. 

    For drybrushing the ridged skin textures on Godzilla, add more white (or secondary color)to your base color.  Sometimes I like to drybrush with many highlight colors on random areas using a sage green (pale green),teal, tan, light grey or light blue. Don't worry about over highlighting with dry brushing. I highlight the face,knees and chest areas the lightest. 

    Seal your work with Testors Dullcoat.  When dry, add washes (a thin mix of paint and mostly thinner, very watery...like a tint) of black mixed with a small amount of dark brown.  Washes will add subtle shades of color tying all the colors together and will really  bring out the details in the sculpt. It will also darken any over highlighting.  Seal with Testors dullcoat when you get an overall color you like. If it is too dark after the wash, repeat the drybrushing and wash again..this repeated step really adds alot of depth to the paint job!  

Mix red, white and raw sienna (tan-light brown) to get a color that resembles the gums in your mouth. The raw sienna tones down the bright pink.  Teeth are white mixed with a drop of raw sienna for almost a tan or ivory color (not white).  Seal with Dullcoat and add a thin red wash to the mouth areas. Wash the teeth with raw sienna and/or burnt umber at the gum line for monster plaque buildup!

    White mixed with a very small amount of grey just enough to make an off white color...not pure white.  Make the pupil partially covered by the eyelid, usually looking up. Godzilla's iris is sometimes yellow and sometimes black depending on the film. 

...try a colorful pattern if the eye area is big enough. I also add a thin line of the mouth color(pink plus brown-raw sienna) to the lower inner eyelash ridge.  Add gloss coat to mouth and eyes.

    I sometimes use an airbrush with white mixed with with a small amount of tan or just white. Airbrush the edges of the dorsal fins to a solid color and gradually feather the edge toward the middle of the fin. If it is a small kit, a drybrush will work on dorsal fins too.

    Basecoat ivory and airbrush a thin black where nail meets foot or paw, feathering outwards.  Hope this helps you Godzilla model fans and feel free to email me with any questions:

-Bill Jones