CamoSpecs Online

This article is about the website. For the 1988 sourcebook, see Camo Specs.

CamoSpecs Online is a volunteer BattleTech miniatures painting organization affiliated with Catalyst Game Labs, and is the official source for canon paint schemes in the BattleTech universe. It provides images of painted miniatures in official color schemes and How-To articles on the web through the CamoSpecs Online guide. It also supplies images of painted miniatures used inside various BattleTech products. It creates and makes available various tutorial videos concerning techniques used in the preparation of BattleTech miniatures (e.g., cleanup, assembly, modding, painting, applying decals, basing, finishing) through its website and through the CamoSpecs Online YouTube channel. Its name is inherited from the 1988 print booklet Camo Specs, for which it serves the same purpose but adapted to the web and expanded in terms of the range of color schemes covered. As of October 2020, its Coordinator is Matt Frederiksen.

History

The CamoSpecs Online website went live in 2003 during the era of Classic BattleTech branding for BattleTech. The early website included a gallery of BattleTech miniatures with color schemes corresponding to various factions of the BattleTech universe, organized by faction and division. The site also included a number of step-by-step "How-To" articles, an index of its gallery sorted by unit name, and a list of its contributing artists. "How-To" articles were typically, but not always, created by one the CamoSpecs artists; some were produced by other members of the BattleTech community. Also instructions were provided for painters seeking to become one of the CamoSpecs Online artists to submit pictures of their work.

The online guide adopted a new design in August 2006 which it would continue to use until the end of 2015. During this period, the "Classic BattleTech" branding changed back to "BattleTech" and Catalyst Games Labs began its role in managing BattleTech. Various images of CamoSpecs artist's work appeared in various work such as BattleTech: Total Warfare and BattleTech: A Time of War. Some work was showcased in various dioramas. The gallery and database of miniatures and color schemes would continue to grow, as did the collection of "How-To" articles. Some "How-To" videos were developed and appeared in this period.

Many of the models exhibited were metal miniatures produced by Ral Partha or its successor, Iron Wind Metals. Until the database interface was restructured in 2016, 'Mech lists included the corresponding Ral Partha or Iron Wind Metals catalog code of the miniature. The main page (plus some of the articles) would link to other related resource and product pages including those for Classic BattleTech or the Catalyst Game Labs BattleTech site, Iron Wind Metals, Fighting Pirannha Graphics (which produced waterslide decals), and BattleCorps.

The website experienced some changes in structure at the start of 2016. The visual style of the site was largely similar, but there were significant changes how paint schemes/miniatures were cataloged and organized. One notable change was the introduction of the era (and era iconography) for browsing miniatures. At the start of 2021, the website experienced a major revamping that included a new visual style.

CamoSpecs established a YouTube channel in September 2016 and began to post tutorial videos that addressed not only color schemes and painting mechanics, but also a variety of other techniques relevant to preparation of miniatures. These video tutorials are an extension of its "How-To" web articles and videos posted directly on their own site.

April Fools Jokes

CamoSpecs Online has conducted some April Fools jokes, one of which included a posting of an April Fools Brigade in 2005. In 2011 the site posted an article by Dak titled How to paint the Not Named Clan. Colors and other features were redacted from the article and no details present in the photos. Later in 2011, 00Dawg posted a genuine painting guide for Clan Wolverine.

Artists

Several artists have contributed to CamoSpecs Online. Artists are generally acknowledged by their given handle or pen name . Its repository of painted miniature images is populated by work from past artists alongside work from currently active artists. They continue to invite applications by new artists. Below is list of artists (by handle) and their approximate start.

Current Artists

• 00Dawg (started March 2009, currently an administrator)
• 1N51 (started ~2021)
• B1BFlyer (started Dec 2003 as "F15CFlyer", handle changed ~2005, currently an editor)
• Beldin (started ~2021)
• Bombtech (started Jan 2004)
• Brushido (started ~2019)
• Captain of the Watch (started Sept 2006)
• Crackerb0x (started ~2021)
• Cyttorak (started Nov 2007)
• Dak (started Oct 2003, currently an editor)
• DarkMarauder (stated Jan 2006)
• Fanjoy (stated Oct 2003, currently an editor)
• Gideon (Nov 2003, currently an administrator)
• God and Davion (started May 2015, currently an editor)
• GunjiNoKanrei (started Jan 2012, currently an administrator)
• Hyena (stated Mar 2004)
• Jalphoenix (started Jul 2004, currently an editor)
• Nachtwolfe (started Dec 2004)
• Nomad (started ~2021, currently an editor)
• ogre (started Jan 2007)
• Pendragon (started Sept 2006)
• QingLong (started ~2022)
• Savage Coyote (started Oct 2023 as "Ross Koga", handle changed ~2005)
• sounguru (started Oct 2005)
• Tai-sa Drew (started Nov 2003)
• Wondergecko (started ~2021, currently an editor)

Past Artists

• Andreas (started Aug 2004)
• Archer (started Oct 2003)
• Chewie (started Jan 2004)
• Cold Spike (started Jan 2004)
• Eclipz (started in 2003)
• Foxbat (started Dec 2004)
• Insane Kangaroo (started Oct 2003)
• jjpens77 (started Feb 2004)
• Karnophage (started Oct 2003)
• MadDoc (started Jul 2004)
• Mastergunz (started Jun 2009)
• minidragon (started Sep 2004)
• Papoose (started Oct 2003)
• phlop (started Aug 2011)
• Pirannha (started Oct 2003)
• Psycho (started Feb 2007)
• UrbieMech (started Apr 2004)
• wackrabbit (started Apr 2010)
• Z (started Jan 2004)