Desert Camo: Snakeskin pattern

First off I'd like to say that I do not paint my firearms to be cool. I paint them out of necessity for concealment for hunting. Since I recreate in both woodland and desert environments, I have both patterns on two different firearms. These are screenshots from a video, if you prefer to watch that.


This is the end result on the mossberg 500 shotgun with a field barrel on it. The magazine tube isn't fully painted, as it wont be visible once the slide is moved forward.

 I'm using the Krylon camouflage series of paint. On this project I used Tan and Brown. It's ultra flat, and sticks well. It only costs a dollar or so more per can than the regular Krylon stuff, but one can will last you through a few projects.

You will need some adhesion promoter. It will further enhance your sticking characteristics of the spray paint.

 You will need this sort of mesh material for your snakeskin pattern. This is from a camouflage net that I used for my ghillie suit hood. It doesn't matter what color you get though, as long as the hole size is good.

Some masking tape is good for your recoil pad, and some modeling clay or a couple rubber erasers will keep paint off your sight posts/bead.

 Start by spraying your entire firearm with adhesion promoter. Allow to completely dry. When it's dry it will be a matte finish.

 Next spray on some base color, in my case it is Tan. For best coverage, and to avoid drops and sags, do two THIN coats of tan. You will be surprised how smooth it will look once it is dry.

 For this step I decided to use a sawhorse, and a clamp on the stock to keep my shotgun upright for this. Lay the mesh over the firearm, covering all that you wish to have painted.

 Spray in quick diagonal swoops to avoid running/dripping paint, and to keep the lines from being too contrasty. Lightly paint the outer edges of the pattern to give a faded look.

That's the business right there, but there are a few finishing touches that you might want to make...

If the lines are too contrasty for your taste, you can lightly spray the top color over the pattern, without the mesh. This will lightly fill in the lines. You can add more depth by filling in one area more than another.

That's pretty much how it is done. If using something like a Cerakote, then you need to layer these colors BEFORE you put it into the oven. Otherwise for regular spray paint, allow 24 hours to dry in order to have a hard durable finish. If you try out this technique, feel free to share the image with us on Facebook! Take care out there- Andy