There have been other posts on this subject. Hot-Rod magazines, Custom Boat Mags, Motorcycle Mags, Day old anchovy  pizza  , all have been suggested. Why not go to the source, an airport? If you can access a general aviation airport, or general aviation ramp of a commercial airport, check out how those planes are painted. Pipers and many homebuilts in particular have paint and trim schemes that can work on our models. Can't get to an airport?, pick up a few general aviation magazines and see what you can find. Has always worked for me. 

Also your local model plane flying field -- look for planes that you like; if you see something that makes you go "zing!" then copy it.  Or take a swing through the toy section of your local department store, looking at the airplanes and space ships (and, IMHO, hot pink stunt ships with Barbie heads for pilots is an entire genre of decorative themes that has not been adequately plumbed -- maybe about 3/4 black, with generous trim in hot pink, and Barbie wearing a color-coordinated headset).

Or paint it red, white and blue (or whatever your national colors are).  The colors look good together, and you can't go wrong with a flag scheme.

I find that when I'm in a dilemma like this I'll just forge ahead, even if I think I'm not going to like the results.  At best, when I'm standing there holding a can of paint in my hand and looking at all the bare primer what I really want to do will crystallize.  At worst, I'll end up with an ugly, but flyable airplane.

Or make a rough three-view of it to fit a regular sheet of paper, make copies, then steal your kid's crayons.  Try a whole bunch of different schemes -- horizontal stripes, vertical stripes (ugh!), swirls, swoopy lines, etc.  Then show them to your wife and use the one that she lingers over for the longest (unless she's laughing out loud when she's doing it, of course).

(Or black, hot pink, and bright orange.  You may have to accessorize Barbie's cockpit with a bong if you go that far, but it'll certainly get the judges attention).

(Or black, hot pink, bright orange, and Ken in the cockpit with pink hair.  Cockpit accessories left as an exercise for the reader.).

(Or black, with your AMA number in charcoal gray as the only trim, and Will Smith in the cockpit wearing mirror shades and a black suit).

(I'd suggest Porche Indian Red, with a chrome stripe down the center line of the fuselage, and Grommit in the cockpit -- but that one's mine, mine mine!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9QeosTh7w&list=SL).

I generally consult my wife.  She has a far better color sense than I do.  Usually I pick the wing coloring (often film) and she does the rest. 

Look through the R/C car ads (Tower hobby, Horizon Hobby, and other websites) to find color combinations that you like. Some of the R/C giant scale 3D websites also have planes with killer paint schemes...pretty good colors, but the graphics obviously translate easier to planes than do car graphics. Don't hesitate to use the graphics from the planes with the colors from the cars, but do keep visibility in mind. Where to find the url's? Model Aviation has them by the dozens, duh! But Google works, too.

I think there are probably some artists guidelines about color combinations beyond "complimentary colors" and the "color wheel" stuff. It seems to me that two warm colors adjoining is a bad thing. Separating two warm colors with a (cool) black, silver, grey or white stripe or swoosh would look a lot better, for instance. Similarly, if you're using cool colors, then a warm stripe or swoosh would probably look better. Like Floyd, I don't think there's a great need for using 6 colors on one plane. Some planes are so pretty (Tucker Special, as an example) that complex graphics and multiple colors is not going to improve a thing. And some are so ugly that complex graphics and 6 colors just don't make up for it...   Steve

Yea, I'm having the same problem at the moment. Decided I didn't like my first idea, the second one was derailed because I couldn't get the color I wanted, I'm working on a third idea, but it depends on how the covering comes out. I'll think of something.

Why can't I  come up with a color to paint my planes? I am up to four planes ready for paint now and cannot for the life of me, come up with a color to paint any of them. Am I that brain dead? It seems that I can't come up with a color, so I just start another one. I've got a Sig Twister, a RSM Thunderbird, a Sterling Skylark, a Goldberg Voodoo. Now I'm starting a Jetco Dolphin... This has got to stop!!!!!How does everyone else do this?
I know I'm not creative nor can I visualize anything, but this is getting ridiculous!!!!!

He Jerry,

Wow, this is an old one but I just saw it!

Do you have a favorite color, or maybe two?  Use it/them.  make a sketch of the profile and wing lay outs, then use crayons/markers to try out schemes.

My favorite color is Carolina Blue, but a friend of mine only paints his planes light blue, and I don't want anyone to think that mine are his! LOL!!  Plus the color was a lot "prettier" on my football helmet than I think it looks on a plane, so move to plan B.  Ever since I started this hobby I thought C/L planes looked best painted Red.  So the vast majority of my planes over the years have been red.   I use white, blue, yellow or black as trim.  Usually two trim colors and maybe outline them with black.  If it is an OTS, Classic, or Nostalgia 30 model, I will usually copy or come close to the original model.

The main thing is it's your model so make sure you please yourself!
Big Bear

I can come up with colors. It's just figuring out how to get them that's driving me nuts.   

inspiration is EVERYWHERE - I am pretty well known around here for my colour schemes and in fact have designed quite a few other people - just look around - see what colours you like and play around with them.  I usually have a paint scheme picked out before I even start a plane - but that is just me.

here is an example of using what you see around you - was shaving one day and thought "that would look cool on a vector 40" so did it........

Me I go for simple paint schemes. 

Too many different colors in a paint scheme can make a plane look way too busy.  It is very difficult to make that work.  There are exceptions like the models of Phil Gandersom and Jim Aron.  Keep it simple and use only the base color and a couple of trim colors.  Look at pictures of other stunt planes and get some ideas.  I agree about looking at some of the RC pattern planes to get ideas and it is fairly easy to modify those schemes to our uses.  I am in the process of finishing my new ship for this year by doing just that.
Alan Resinger

John,
New model that I'll use for both Classic and PA this year.  Has a Stalker 61RE for power.  I've killed 2 birds with one stone.  Now McClave can't say my plane looks underpowered and Walker can't say my plane is too big.
Alan

Stalker .61 in a classic plane ?

YOUR MAD.. 

I have a small collection of Aero Trader along with a few other aviation mags, civil and military.  I once painted a P-51 with a green and white pattern I got from an Air Progress article about unlimited racing.  In the Monokote section of the Tower Hobbies catalog, Top Flite has a color scheme suggestion guide available, TC 177, for about 3 bucks.  Once, I had an inspiration, and decorated a couple planes with a red and black thingie inspired by the Comet model company logo.
Just look around.

Stalker .61 actually.- But that's not the point!