Gun Tools/Paint planner/Updated September 28, 2026
Fade AR-15 Paint Job (CS2 Camo)
Yellow at one end fading through pink into purple on an AR-15 carbine. The look comes from CS2. The pattern is painted on the gun below with real spray can colors; reroll it, change brands, or paint over it by hand.
Fade on an AR-15, on a real photo
Reroll the layout, switch paint brands, or paint over it by hand. Render saves a picture with shadows, Share gives you a link.
Opens full screen. One finger paints, two fingers zoom.
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Spray cans for a fade AR-15
In spray order, lightest first. Either brand works; do not mix them in one job.
Krylon
- 1COLORmaxx Gloss Mambo Pink
- 2COLORmaxx Gloss Sun Yellow
- 3COLORmaxx Gloss Purple
Rust-Oleum
- 1Painter's Touch 2X Gloss Berry Pink
- 2Painter's Touch 2X Gloss Sun Yellow
- 3Painter's Touch 2X Gloss Purple
How to spray fade on an AR-15
1. Strip it down
Pull the bolt carrier group and charging handle, and split the upper from the lower. Take the optic off or plan to tape it.
2. Degrease everything
Wipe every outside surface with acetone or isopropyl alcohol. Paint will not hold over gun oil.
3. Mask what moves
Plug the chamber and muzzle, tape the ejection port, magazine well, trigger and safety, and cover the optic lenses.
4. Base coat in mambo pink
Two light coats over the whole gun, 8 to 12 inches away, 10 minutes apart.
5. Soft sun yellow haze
Mist soft patches of sun yellow from 12 to 18 inches, so the edges fade.
6. Soft purple haze
Mist soft patches of purple from 12 to 18 inches, so the edges fade.
7. Let it cure
Handle it after an hour but give it a full day before it goes in a case, and a few days before hard use.
More AR-15 paint jobs
- Tiger stripe AR-15
- M81 woodland AR-15
- Chocolate chip AR-15
- Snakeskin bands AR-15
- OD green, tan mag AR-15
- Desert blotch AR-15
- Multi-terrain AR-15
- Flecktarn dots AR-15
- Digital woodland AR-15
- Splinter AR-15
- Two tone AR-15
- Red Tiger AR-15
- Blue Tiger AR-15
- Golden AR-15
- Arctic AR-15
- Fall AR-15
- Diamond AR-15
- Dragon AR-15
- Dark Matter AR-15
- Damascus AR-15
- Asiimov AR-15
- Redline AR-15
- Hyper Beast AR-15
- Galaxy AR-15
- Hot Rod Flames AR-15
- All AR-15 ideas
Fade on other guns
Frequently Asked Questions
What spray paint do you need for a fade AR-15?
3 cans, sprayed in this order: Krylon Gloss Mambo Pink, Gloss Sun Yellow, Gloss Purple; or Rust-Oleum Gloss Berry Pink, Gloss Sun Yellow, Gloss Purple.
Can you rattle can fade on an AR-15 yourself?
Yes. Strip and degrease the AR-15, mask what moves, lay the lightest color first and build the pattern light to dark with tape, stencils or netting. Plan on an afternoon plus a day to cure.
Cite this tool: GunPartPicker, “Fade AR-15 Paint Job (CS2 Camo)”, https://gunpartpicker.net/gun-paint-planner/ar-15/fade. Paint colors from the Krylon and Rust-Oleum color charts; gun photos credited under each gun. Free to cite with attribution.
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