Painting Order

[Eisenhorn31388]

So this may have been asked before but in what order do you paint your bits? I used to assemble the entire model before priming and painting. That only lead to being ultra-frustrated when I couldnt get my brush into small areas. So do you all paint the backpacks, heads, arms and shoulder pad separately before assembling? Seems like it would take way too long to do it that way...

[Aqui]

So this may have been asked before but in what order do you paint your bits? I used to assemble the entire model before priming and painting. That only lead to being ultra-frustrated when I couldnt get my brush into small areas. So do you all paint the backpacks, heads, arms and shoulder pad separately before assembling? Seems like it would take way too long to do it that way...

I used to assemble first and paint after (when I was far, far, far younger), and I made that mistake when I put together my DA bike squad from the Dark Vengeance box set Now I put the legs, torso and head together, the arms to shoulder guards and paint them along with the back pack. I usually do a squad that way (so all of the torsos at once, them the arms etc). Can be boring at times, but it does make it a lot faster for me (even if it's still fairly slow compared to painting characters), and I usually have a character or a unit from another army to do to break the monotony whilst waiting for parts to dry.

[Samitte]

What I found works for me with the Marines is:

 

 

Models with a closed pose like Marines with a boltgun or heavy weapon:

 

1. Legs, both halves of the torso and stuff on their belts.

2. Base with clear marking where they stand so I can liven it up.

3. Head on a stick.

4. Arms + Shoulderpads + Weapon premeasured and once the glue dried taken off for easy painting

 

If they have an open pose, it will usually mean they are magnetized as well and their Arms and Shoulderpads are glued to the model itself.

 

Then painting them is a really quick process of colour after colour on an assembly line. I used to do model for model with my Vamps and I find this is way way more enjoyable.

 

I found this post by iamfanboy really helpfull as well and recommend reading it: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/84431-quantity-has-a-quality-all-its-own-or/

[Fibonacci]

This comes up quite a bit.  The answer is a firm maybe.

It all depends on who is painting and what they are painting.  There is no best way to  do this, it is entirely personal preference.

[Grotsmasha]

For me, the best combination of speed and quality is completely assembled excluding the boltgun and shoulder pads. Those two are predominantly painted while still on the sprue,  with touch-ups once on the model.

 

Cheers,

Jono

[Trevak Dal]

I did a squad of Firewarriors that way.

Aaaannd :cuss that noise. Now I just assemble the guys, prime them, base coat, wash and go.

I paint the messy stressful stuff first, metal colors, eyes/lenses, then I go 'clean up' with the base coat afterwards, and do the rest of the model.

I usually put a sand mixture on the model before I prime them, and dry brush it before going through with base coats (as it's messy).

I work on 5 models at a time and 'assembly line paint' (it's how I've painted my Tau 4 times now-I got rid of my simple green to avoid any other "oh man I really like how that guy's models look, I'm going to paint them That way,". Did it twice with my Red Corsairs, from Night Lords, to World Eaters...to Red Corsairs. *sigh*.)

I'd had a squad of Chaos Space Marines mostly painted in a military green color with gold eye lenses and was loving it (Spartan II army ftw)...until someone asked me if I was playing Deathguard/Plague Marines/Nurgle army and I stripped them and started painting them as World Eaters...was disliking the Gold/Brass/whatever, and then went with Red Corsairs.

[Eisenhorn31388]

I think I'll have to try the "no bolter and shoulder pad" route. Any advise for painting the shoulder pad trim? I find my hand isn't as steady as I would like and its extraordinarily frustrating. And I'm painting Imperial Fists third, so touching up yellow over red doesn't go too well...

[Akylas]

I tend to leave off backpacks and two handed weapons off to paint separately, and everything else together.

 

I'm giving doing the shoulder pads separately a try on a test figure, but my hand cramped a bit holding such tiny pieces still for so long. I think it's timed I learned to mount pieces on a toothpick or something. :p

[Grotsmasha]

I think I'll have to try the "no bolter and shoulder pad" route. Any advise for painting the shoulder pad trim? I find my hand isn't as steady as I would like and its extraordinarily frustrating. And I'm painting Imperial Fists third, so touching up yellow over red doesn't go too well...

To increase steadiness, there's a quite simple method I employ for detail painting that works wonders. Grab a box/couple of books and rest your elbows on it when your painting, try to get your hands as close to eye level as possible.

A good brush is also very important. Try using a smaller brush than usual to paint along the edges of the trim to ensure as little overpaint as possible.

 

Cheers,

Jono

[Forté]

All depending on the model really and how complex it is. I usually test fit parts and look to see how I can get a brush into places. If I can then it gets glue. If not, it gets attached to a cork so I can hold it.

 

Minimum for marines is legs and torso all glued.

 

As for order. I usually go lowest upward. Soft armour to the highest details. Though I have heard people who paint the messy bits first. Like any dry brushing.

 

Bare flesh heads are almost always separate.

[Disruptor_fe404]

I paint everything before assembly (though I do go assembly line for painting if possible).

[Mikel.G]

Whew!  I was just about to post the same question.

 

I am a confirmed paint-then-assemble guy.  Once you assemble the model there are places you just cannot  do more than a base coat and some highlighting,  I do not play the game (I used to, but I am VERY VERY bad at it), so I am not in a rush to paint anything and concentrate more on detailing.

[MagicMan]

Generally ill leave off the backpack and the gun, if the guy is holding the gun across his chest.

 

These two parts can make getting to the rest of the model pretty difficult.

[Peredyne]

For me, it's dependent on the color scheme. My Crimson Fists and Sons of Horus get fully assembled, then painted. My Flesh Tearers get assembled except for shoulderpads and helmet, then painted. Especially the assault troopers since they have yellow helmets.