Question about when to paint.

[Shovan]

I was putting together my gaunts today and was getting ready to attach the devourers to them when I realized that it would be somewhat difficult, but doable, to paint when the gun is attached.

I just wanted everyones opinion on how they paint. Will the model come out just as well if I painted before or after the arms are attached? (It just seems like it can become a little messy when trying to paint in tight spots)

[eldargal]

Personally I always paint parts which may get in the way seperately, then join them together and touch them up. I've never had any problems with this approach.

[Freefall945]

I've had reliable advice in both direction, and success in both cases. As someone who's just started painting models quasi-commercially, I find a good rule of thumb with rank-and-file troops is "If it's too hard to paint, it's too hard to see. You might only be able to paint half of the Astartes's chest Aquila without slopping gold onto his bolter, but if you paint what you can get at it's unlikely anyone will be peering with a torch and magnifying glass for flaws.

Obviously, painting separate parts will give you more complete coverage of the model, and a slightly higher standard concurrently, but I find that mentally it's easier to completely assemble the model, and then move on. Seeing your models assembled, then primed, then painted, then highlighted (stage one, stage two...:rolleyes: ), then detailed, then based, keeps me visually assured of my progress. Half painted, half based, half assembled models depress me and make me want to play Dawn of War 2. :)

Ultimately, try both was and decide which you prefer, then don't sweat it. There are masters on both sides of that fence.

[Mycroft Holmes]

"If it's too hard to paint, it's too hard to see. "


This is absolutely my thinking with marines.

Mycroft

[JonnyRoxtar]

I completely build first then paint. Generally my painting table looks like a bomb has hit it, so leaving parts off to paint behind them just leads to heartache when I lose the parts.

[ratgirl]

Depends on your goal I think. If painting for Golden Demon, then you probably want to paint separately because every bit of the model will be gone over with a microscope, if you're painting for an army I'd assemble first, then paint. Besides, that way you can be play-testing lists, etc with primed/partially painted models... harder to do with a collection of bits!

Ratgirl

[Splug]

I generally try to assemble metal models first, and paint plastic models without any weapons attached. The reason is actually totally unrelated to difficulty painting; it's about the glue.

Adding a layer or three of paint between plastic pieces will prevent them from fusing together as well. This way, it's easy to keep multiple weapon arms handy and just swap them around between games. I have one marine sergeant with a power fist, and three other arms ready to go with a combi melta, flamer, or plasma as needed. It's easier to set up and more resilient than using magnets, but still preserves the ability to swap gear around between games.

By contrast, pewter models seem to fall apart if they think you were cheating on them by assembling someone else. The fewer layers of paint, primer, or dust between the surfaces you're joining, the better.