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Today I realized why it takes me forever to finish models, I tend to use of many steps in my painting to get the effect I want. I have a mate who completes models in 5 steps, basing included, (he plays nurgle) and has painted up 1000 pts in the last two weeks. I realized that I have been working on 250 pts of grey knights for almost as long. Why has it taken me this long, my grey knights have 30 painting steps from base coat to finished model, and I paint them clean (no battle damage). I was just wondering how many steps most of my fellow dakkaites put into their models, as many as me? more?

Define steps?

Step 1: Assemble and base.
Step 2: Primer
Step 3: Base colors
Step 4: Highlight or wash
Step 5: Highlight or wash
Step 6: Seal
Step 7: Buy another mini

Well, here's how I did mine:

http://rabbitucker.livejournal.com/212572.html

Well, here were my Grey Knight steps:

1. Clean and Assemble
2. Prime White
3. Chainmail basecoat.
4. Red on Purity Seals and books.
5. Black on Weapon Casings.
6. Black Wash.
7. PP Brass Balls on inlaid sections of armor.
8. Red on incinerator tanks (if applicable).
9. Bleached Bone on Paper streamers off of Purity Seals.
10. Brown Wash on Brass sections and Purity Seal papers.
11. Light Mithril Silver drybrush over most of the Chainmail sections.
12. Burnished Gold Drybrush over Brass parts.
13. Straight Burnished Gold on book clasps and corners.
14. Pick out any small banding (such as around tanks on incinerators) with Burnished Gold.
15. Ice Blue "eyes."
16. Pick out any flat tubing in Scorpion Green.
17. Blue Wash on "eyes."
18. Black INK on joints (for extra darkening and contrast).
19. Blacken weapon barrels.
20. Add writing to Purity Seals.
21. Use a bright red along outside of Purity Seal wax to enhance color.
22. Flock Base.
23. Seal.

I don't think I missed anything, but I might have. Grey Knights have a LOT more steps than most armies, because they have more individual detail than most other models. Compare that list of steps to painting one of my Hormagaunts:

1. Clean and assemble.
2. Prime in base color (green).
3. Slather in Dark Green Ink.
4. Drybrush Scorpion Green over entire model.
5. Black for claws and armor plates.
6. Ice Blue of parts showing through the Carapace.
7. White Teeth.
8. Red tongue (if applicable).
9. Heavy Blue wash to Ice Blue areas.
10. White Drybrush to carapace and claws.
11. Black Wash mouth.
12. Flock base.
13. Seal.

Seems somewhat long, but most of those steps are much faster and need less precise work. I am also less careful, because they are horde units, and if something is screwed up, it is hidden in other units, and it doesn't matter as much. My Grey Knights look better because there are fewer of them on the field, and they are nicer models with 10 times the detail.

what do you use to seal your models?

probably a varnish of some kind. I am a huge fan of Matte varnish.

I've noticed my new Steel Legion paint scheme is taking forever.
Step 1: Glue to base
Step 2: Prime Tamiya Desert Yellow
Step 3: Scorched Brown for leathery bits
Step 4: Camo Green custom color for helmets
Step 5: Tallarn Flesh face
Step 6: Dip in minwax
Step 7: Testors Gunmetal guns
Step 8: Highlight brown with Calthan Brown
Step 9: Silver the silver bits
Step 10: Highlight the guns
Step 11: Asphault Black hoses
Step 12: Paint lenses/goggles
Step 13: Gloss the lenses/goggles
Step 14: Highlight Face
Step 15: Highlight coats
Step 16: Apply Home made decals
Step 17: Gloss helmets
Step 18: Highlight Helmet
Step 19: Seal Model
Step 20: Glue sand to base
Step 21: Wash sand with special mix
Step 22: Drybrush sand

Wow, I've got some work ahead of me.

BloodInTheSand wrote:what do you use to seal your models?

I use Testor's Semi-Gloss Sealant. Matte Sealant dulls colors, and I like to tend my colors more bright and vibrant, unlikethe results from a matte sealant.

I use a Krylon Matte spray

I paint mine while thy are still on the sprues