Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Well, the title sums it up. I have 2x shapers, 32x kroot, 2x krootox, 6x kroot hounds and 6x knarloc riders (so nearly 50 models) which I need to have painted in a month to start a new campaign.

Can anyone suggest any hints/tips to help me acheive this feat? I'm normally a really slow painter but I've committed to doing this so I need help!

Any suggestions on colour schemes, general speed-painting tips and advice from people who have painted kroot as to what the tricky bits are all appreciated!!

For speed-painting, I've heard that an assembly line technique is the best way to go. Basically, do a layer on a group of 10-15 of them, then go back to the first one and do the next layer on all of them, ect ect. When you're done with the group, "reward" yourself by painting something big and awesome.

Listening to music/playing a movie in the background helps.

Army Painter Color Primers or the Flames of War "War Painter" color primer series.
http://www.thewarstore.com/ArmyPainterShadeSpray.html
http://www.thewarstore.com/FlamesofWarSprayPaints.html
(Just photo/color references. There's probably vendors in the UK who sell them so you can avoid the Customs fees on aerosol cans).

Pick a good color you want to work from. I'd have to see what your army looks like currently to make a judge, but I'd say either Army Painter's Leather Brown or the "War Painter" British Armour(Late) would give you two potentially natural looking colors as a base, and then you just pick out the details in a decently contrasting color, and use a good wash to bring out the highlights of the models.
I'd normally say Devlan Mud would be best for this, but...it doesn't cover as well as you'd hope. A 1:1 1/2:1/2 mix of water/Chaos Black/dishwashing soap would be your best bet.
Don't worry that you'll see suds on it at the start, just make sure to wipe off any excess wash with something soft like a paper towel or a piece of medical gauze.

If you look in my Gallery, for the "82nd Cadian Test Model", he was painted using the British Armour(Late) as the *only* real color for both his armor and fatigues, with details picked out to contrast.

Washes are the way to go. They just make the models look more natural with little effort and it works with batches. You can do this with all of the models at the same time if you want and then you can do the details on a more individual scale.

simply cut down on highlights and go more for washes. e.g i've cut down from about 20 different shades per colour to 3 or 4 key ones... aim to spend 1 hour on a model and aim to finish it in that time. the time is up to you but just make yourself do it in that time and DON'T go over! i can quite happily spend weeks or months on a model but this is not the way to do an army (as you know) so i give myself targets to meet...

If you post a color scheme, we can help you better. Assuming you're looking for a brownish skin tone, prime with rustoleum or krylon camouflage Khaki, drybrush, wash with Liquitex Raw Umber, suitably thinned down. You could probably get the flesh down in an afternoon.

Definitely look at the army painter spray primers. Anytime you can get a basecoat and primer in one step, that's a good thing.

Then simply block paint, dip (Minwax polyshades antique walnut or Army Painter strong tone) and spray with a matte spray. I showed my buddy my dipped IG this weekend. He just finished some Kroot, and while I haven't seen them yet, he says the results are great.

Things to remember. Use colors a bit lighter/brighter than usual, as the dip will darken everything a bit. If you want to go a bit beyond this you can add some highlights before the dip.

It's not Kroot, but the armypainter Tyranid page can show you a bit of how the process works http://www.thearmypainter.com/gallery_presentation.php?GalleryId=50&Gallery=Tyranid%20Colour%20Schemes

Do a base color and then dip the army in a varish, like bugs( then place them in a heated box over a hundred degees to quicken the curing time), then pick out highlights and details . your done in one day.

Spay them one color, quickly base the other colors, then Dip them in floor wax.

Done

Dipping is the quickest method.

Dipping is the fastest. Paint the base colors for your leather/cloth areas, skin, beak, and weapon. Don't bother about highlights or shading. Just flat colors are fine. Then dip and shake of excess. Set to dry and you get shading like you worked hours on it.

One other thing, if you don't have alot of space, or you just don't want to make a mess, using a brush to apply the "dip" is easy, less messy, more controled, and almost as fast.

I just started dipping, but 70 figures and 5 vehicles later I'm a big dipping fan, and I've used the brush dip from the start.

Choose colours for all the parts(choose paints that are easy to apply like browns, mid-blues,greens and the like)
Then apply them. Use washes, as these create natural shading. Then use an overbrush technique and you've got highlights. Hope this helps. Oh and put pics when your one!