Do you paint your models fully assembled?

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**snake**

Hi all,

Just wondering how people here paint. Do you paint the model once it is all assembled and based. Or do you paint the pieces and assemble afterwards.

I have done the painting in pieces in the past. It helps you get the hard to reach places, but is a little more time consuming imho.

**Phayse**

Most of the time I paint seperate parts, unless the model is constructed in such a way as to allow free access. There's always a place that you can see, but not reach with fully assembled minis, and it can really put a damper on an otherwise awesome paint job.

**Stella Cadente**

I build the entire model and base the base with sand before undercoating and painting, I've never personally seen the point in painting an area you can't see from 2-3 feet away

**FITZZ**

As a general rule I assemble then paint,of course I use black undercoating/primer so the few small areas that don't get hit with paint are never a problem.

**daedalus**

Phayse wrote:Most of the time I paint seperate parts, unless the model is constructed in such a way as to allow free access. There's always a place that you can see, but not reach with fully assembled minis, and it can really put a damper on an otherwise awesome paint job.

I'm basically like this. It's painstaking, especially when you have to rush it to get something done in time for a game, but I couldn't imagine painting something like a fully assembled drop pod.

**skycapt44**

I find I can get way better results doing them partially assembled. Depends how keen you are with painting. If you want them to look perfect up close most models are impossible to get to parts when they are glued. If you want them done fast and look fairly good ready for play then assemble. Up to you. Just try on partially and one fully and see what you prefer. Sometimes I'll paint them on the spure.

**Necroshea**

Yeah, as everyone else generally said, painting individual pieces will yield a better paint job than painting post assembly, however it takes longer. So pick your poison. I paint individual pieces.

**UselesswizarD**

It really depends on what the purpose of the mini is. If it's just for play and I'm only doing a table top quality job, i'll assemble it. If, however, it's a commission I only assemble the body and leave the arms, weapons, backpack and head off and paint them seperately.

**bushido**

Unless it's something that I want to spend a ton of time painting, I'll assemble first. If it's going to get covered up by other parts of the mini, it's probably not going to be seen on the table-top anyway.

Vehicles are a lot easier to leave in pieces (at least with things like weapons/turrets).

**Bullfrog**

I prime and basecoat in bits then assemble before washes/highlights etc. Might leave a few bits off if they're just going to be annoying or in the way.

**Ailaros**

Yes.

This is especially true once you start talking about conversion work. You can't paint the model and THEN hack it up with a hobby knife and start throwing greenstuff around. The amount of damage you did to the pain job would probably be so great that you'd just have to paint it again anyways.

Of course, I've never had to paint a drop pod...

**Zyllos**

Ya, I am in the same boat. I think the "Painting while assembled vs. not assembled" delimma stems from the issue of "Do I want to play this army in the next several months?"

**oadie**

Depends on the model. Slugga boys have reasonably easy access to all surfaces, so they get fully assembled and based before priming. Marines have some important and fiddly details in tight quarters (chest aquila, etc.), so I'll usually leave the arms and backpack off until those areas are finished. Separate parts get basecoated, but I hold off on the final highlights until they're on the model.

**Boyz "R" Us**

Orks I paint fully assembled, but not on their bases, gonna have to change this as I'm such a slow painter. Building them complete with bases in the future, then at least i can start playing 40k before the next millennium.
Space Marines I would always paint partially assembled, leaving off the arms, shoulder pads and bases, just too difficult to get neat results otherwise.

**Mr Nobody**

I'll put the little bits on, but I'll keep the limbs separated till they're painted.

**Howard A Treesong**

Generally yes with miniatures but parts that clearly will cause problems with painting like space marine shoulder pads will be left off. It's easy enough to stick them on afterwards. A model would have to present real problems for me to leave the arms off. Vehicles probably get done in a few sections.

**Owain**

I paint assembled and base last, unless it's something ludicrously complex like a Valkyrie.

**poda_t**

It depends. If I want everyone to drool over it, then, yeah, i will build only small parts of it, paint, and build out fromthere, paint more etc. Tank interior is a great example of this. Otherwise.... If someone can't see where the sun dont shine from three feet away, its likely I wont go beyond more effort than getting the darkest color, from the paintscheme I am using, into that crack. That is of course assuming I didn't already get it black to begin with.

I hate painting in parts because I dont know when I would need the part, and often, Im just assembling onthe go, not pre-meditating. I might decide after the parts are lined up that i dont like it, tear it down and try something else.

**devilution**

I assemble them partially.

For most troops : Base + Legs + Torso + Head // arms // shoulders.

I like to have painted every area of the model even when it's not visible at a distance. However there is no need to paint allot of detail into the area's you don't see, else it's going to take allot of time.

**hmk17**

I'm more of a player than a painter. I don't mind pushing around gray armies. (Irony not lost that I play Grey Knights and Space Wolves) I Assemble, Pre-base, Prime, Paint, Finish basing.

Unless I want to paint something out of the way (inside Stormraven cockpit), that's the way it goes.

**Candroth**

Primer on the sprue first, cut out bits and sand down mold lines, assemble bodies, do a few layers of painting, highlighting, etc on the entire model, then assemble the rest and finish detailing. Yes, this goes even for a simple Tac Marine. It's almost my favorite part of the whole hobby; why else do they have those neat details and fiddly bits if not to paint them?

This somewhat slower method also helps prevent me from buying too many miniatures at once and finding myself in a position to have to paint them all very fast.

**DickBandit**

I use to paint them disassemble, but I have gotten to the point where I want to get my models on the table as soon as possible. So now I prime and paint them all fully assembled!

**jonolikespie**

I find assembling a lot more entertaining than painting so I will always assemble first (even when its a bad idea

).

**sailense**

I always paint them unassembled. I did a few that were already assembled and was getting frustrated trying to get into tight spots. So now I always paint then assemble.

**cosmic pixie**

I assemble most of the model first but leave off arms etc. I have to say, making an IG army with modded lasguns really does make it easier to not fully assemble first

**Mad4Minis**

I paint fully assembled, unless something blocks access to other sections...like Ork armored jaw pieces...they block the head/face of the Ork, so I leave it off and paint it separately, attaching it after the head has been painted.

I do the same with SM bolters.

**Praxiss**

it depends on the model.

using marines as an example - carrying bolters measnthe chestplate is covered, in this case i will paint the chest separately.

If theyare carrying 2 CCWs the you have fulla ccess once themodel is built so i don't pre-paint.

Snipers with camo cloaks is one i have painted pre build so i have access to both sides of the claosk before building.

or a mix of both - Land Speeder Storm. painted the speeder after it was assembled but painted the scout models before glueing them in place.

**The Fragile Breath**

For me, it depends on the model. As a generality, I paint Tyranids after they're build and Dark Eldar before being completely assembled.

There are exceptions, vehicles I tend to paint after they're fully assembled, while crew I do not. Most often I paint them when they're just missing their arms, it makes it nice and easy.

**Warboss Imbad Ironskull**

As others have said it depends on the model, how it's supposed to be posed etc. If a model has say a cape or an arm close to its chest I'll partially assemble it, paint the peices seperate then attach them. if it's a large model I'll paint each part seperate so I don't overlook anything once it's all together. Of course there are times when something has to be fully assembled to paint something on it, for instance painting a decal or symbol onto a tank is easier to do if it's fully assembled.

**Praxiss**

Also, for me anyway, depends on if the model is a cnterpiece or a single model in a unit.

My warsmith (chaos termie lord with full servo harness) was fully painted before assembly as i wanted to go the extra mile on it.