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I'm wondering how people assemble then paint their minis. I've seen this with a lot of people, and i've tried it myself. There's always one or two spots where I don't lay down a thick enough paint coat or no paint gets there at all. If you've done this or know how to, please give me some advice.

I always fully assemble my troops then paint them. Reason being that I don't want to spend a week on painting 1 single model. If it's a character or some monstrous creature with let's say special weaponry I will paint it apart then build it later. Also if I need to airbrush a sword, it will go in last thing. At least that is how I do it.

 eldrad2000 wrote:
I always fully assemble my troops then paint them. Reason being that I don't want to spend a week on painting 1 single model. If it's a character or some monstrous creature with let's say special weaponry I will paint it apart then build it later. Also if I need to airbrush a sword, it will go in last thing. At least that is how I do it.

So i'm guessing it's ok for me to miss little bits of paint say, on my tactical marines, so i can budget more time towards my HQ/special units? What army do you play, and would playing Space Marines affect the build/paint order in any way?

I used to assemble then paint (even with an airbrush)

You can achieve good quality like that, mainly because the bits you miss are bits that will not easily be seen/noticed anyway. Undercoating black, then painting up from there is the easiest way, because black in hidden recesses is perfectly fine.

It just depends on how finished you want your finished model. I'm very picky, and don't want my model to look unfinished from any angle or distance, even if it's a lowly bolter grunt.

For Infantry, the biggest problem comes with models which have crossed arms in front of the chest -- which is most 2h weapons in 40k. This is particularly an issue if the chest detail is something like an aquilla, because you can't really do a good job on the aquilla without getting behind the bolter. Also, there is the issue of painting the back side of the weapon. On some like bolters, no biggie. On others like Plasma Cannon, it can end up looking not so good if viewed at an angle where you can see the unpainted part.

My solution on these models is, during modelling, I bluetac both arms in place. Then, I remove the left arm, clean all the blue-tac off, and superglue the left arm. Once that dries, I remove the right arm (with the weapon), and paint that separately. When it's done, I have a perfect fit, because the left arm is set. This lets me access both the back of the weapon and the chest.

I always paint the head separately, because it's easier to do so. I just keep a part of the sprue (which is always attached conveniently at the neck), and use that to hold the head. For space marines, I always paint the backpack/jetpack separately too, again, just because it's easier, and attaching it is so simple.

The other thing I do is that I paint a lot more heads and backpacks than I need immediately. This way, when I'm finished the model, I can just pick a head/backpack I want and I'm done I usually do infantry around 3-4 models at a time, and I do backpacks and heads 15 or so at a time.

One other trick I learned from White Dwarf many years ago (during the Dark Eldar Kabalites release I think): for the 2h crossed arms weapons, build the upper and lower torsos separately, first and then combine them. Attach the arms to the upper torso, THEN glue it to the lower torso, because this way, you can better see how the body and gun point.

kb_lock wrote:
I used to assemble then paint (even with an airbrush)
You can achieve good quality like that, mainly because the bits you miss are bits that will not easily be seen/noticed anyway. Undercoating black, then painting up from there is the easiest way, because black in hidden recesses is perfectly fine.

Agreed, this is my method.
Some have good results priming white and applying inks or washes.
Really depends on what suits your painting style.
Someone I know trained to watercolor and is awesome with the white prime method.
Lots of material out there, research and try out different techniques and see what sticks.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Talys wrote:
One other trick I learned from White Dwarf many years ago (during the Dark Eldar Kabalites release I think): for the 2h crossed arms weapons, build the upper and lower torsos separately, first and then combine them. Attach the arms to the upper torso, THEN glue it to the lower torso, because this way, you can better see how the body and gun point.

Good advice.
I figured that one out the hard way.
Plus never consciously gave it much thought till asked why I built that way.
Legs to base and gravel.
Build chest with arms and shoulder pads no gun if possible.
Backpacks and helmets separate.
Paint.
Remove paint where you plan to use model glue (not super glue unless metal or resin).
Glue gun to torso.
Glue torso to legs.
Glue head to torso.
Glue backpack on torso.
Done.

@Talizvar - Before I saw that WD article, for god knows how long I did it the other way (upper to lower torso, then arms). When I flipped it around, I found I could get much better poses! Especially, leaning forward and profile shots, where the fella is looking down the barrel of the gun, maybe with an eye looking down a sight.

I actually use superglue on the arms and the head, because it's easier to snap them off, if I don't like the positioning

Also, I don't attach legs to a (permanent) base until I'm done for 2 reasons -- First, especially with space marines, you get some models where the guys are leaning forward, and details on the greaves are hard to reach if there's a solid mass under them. Second, I tend to drybrush my bases, and it's brutal hard not to hit the model by accident :X

@SirSertile - Another tip that I only learned last year. Where there are matching left and right arms, the design pattern on the arms will also match, helping you keep them together if you are, say, doing a squad and the pieces are post-assembled. For instance, if the right arm has 3 vents, the left arm will also have 3 vents; for another pair, it might be 2 vents. Or there might be the same break in the armor pattern. It was in a WD some time in 2014, and has actually been a super useful tip, especially since I have a tendency to get bits mixed up after fitting them.

I generally don't do mass painting anymore so no 20 man squads of space marines. I doubt I would paint then assemble just because of the time it would require.

For my PP stuff I use this meathod.

I pin everything but do not assemble yet. I leave a longer piece of brass rod and use that to secure the piece to a piece of cork.

Then I have something that I can hold the pieces with and I can get into all the nooks and crannies. Here is an example.

 Talys wrote:
@Talizvar - <snip>I actually use superglue on the arms and the head, because it's easier to snap them off, if I don't like the positioning

Reasonable reason to do so.
I had got tired of various models "exploding" when handled less than delicately especially with heavy handed boys of mine about.
I assemble with an eye on "indestructability" where I typically do not want to build the same model twice.
Metal models, metal / plastic mix and resin I pin the joins without fail for this same reason.

Also, I don't attach legs to a (permanent) base until I'm done for 2 reasons -- First, especially with space marines, you get some models where the guys are leaning forward, and details on the greaves are hard to reach if there's a solid mass under them. Second, I tend to drybrush my bases, and it's brutal hard not to hit the model by accident :X

As with a rather exciting thread on "painted vs unpainted", in the past I usually got full assembly done and primed the model so that a game could be had without having to wait for full painting to be done.
Now that I am a disciple of the air-brush, unassembled sections make much more sense for this method and finished painting takes a little less time.
I have seen many a painting service promote the overspray from painting the base as the models getting dirty feet... one man's error is another man's "value added".

@SirSertile - Another tip that I only learned last year. Where there are matching left and right arms, the design pattern on the arms will also match, helping you keep them together if you are, say, doing a squad and the pieces are post-assembled. For instance, if the right arm has 3 vents, the left arm will also have 3 vents; for another pair, it might be 2 vents. Or there might be the same break in the armor pattern. It was in a WD some time in 2014, and has actually been a super useful tip, especially since I have a tendency to get bits mixed up after fitting them.

I think I need to look at my old WD articles more.
I could just "tell" what matched, now I have actual words for that.
Learning by hard way again.
Useful stuff even for a slightly more experienced gamer / modeler / painter.

Thanks for all the replies! I'll definitely have to look into buying blu-tac. I currently just plastic glue bits together and then rip them apart. I definitely learned the hard way.

SirSertile wrote:
Thanks for all the replies! I'll definitely have to look into buying blu-tac. I currently just plastic glue bits together and then rip them apart. I definitely learned the hard way.

I just use dollar store stuff, nothing fancy The best way to remove blue-tac from crevices is to take a little ball of blue-tac and roll it over the stuff. Make sure you get it all off, or it makes a mess once you prime

 Talys wrote:
Second, I tend to drybrush my bases, and it's brutal hard not to hit the model by accident :X

Not really needed for your specific case, as you already have a workaround justified for other reasons, but have you ever considered using a freehand mask/shield while drybrushing? People do it while spraying, but I haven't heard of anyone (besides me, that is) using it with a brush. Just hold a piece of card in your off-hand and move it around to guard against errant strokes. Requires a means to clamp the model down, but if you can manage that it's quite quick and dead easy. Very handy when I want to knock out some quick hair/fur or put some wear on metal edges, but it's inconvenient to paint those parts first.

SirSertile wrote:
I'm wondering how people assemble then paint their minis. I've seen this with a lot of people, and i've tried it myself. There's always one or two spots where I don't lay down a thick enough paint coat or no paint gets there at all. If you've done this or know how to, please give me some advice.

I assemble first for everything. However, I'm doing fast, tabletop paint jobs with dipping. Thus, even though I often prime white, if there is some little interior spot that gets missed, the dip darkens it up nicely.

For more traditional paint styles when priming with black, it likewise doesn't matter too much as the black is in the crevasse. For more advanced painting techiques I'll leave it to the others on this thread.

Lots of good advice above. My two cents. I often/usually prime with black (although am moving over to grey). If you do this, and carefully go over the models after priming and fill in the little missed spots by hand, then you end up with anice solid black. Then, if you ar ehaving difficulty getting a brush into a place A) it'll be shaded, and B), people probably won't be able to see it anyway...

 oadie wrote:

 Talys wrote:
Second, I tend to drybrush my bases, and it's brutal hard not to hit the model by accident :X

Not really needed for your specific case, as you already have a workaround justified for other reasons, but have you ever considered using a freehand mask/shield while drybrushing? People do it while spraying, but I haven't heard of anyone (besides me, that is) using it with a brush. Just hold a piece of card in your off-hand and move it around to guard against errant strokes. Requires a means to clamp the model down, but if you can manage that it's quite quick and dead easy. Very handy when I want to knock out some quick hair/fur or put some wear on metal edges, but it's inconvenient to paint those parts first.

I've never tried a mask on a small model to do the base, but sure, it sounds like it could work! The closest I've done for something like this are headlights on vehicles, with awkward angles, but that was a long time ago; I just do those parts separately now, and glue them in painted.

On bases for things like large flyers, where the stem must be pinned and glued properly, I use masking tape to prevent the "model" from getting mucked up. But, on infantry, it doesn't make sense for me, because I don't do the bases one at a time. It seems so much faster to zap through a whole bunch of them, and then attach the models after. If it's a special model, I want to spend extra time and care on it anyhow.

I assemble or mostly assemble then paint all my models. Some stuff does not get painted and I'm ok with that. I am not trying to paint award winning models and like being able to play a game with my models and all their equipment... and limbs...

Although for my marines lately I have been painting them without weapons, backpacks and shoulder boards. I also paint them off their base because I under coat my marines white and their bases black.