• Bases: This is the first thing, since I've realized that basing the model before you paint it is a good thing. I have my eye on the new "urban basing kit"- has anyone seen it? Does it have enough stuff for 80-ish models, and is the resin and razorwire suitable for troop figures? I want my girls to be marching through a blasted, scorched urban type environment and have had decent results using just sand, but it's nothing special. If the urban basing kit isn't any good, can I get much mileage with slate? Will it need to be painted or mixed with other stuff?
  
• Basecoat: I first intended for my girls to have black armor with quick drybrushed Shadow Grey highlights, but laziness and overzealous drybrushing led them to be much more grey than black. I like the effect of the drybrushed grey and would like to keep it, only it's a bit sloppy. Is there a way for me to paint on a sort of dusty shadow grey with an even, uniform coat? Maybe a particular sort of brush, or just a very light drybrush with repeated coats?
  
• Highlights: For the armor, I'm thinking of using Codex Grey for hard edges with sparing applications of Space Wolves Grey, and very light Codex Grey lining in on particular details like around the leg actuator dealies on the armor. For the robes, it will be a standard red cloth effect with a scab red basecoat, 1:1 scab:blood for the next layer, blood for the next, and a touch of blazing orange for the last. Hopefully I'll be able to accomplish some decent blending between the layers I've got this part pretty well figured out, but if you have comments on a method or color scheme that would work out better I'm all ears.
  
• Guns and trim: I want to do the guns in boltgun metal with a light chainmail overbrush and an ultra light mithril silver, pretty standard... The trim will mostly be shining gold with some light burnished gold highlights. Not much of a question there either, just throwing it out to give a full picture of what I'm going for.
  
• Hair and faces: Another one I've got pretty well in hand, thinking of using tanned flesh/dwarf flesh/elf flesh like the codex says, only I have my own preferred method for eyes-- I paint the socket black, then paint some thin white across it, leving the black outline. Then I paint a thin vertical black line for the pupil, which is the tricky part that always screws up. I think I'll try for a .005 micron pen for that. Hair should be space wolves grey with a watered down skull white, maybe some enticing black forleocks or something
  
• Things i must be insane to be considering: I know I'm crazy, but I want to paint all kinds of little ornate decorations and will need a lot of help figuring out how to do it. First off, I want to give my girls little fleur-de-lis tattoos on their cheeks. The shape shouldn't be too tough with some practice, but what color(s) do I use? On the robes and weapons, I'm thinking of having little prayers scrawled all over, around the border of the robes and on the casing of the guns. Will this look ok with just black, or is there a way I can layer text to give it a nicer look?
  
• Sealing: I sealed my last paintjob with citadel matte varnish, and I got some very bad effects. This is odd since it has worked well for me in the past. Some models were ruined by too thick a coat and almost all started to chip and wear as soon as I started playing with them. Does anyone know of a more durable sealer than citadel matte varnish, one which will keep the paint nice for a good long time without wrecking the colors?

True, but with black armor darker skin tones kind of blend in to much.  As for hair - I am all for different colors.  I used to have my mini's with all black hair but changed that idea after I painted one with blond hair and it looked good.

Can't comment much on the other ideas - but the Urban resin pieces will not go far enough for that many models.  You might be able to cut them up enough for 20 at most I would think - maybe.  I haven't used my slate yet so I can't say how far that will go.  The smaller bases probably wouldn't be that good for the razor wire either but you may have an idea to make it work.  The next base size up and larger looks to be better for that.

As for faces, the biggest problem I see is that they all have the same facial features.  They look like white chicks whether you paint them brown or olive or black...  They look sorta funny with different skin tones if you examine them up close.  Also, I don't want to have to figure out how to paint 2 or 3 different skin tones, faces have been enough of a challenge to get right already.  And like it was mentioned above, darker skin on dark armor doesn't stand out so well and will impact the overall look of the army.  That said, I like the image of SoB as a ravening horde of rabid zealots, and different hair especially would give them a more motley look...  I can probably get more milage out of stuff like tacking on purity seals and scrolls all over the place, though.