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Painting a bunch of models at once?

958 views 13 replies 12 participants last post by  Unforgiven302 
#1 ·
So I’m wondering how ya’ll approach panting projects that involve a lot of models? Typically I’ll pant one box at a time, beginning with a mass production approach where every model in the box gets panted with a specific color before I move on to the next color, and then at the end I’ll do all the fine detail work on each individual model. I believe this to be a efficient means of painting.

However my latest project has been three boxes of boyz at once and I’m getting burnt out, I spent three nights painting their skin alone(which was a week ago) and I’m still a couple of nights away from doing the detail work(which I like.)

So obviously the solution is to not paint so many boxes at once and perhaps work on one model at a time, so I’m not really looking for advice, but I am intrested as to how some of you pros would paint 30+ models for a single project
 
#3 ·
I would agree with fynn. With big blocks of stuff I usually break them in half and then I do the same thing you do. Get all of the basecoating, shading and highlighting done on the basecoat and then move onto the details of each model, finishing one before I move onto the next. I about to start a large block of tyranid gaunts (30 total, blah) and I am gonna do them in groups of 15. If I get burnt halfway through at least I have 15 done before I have moved onto something else.
 
#5 ·
Well i think it depends on you

how fast do you want to make your army?
how bored do you get painting?
can you stick to a deadline?

Most importantly
Will you complete the task, no matter what?

I play Orks as well
I like to paint a unit at a time, at least for Elites, F. Attack

I try to paint an HQ with each unit
But i painted 120Boyz( & Ghaz, AoBR Warboss, Zogwort) in a month, and i feel this can only be done if you're assembly line painting

as well i like to bulk paint vehicles
my last set was 3 BattleWagons & 2 Trukks

Im currently working on 6 Kanz and 2 Dreads

it provides results, quickly

I would at least paint a whole unit at a time though
 
#6 ·
i tend to work on batches of 5. keeps things moving enough so i don't get bored through repetition, i.e. painting a cloak on 5 guys is grand; by the time i'm getting to the 20th in a row, i'm losing the will to live.

i'm a big fan of rewards - get through 10 models [2 batches of 5], and i'll paint something as a treat. usually, it's a character, weapons team, or a vehicle. whatever, just so long as it's something different. even a model from another army...

environment helps too - having something on in the background [music / film / podcast] really helps me stay focussed. and remember to take a break once in a while. get away from the paint desk - read something, smoke, eat...you get the idea...
 
#9 ·
Well maybe i am slightly different.

I have an attention span of a goldfish and not alot of time to paint to boot. Therefore my painting is all over the place. For instance at the moment on the go i have (guard) 5 flamers, 5 meltaguns, 1 manticore, 1 vendetta, 3 chimeras, 1 astropath, and some muddy tanks! All are in various states of painting. This is completely disorganised but keeps me interested as when i do get time to paint i can paint what i fancy at the time!! Also after spending ages painting all sorts of things, all of a sudden a whole part of my army gets finished at the same time!!!
 
#10 · (Edited)
i painted over 120 orks in 3 days... just their skin and base coats! to this day i dont wanna paint them....

in retro spec, i should of spread it out alot more... ten to fifteen models a day seem reasonable... and take decent breaks between a few colours! i normally grab myself a cigarette and maybe a show on tv as a semi break to let my eyes adjust to something thats not less then a foot away from my face
 
#11 ·
I paint in batches too, I really dislike painting large units and tend to lose interest quickly so normally stick to 5-10 at a go and mix it up with characters and smaller units to vary my painting.

One thing I have found is that when I am not looking forward to painting, be it finishing off a squad or tackling a challenging model I am now forcing myself to make a go of it, even if it is just a little thing like 'get the armour done' or 'just do the base coat to start with'.

I find it makes a big difference as normally once I get going I find it isn't as bad as it seems and I start to see the finish line approaching. Rather than putting stuff off for weeks and weeks and not being very productive.
 
#12 ·
I do 5 models at a time and assembly line those. Do all of one color on each then switch colors. This prevents me from burning out and gives me a better sense of accomplishment from seeing a completed group of models. It keeps my quality better too. I start to rush if I work on to much at once.
I also keep all my unpainted models out of sight. Nothing can be more discouraging then seeing 100 more troops to paint sitting on a desk or shelf somewhere. If I don't see them it's like "hey only 5 guys left to paint...yeah".
 
#13 ·
I usually do assembly line by squad. This keeps the amount of models in the comfortable 5-15 model range, so as not to get burnt out. Keeping the model poses dynamic as possible helps out a bunch.
 
#14 ·
Painting chaos marines I do 4 at a time. I break it down as such:

4 standard bolter marines
4 more standard marines with asp champ or power weapon/fist guy
2 special or heavy weapon guys

I can get through a 10 man squad in around 2 evenings and they are "table top" quality. Basic colors and shading, washes, eyes, weapon details and bases. I do not go overboard on regular troops, just not worth it to me. I spend my time on characters/HQ's, vehicles, tanks, large monsters and dreadnoughts as that is were most people look first and longest.

My son has a crap load of ork boys to do and is working slowly with 5 at a time. He can knock them out in an evening, (about 3 hours or so) before he retires for the night. After a full day of school, his homework, dinner, chores and other things he is a bit too tired to take on anything larger than that. I have been doing his trukks, battlewagon, bikes and HQ's as he wanted them to stand out. I gladly obliged to take on the fun task of painting ork vehicles.
 
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