Army Painting - Having a Plan

4 weeks from start to finish!

Painting an army for some games can be a daunting task. Depending on the system and army choice, you could be looking at 100's of miniatures to slog through. For most of us we are not looking to have a master class paint job on each miniature, but more of a nice looking cohesive force to play with.

I have put some thoughts down for anyone looking to start a new army, finish an existing one or have just started painting for the first time. These are not the only tips out there, and believe me I can think of a ton of painters who are far more skilled and faster than I.

Tip# 1 - What are you painting?

May seem simple, but I have witnessed plenty of painters/gamer's jump into a project without a clear idea of what that project is. If you are looking to play in tournaments than having your list composed and finalized will be key. However, if your just looking to paint cool looking models or units than figuring out how much your project will cover is a good start.

I personally rarely paint an army that is not meant to be played in a campaign or tournament, so my lists are very specific in what needs to be painted.

Tip# 2 - Paint Scheme / Army Theme

What colors will be your primaries? What accent colors will you be using? Is there a theme to your army or force? Have you decided on a basing scheme that you like?

All are important questions and should be considered. Having colors clash on a miniature is horrible to find out when you are all finished a project. Or you go to base your models and hate the way they look when finished. There are plenty of resources out there to research color theory but even consulting the old color wheel can help immensely.

Tip #3 - Paint Process

I hate when people say, "you should paint one miniature at a time", or "why aren't you assembly line painting those", its annoying. If you are comfortable with painting one miniature at a time and don't get burnt out, go for it! The main goal is to paint the way that you will continue to enjoy doing it.

For me it will depend on the models or project at hand. For my Forces of the Abyss Kings of War army it was a mixture of assembly line painting for my Lower Abyssal's and Tortured Soul units and single figure painting for the characters and smaller units like Hellhounds.
 

Tip #4 - Paint Plan

As with anything in life, the more organized that you are, the better chance you have to finish. I cant say that this will work for everyone, but for me it helps.

Your paint plan should take into consideration your daily/weekly/monthly time for painting, and when you would like to have the project finished. Spreadsheets are a good way to map out what you would like to have done in a specific time frame.

I try and paint for a little while each day, which I know is hard for some. I may get up a little earlier in the morning before the kids are up, 20-30 minutes at lunch or after the kids are in bed for an hour or so.

Tip #5 - Notebook

I cannot stress this one enough. If you are doing an army or larger project there may be points where you go a while between paint sessions, or you later go to add on to an existing army. This is where you note book comes into play.

Grab any small notebook (notepads are too flimsy and will tear apart with constant use) and use it to write down everything for your painting project. Somethings include:

- Paint Ratio's

- Paint Colors

- Paint Layer Progressions

- Basing Materials

There are probably more, but these are the basics. With these you will always know which color mix got you that specific green, or how you made those crazy underwater themed bases. 

Hopefully these 5 tips will help you out when you are planning your next project. Before you jump in and start working, take a few minutes to see what your goals are and how you hope to achieve them!