Paint first or last???

Thanks everyone....I usually paint the small stuff first and then assemble them (ie..interiors)...then the outside details (ie..tools....guns...)....(all being done by hand)......then mask and paint the body (or main part of the model) with spray can or by hand or airbrush (I do have one)...it seems though that in the magazines people are doing small details with the airbrushes....tools...wheels etc...(I usually do 1/35 tanks)...I usually mask off the mounting area for those tdetails (tools...etc) on the model, paint the whole thing then go back and glue on the details....it works for me but was interested in what others do

I paint interior, then assemble plane. I mask off the interior and airbrush the camo scheme or what-ever. I then go back and add small parts and do any weathering I choose to do. I use to paint all parts first but it was a nightmare, especially with camo and keeping things straight.

I'm still a rookie at this but just a bit of experience and common sense goes a long way. I just always think of the next step I'm gonna take. If it involves sanding or puttying, then I wouldn't even try painting cause sanding will just ruin the paint job and hence I would paint again anyways. Most will probably say, paint the interior first, cause you won't be able to get at that later with precision. All these decisions is what makes the final results the most satisfying.

Kevin,
There has been a lot of discussion on whether to paint first or last regardless of whether you air brushing or hand painting, it really depends on the model, it is always wise to check the instructions before building to work out , what parts need to be painted before assembly, are there areas that can be painted as an sub assembly.

As Chris said there is no right or wrong answer to this question.

I usually paint the interior/cockpit first. Then I assemble and paint the landing gear, guns, turrets, canopy...whatever extraneous details there are. At the same time, I close up the fuselage and build the wings and tail. I check for gaps/seams and putty them if necessary. I then paint the main structure, and last I attach the rest of the doo-dads that were pre-painted. There are all sorts of details/steps I left out. (priming, masking, future, decals, dull-cote etc.) But that’s my process, in a nutshell.

Airbrushes are nice, but for years I used spray cans and the almighty brush. With decent masking and painting techniques, you can accomplish almost everything an airbrush does for you. (but I still love my airbrush…)

On nearly all kits parts will be needed to be painted first or last, it really depends on the area of the kit you are working with.

Some things will NEED to be painted first while others can be painted later, there is no rule or guideline for it. Study the instructions well, testfit a lot and many things will become clear as to painting and assembly sequence.

An Airbrush will not make a difference on the painting sequence nor will it guarantee a better finish.

IMHO, too many people are airbrush obsessed and believe that they cannot build a nice model without one.

Hey Kevin, You will get LOTS of great advice, but let me give you my 2 cents worth just to get you going.

First, get an airbrush and a kit to practice on. Like any tool, it will take some practice to use it well, but you will very quickly come up to speed if you jump over to the airbrushing forum here and read some of the posts. There are some great folks here.

I paint the interiors and sub assemblies first: cockpits, engines, suspension parts, etc. I do the exterior last since I am usually closing fuselages up. In general, I paint whenever its easiest and is the least likely to get messed up during assembly (or will be easy to touch up later).

There is no right or wrong answer, so good luck!

Chris