When to paint a model

So, recently I built the skink chief on stegodon model and found out I should have painted before adding the howdah. Now, I'm putting together the skink oracle on troglodon and am wondering if it has the same issue of having hard to reach places. Also, if after it is painted, it is actually too difficult to notice, that would be nice to know too! Any advice is welcome!

 

I think that this is personal choice. I like to paint in subassemblies and then glue everything together. I am yet to make troglodon, but I would do subassemblies as on picture below. Dino, priest and each part of lash separate.

 

Grrr, !mrahil

 

Thank you for your reply! Makes alot of sense as well.

 

This is maybe too late, but I have glued troglodon couple of minutes ago and I would recommend gluing whole collar after painting as well... Too late for me

 

Worse case, focus on the parts of the model that you can see, or what will draw the most attention. For instance, more time can be spent on a minis head, face, and shoulders, and I would spend less time on the feet, the boots, and beneath the robes because they can't be see.

If there are areas that are hard to paint, paint those first so any overflow on the edges can be fixed when you go back and paint the raised details

 

When painting hard-to-reach areas, using a small brush can help you to apply paint more precisely. A fine-tipped brush can also help you to reach into tight spaces. it's a great idea if you could break the painting process down into stages, painting one area at a time. This will help you to focus on each area and ensure that you don't miss any spots. Before gluing any parts together, dry-fit the model to make sure you can reach all the areas you need to paint. This will help you to identify any areas that may be difficult to reach and plan your painting accordingly.