Confirming "metallics first" ... ?

[Russ]

Hey, all -

When a separate part needs to be painted as metallic, it's often easier to paint it, finish it, then add it to the figure/bust. But often, items meant to be metallic are molded or cast in place on the subject.

So? I seem to recall reading that one should generally paint "in place" metallic items, almost complete, before painting the surrounding skin/cloth/etc. The logic there seems to be that if a little "regular" paint gets slopped over onto the metallic item, it's a lot easier to touch up the metallic than if the metallic is slopped over onto the regular paint.

My question, then, is: Does the community tend to agree that cast-in-place metallic items should be painted before the surrounding, non-metallic areas?

I hope that's coherent; it makes a lot more sense in my head ...

TIA for any help!

 

[Ferris]

I think it is a matter of personal preference, not a golden rule.
Some do the metallics first to avoid getting metallic pigment in places were it shouldn’t be.
But touching up metals is not so easy either, I find.
Pick your poison, I’d say!

Adrian

 

[DEL]

I paint the metallic first but if required I use water colourists masking fluid on the primed surrounding areas.
When metals are dry simply rub off the masking fluid and carry on with the painting.
To be honest a little care and attention to application and drying is usually all that's needed.
So doesn't really matter which is used first.
D

 

[Nap]

Agree wholly with the above comments , perhaps just adding use a different brush for your metallics i.e.: have a dedicated brush .....

Or you could try NMM

Nap

 

[Babelfish]

Depends on where it is on the piece. If it's in some place where it'd get in the way of me painting non-metallic areas if I had to try and paint around it, I'll do the relevant non-metallic bits first.

As others have said, no hard & fast rule. Basically whatever works.

- Steve

 

[Blind Pew]

This is a great question. Previous answers can't be improved upon. I'd suggest that it's a case-by-case thing. Each figure is that bit different, which keeps the hobby interesting. Another aspect of an answer could be if you like to do the complex NMM finishes some people like.
For resin figures, I prime the whole lot. Any armour, etc I give a thin coat of silver ink. Then a thin wash of sepia oil paint. This is great for chain mail, swords, Roman armour (I could go on). For metal figures, I'd clean the surface, mask of the metal then when ready to paint it, again, I'd use sepia oils or if yellow metal I tend to use Scalecolour acrylics.
I've seen brilliant results with all kinds of methods.

Horses for courses, as Steve says, "Whatever works, works."

 

[Mirofsoft]

I paint metalic parts in black, do the rest then back for metalic on black, but every method is good just be methodic

 

[Rob]

If you are using a "rub n' buff" paint method (have Humbrol reissued MetalCote yet?) or are actually burnishing white metal figures it must be done first and then masked off as those finishes are destructive by nature.
Otherwise it should be as best suits the figure, don't make it much harder to paint other areas just for the sake of a "metallics first" rule.

 

[mazayas011]

I paint the metallic