Hour 0: Preparation is Crucial
If you're going to undertake a speed painting challenge, the last thing you have to spare is time. Make sure everything is 100% ready to go when you sit down and start painting. That means all the mold lines are clean, everything is primed, things are as assembled as you are comfortable, and you have all your materials on hand. You can't waste 10% of your time looking for the brush you thought you had with you or wondering what color to do next, which transitions nicely to my next point:
Always have a plan. Know what you want them to look like when they're done and what colors you're going to need to get them there. Dilly dallying will not help here (it rarely does).
Hour 1: Skin is In
As these bad boys are Catachans, most of them left the full armor and shirts at home, that means the first thing to get painted up is this skin. Why?
Because you always want to paint the deepest element of a model first.
It's much easier to get down a layer of green on the coat my guardsman is wearing than to try and sneak a brush full of Tallarn Flesh into the recesses of the perfectly shaded and highlighted vest I just finished. Start with the greatest depth and build your way out. This will also come in great use when painting mechanized models.
Hour 2: Cover up
Turns out the boys from Catachan did remember a little bit of the old wardrobe, and when the skin was done being highlighted, that was the first thing to get a coat, as per my previous instructions. I had originally wanted to do some camo effects on the pants, but I quickly realized that this would not be viable given my time constraints, which transitions nicely to my next point:
To hell with the plan. If you don't have time, you don't have time. Executive decisions must be made on the fly, and it's important to be conscious of your resources as you're racing ahead. Remember, it's always easier to cut extra weight loose early, but once you've committed to something, you have to carry it out. Most details can be reintroduced at a later point in time, which you should feel free to do if you have too much time left over before the end of the challenge, but most of us never have that problem.
Hour 3: Heavy Metal
Now's when things get interesting. Picking out the metal on models like these really brings them to life. That and it provides a major morale boost to see so much of the model covered already. Your mood will have a huge influence on you later on in the challenge, when the continuous effort of painting begins to wear on you both physically and mentally. Give yourself the opportunity to celebrate each step as it's completed before diving into the next one. After all, this is supposed to be fun, don't let it become a slog.
Hour 4: The Dark Side
GW magic washes are, well, magic. I can't understate just what a difference it is to see the model go from flat to detailed in a single stroke of the brush. It makes a tremendous difference, and it also helps to point out any mistakes you have made up to this point. Just because this is a speed painting challenge doesn't mean it has to be sloppy. Keep things neat and simple, and you'll be very very impressed by the results, especially after a coat of Badab Black.
Hour 5: The Devil and His Details
This is what separates Da Bosses from Da Boyz. It's the small touches here and there that will really bring out the best in your work. A tattoo here, some extra detail around the eyes there, and suddenly things just pop. Always keep a fine detail brush on hand for all those tough spots where you need just a little paint in a small spot. The smaller brush will not only provide a great source of detail, but also prevent you losing all the work you just did when a larger brush bumps an already finished surface. You already painted the model, don't make yourself have to do it twice.
Hour 6: Flockkin' Ink
The final touches bring out the best in the model, and nothing unites what were once disparate elements like a common basing scheme. If you know your terrain ahead of time, go ahead and mix up a combination of the flocks you're going to need to finish. Gluing and flocking twice instead of five times makes all the difference in the world. And before you know it, the timer rings that last time and like it or not, you're done.
Final Shot
Speed painting is great fun, and a great way to produce a playable unit in a single evening. Especially in armies where you have infantry counts in the hundreds, having a fully painted unit is essential to a cohesive impression. That one command squad might look great, but people will still remember you as the guy with one painted squad in his army. My thanks to my friend John for volunteering his boyz to go triumphantly on with a solid, speedy paint job.
