Occasionally, when listening to other hobbyists, someone will say something that is either brilliant and profound or just plain bizarre. I was asked to not mention the guy who admitted to wearing an apron while he worked (didn't seem very manly, he thought), but otherwise, here are the answers:

Brian Carlson. Well, back in the day, I used to paint with toothpicks. Hopefully I've come a ways from there. I'm one of those strange individuals that likes to do my bases first. I tend to be pretty sloppy so that goes on first. My biggest problem is that I tend to do an entire army in the span of a month then leave it for a year before adding units. By the time I get back to it, I've forgotten how I mixed the different colours to get the desired effects. I guess it pays to take notes. I'm horrible about changing out water, it's usually a shade of grey (tastes better that way when I smooth my brushes out with my mouth). Some day I'll learn.

Eric Sarlin. I use a magnifying visor. I think it really helps, particularly when doing detail work.

Dave Taylor mixed Bretonnian and Cadian plastics for these Guardsmen.

By John Stallard.

Dirty Steve. I paint rank-and-file guys in a line of about five at a time, but I still paint the command for each unit like I paint individual characters. With regular skellies, I'll use quick ink washes and drybrushing to get them done fast, but with Standard Bearer and Musician models, I'll paint on the highlights individually, like the 'Eavy Metal guys paint theirs (though not nearly as well).

Joe Krone. I try to condition my painting habits by forcing myself to paint a block of troops before I paint a character. I enjoy painting and converting characters but I don't necessarily enjoy painting 20 of the same miniature. Since our games are about troops, I start with my core troops or my compulsory stuff first and then add specialty units as the army grows. This way, once I paint the stuff I have to have in my army, I can start playing games and through my experiences on the battlefield I can learn what my army needs next.

Andy Chambers. As you will see by my projects I tend to work on several things at once, especially if they are closely related. I tend to work on 10-20 "things" at once. I almost always use a black undercoat and a really beat-up selection of brushes.

Rick Smith. I always take care of my brushes. I'm a little neurotic that way. It might stem from oil brushes costing so much, but I always wash them out with hand soap and clean, cool water (steaming hot water will loosen the ferrule and can cause your bristles to fall out!). I also replace my mug of water constantly, especially after using metallics. Dirty water tends to discolour your paints, which brings up my last habit: I always thin down my paints... a lot. I learned long ago how frustrating it can be to apply colour with paint straight out of the bottle. The only time I don't thin paint down is when I drybrush.

Ty Finocchiaro. Unfortunately, I tend to do most of my best work after 1:00 a.m. This leads to all-night paint sessions which generate sleep-deprived adventures the next day. Sure, I got a ton of painting done, but at what cost? I don't know what it is, but late, late, late night painting is where I'm most focused and productive. Go figure.

Gav Thorpe. I often favor "wet-blending" for speed, which involves using an ink over a large area and then applying the highlight blend while the ink is still wet. This method does allow quite subtle blending, but it can go hideously wrong on occasion, necessitating the miniature being binned.

John Shaffer. I like to get all of the messy stuff out of the way first, like drybrushing metals and ink washes, with a large dry brush or a tank brush and then cover up mistakes with more careful painting using a standard-sized brush. I only use the detail brush for eyes or very fine lines. I recommend cleaning your brushes with a brush cleaner (available from arts supply stores) after each session. The little time it takes to clean your brush properly will help the brushes keep their proper shape and greatly increase their longevity.

Dave Taylor. The main thrust of my hobby is painting armies, and painting them pretty quickly. To help achieve this process, I tend to go for colour schemes that are supported by an opening drybrush or two. Nothing sets you on the way faster than drybrushing the main colour and highlights onto 20-30 models at one time.

Chad Mierzwa. I have to wear magnifying goggles if I am going to paint for extended periods of time. Goggles and headphones (to listen to music) at once are quite a sight. I would like to have goggles like Johnny Depp wore in Sleepy Hollow.

John Stallard. I've been painting for ages and can't learn any other way than to paint in batches with the largest brush I dare use. I clean up my models, get 'em on bases (John always multi-bases his models, mostly on 40-mmx40-mm bases, but that's a future article, too! - Ed.) before I prime them. Many comment that it is hard to paint the models way in the back. However, if they are hard to paint then they are probably hard to see, too! I prime models in white as I like the crisp clean look and it works for me. Although I do not do this religiously, I paint models they way they'd dress: for an Empire model, I paint the flesh, shirt, trousers, jacket, armour, cloak, shield, and then the weapon. Always use your cell phone or portable phone. Nothing is worse than having to stop and run upstairs to answer the phone! Also, after finishing a colour, I always drip in a few drops of water before closing the paint pot. This way I never have a problem with the paints thickening up the way some painters do. Also, the best way to get a good point on your brush is to stick it in your mouth!