how do you paint?
 

Just out of curiosity, do you guys prefer to spraypaint your guns, then use a marker to add in the black/ other details. Or do you use brushes and have a little bottle of model paints?

airbrush, and duracoat paint, thats the realsteel shit right there lol

airbrush yup

so I guess I'm the only one who uses the old bristle brushes huh?

pretty much

Depends..do you want it to look pretty or do you want it to look like an operators?
I use Krylon and Tamiya model spray paints for mine. It's fast it's dirty and it's effective. A good rule of thumb is to start with your lightest color and move on from there. SO I usually spray everything tan then add it whatever I want. Mix it up and try some spruce boughs as a mask and alternate colors pretty much anything goes. Good luck
Here's a pic of my M4 in it's current color scheme
http://www.teametf.ca/gallery/d/13654-2/DSC_0016-2.jpg

Nice M4 man.

That seems like one of the most functional set-ups I've EVER seen on ASC. Good job.

EDIT: A nice YHM, or KAC rear flipper would complete it, wouldn't ya say? ;)

The tamiya "ts??" (I think) work really well they dry nice and fast. I painted a clear gun's grip once just to see what it would look like. I used matte black and it turned out really nice. Sry I don't have a pic of wut it would turn out like. Now if you want camo pattern like ex royals M4 (nice rifle, gj) and not just one solid coulor, airbrush is the best way to go, or prob the only way if you want it to look good.

Cheers Kos, I just run it with a TM Flip up BUIS (it was absent for the pic) it's low profile and works. There might be a samurai flip up in the budget at some point but not right now. Personally I don't like most airbrush jobs on guns it's too contrived IMHO. A couple cans of spray paint and your good to go, no clean up afterwards. I hate stripping and cleaning airbrushes.

I spray...
Strip the gun to the parts you want to paint, then mask off any bits you dont want painted (magwells, etc..). Spray on the base coat, usually a tan, once that's done, spray it again and touch up.
Then start spraying the other colors in whatever pattern you want. Last color would usually be black.

Get some camo colors that match your local field. Take the gun to your local field spray a base coat of the lightest color (light green or tan). Grab some foliage and lay it over the gun , then spray your darker colors over it very lightly.
http://www3.telus.net/lupo/paint/M24.jpg
http://www3.telus.net/lupo/paint/M4sCam.jpg
http://www3.telus.net/lupo/paint/apsclos.jpg

What do you usually use as a masking agent once parts have been stripped down? e.g. for scopes and holosights, what would be the best agent to ensure that lenses aren't contaminated?

I use masking tape from dollar store, worked well so far.

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/6043/ak6jz7.th.jpg

Masking tape. Also good for grabbing drips if you over spray. Roll into a loop , hold between index and middle finger dabbing with a clean section of tape.