It might be possible to stick the fig onto a blob of blu-tac (klet) or soft clay (modell lera). Keep in mind that the latter is oily and will leave fat stains
.
Example.
If I only had one hand available for work, I'd consider working within certain restrictions and make the most out of that. I'm an artist, and I've found that the possibility space for expression is so huge that restrictions are really more interesting than a big hindrance. Working your way around the restrictions, finding a solution which works better than your original unrestricted idea, can be very rewarding. If you like problem solving anyways.
Some ideas:
* Use a simple color scheme (effective color schemes are simple anyways, 1 main color, 1 sub color, 1 detail color, and maybe some very minor necessary colors here and there. If you're dealing with obvious colors which the eye expects (leather pouches being brown, purity seals being red and parchment being white), then you can have some extra colors perhaps.)
* Use spray paints for the base color to save time. Saved time can be used later for polishing details. I suppose working and cleaning an airbrush would be hard. I feel like I have to be an octopus to manage mine, and cleaning is a real chore. Working indoors with spray paints is a bad idea, unless you have a special ventilation thing. There's a couple of spray (can) painting tutorials on youtube I suppose.
* Spray the figure with the main color. Make this color dominant so you don't have to paint over lots of places later. Of course, you must have the spray color as a jar color as well, in case you make a mess and need to cover up.
* Put your sub color on the convex details, such as shoulder pad border/edge things (trim?). The Ultramarines has yellow/gold on the shoulder and chest eagle IIRC. I'm just saying that painting around convex things is pretty time consuming. Also, you don't actually have to paint the shoulder pad edges or whatever details in some special color just because they're there. There are many interesting color schemes with a more monotone color unifying the mass of the figure, as opposed to breaking it apart like a wasp (or 'dazzle' camo) pattern would.
* I'd probably pick a lighter sub color, because bright color stand out a bit against the darker background. For example, it might be a lot of work to paint a black chest eagle on a white chest, because you'd have to get around the raised edges very neatly, or there will be a halo of sorts.
* When all the base colors are down -> washes, yeah. I'd use a black wash on blue, and a brown on yellow. A black wash over all colors can make yellow and such look a bit dirty and boring.
* To wrap things up, I'd put on some thin edge highlights. A fine top brush is nice, but you don't always need one. I have some cheap ones about as fine as a heavily used used toothpick. I don't paint with the tip. Instead I wipe out some of the paint on a tissue, and woosh over the edge like
this. It's
not like drybrushing, where you wipe out nearly all paint and fly all over the place with the brush.
* Transfers... I haven't had much success with them, but I guess they could be a good way to spice up a figure that's pretty monotone in color, such as Space Sharks.
More:
Try out a wet palette if you have problem with colors drying on you. It's just parchment (bakplåtspapper) on some soaked tissue in a low jar (google wet palette). You can put a lid on it and the colors will last until the next day, although they might separate and become a bit floaty.
Experiment on some figures until you've gotten a nice color scheme and technique down before you mass paint.
gl;hf!
