[GZG] Gzg-l Digest, Vol 13, Issue 13

My habit is to almost always fully assemble a miniature before priming, then
prime and drybrush (or whatever other painting technique I use).

Some folks advocate the "prime and paint on sprue" as much as possible 'cause
it is easier to hold the model, avoids getting finger oils on the paint
between coats, etc.

I find that after I put a lot of work into the paint, clipping it off the
sprue will leave marks that are hard to remove, since filing or carefully
trimming with a knife are likely to damage more paint... so then I end up
doing work twice.

YMMV.

If you have primed on the sprue, then I would suggest assembling the miniature
before painting. that way, you can fix any rough spots in the glue up or where
sprue marks are on the model, before you put effort into the drybrushing.