Another newbie question about painting...

Forgot to ask this one in my last post...
Is it best to paint pieces while still connected to the tree or should they be removed from the tree and then painted? Here is the dilemma in my view.

If I paint while on tree... Seems easier to paint the pieces since they are still connected to the tree as opposed to having to paint a ton of small pieces individually. However then when I remove the painted pieces from the tree I will have to go back and sand and touch up the spots where they were removed from the tree.

If I remove the pieces from the tree first.... This way I can clean up, sand, file down the nub where the piece was removed from the tree but now I'll have a bunch of little pieces to deal with.

It seems like there are pro's and con's to each approach. Is there a best way to do this? Is a combination of the 2 methods the best approach? I'd love to get some advice from all the masters out there.

thanks.

It all depends on the part and how visible it'll be once the model is done. Larger parts can be held easier, so they can be removed without worry about painting later. Small parts can be left on, or attached to a handle of some sort (i.e. toothpick). If the area where the part attaches will be easily seen on the finished model, it might be worth removing it before paint.