What can you learn from 1994 Knowledge (1) How to Paint a Space Marine!

It is a strange question but what have I learnt from "the state of the art of figure painting from 1994"? I am a Charity Shop hustler always looking out for bargains. You can pick all manner of strange treasures there, unmade model kits (from Airfix WWI Female tanks to Trumpeter Chinese jets), Board Games at knock down prices) and items of curio. This is how I came across a collection of early 1990's GW Space Marine stuff, in particular a Warhammer 40K Painting Guide (see below, lain across my sinful box of Space Crusade "extras" [models I bought to spice the game up]):

On the principle of "you can always learn something if you bother to read the manual or book" I opened the Painting Guide and began to read. Back in 1994 it was written, "Thou best but some clippers to snip parts out of the frames/sprues so you do not break them!" I agreed, but it took me until 2016 when I independently purchased a cheap pair and entered into a happier modelling experience. You always snap something even if you use the sharpest modelling knife. Perhaps my older self was more attuned to continuous improvement. Two hints I have yet to follow is the use of small pieces of BlueTac in a prototype version instead of "gluing and regretting". Pinning with metal rods was also promoted, though [partly because of the infeasible size of Space Marine weaponry. Still I was impressed and read on (see below, I highlighted bits I found useful - this is a read and scribble type of text book; not much resale value in it after I have finished with it):

The painting instructions were very interesting. My technique was: basic undercoat (black to grey depending on whim and paint availability), an all over shade into the recesses [dark colour], Base [basic colour - mid tone] and then Highlight "I" and possibly "II" [lighter colour version]. GW reversed some of my logic promoting in almost all cases a white undercoat to brighten the end result of the model, go Base, then Shade only in the recesses, then Highlight "I" and "II". OK I can see a saving there. I needlessly shade the whole figure. One point that was coming across, the least paint on the figure, the more detail comes through. In tact they recommended watering down the initial Base layer - possibly painting two-three thin layers instead of one thicker layer. I chose my unfinished Ultra Marines as perfect for the 1994 retro painting experience (see below, far left are my early 2000 painting efforts [white lining on the shoulder pads] - horrendously overworked blending ending up with a very [almost too] grainy finish, moving to the centre are the troops I painted circa 2010+ for the resurrected Space Crusade Game [yellow lining on shoulder pads], then the undercoated and Vallejo Washed "others" waiting to be painted):

Note: I will never have a Space Marine Army, just some random things (sections) for Space Crusade and alternate Skirmish Sci-Fi or RPG rules (such as Rogue Trader). This should work to my advantage as "I don't really care' about the figures - it is more to see if I can paint to a plan and see if that plan producers a better figure in the end ;)

I guess in my old age I am finally trying to find short-cuts! Watch this space ;)