The short answer
Painting is a two-part setup: own the Airbrush and own the palette sets that contain the colors required by the order. Buying only the tool can leave a job blocked by missing colors.
For the reported Papier-mâché order, the player resolved the missing-color problem by purchasing the remaining palettes. That answer applies to unavailable colors; it is not proof that every painting failure has the same cause.
Step by step
1. Read the order before buying
Confirm that the job actually requires painting and note every color the interface requests. This distinguishes a missing palette from a broken part, cleaning task, or ordinary cosmetic choice.
2. Buy the Airbrush
Use the in-game shop's tool or equipment area to obtain the Airbrush. Check the exact current listing instead of relying on an old price or a translated item name.
The Airbrush provides the painting action. It does not automatically include every color required by later orders.
3. Buy the required palette sets
Find the palette listings separately and compare them with the colors requested by the job. If one color is unavailable, check the remaining palette sets before assuming the order is bugged.
The resolved Papier-mâché discussion supports buying the remaining palettes as the solution for that specific missing-color state. Public evidence does not yet support a complete price table or a universal “best palette order.”
4. Return to the job and confirm the colors
Reopen the painting interaction and verify that the needed colors can now be selected. Complete the requested paint work, then check the Notebook or order state before reassembly and delivery.
Do not treat visual completion alone as proof that the business task is closed.
5. Diagnose a total painting failure separately
If you own the Airbrush and all relevant palettes but the painting interaction still does nothing, your symptom may match the community's Painting Trouble report. That thread documents the failure, but it does not provide a reliable universal fix.
Record the device, order, owned palettes, and exact failed interaction. Then check current patch notes or report the bug. Do not delete the save, rebuy every item, or claim that a restart is proven to work.
Missing setup or possible bug?
| Symptom | First check | Current evidence | |---|---|---| | No painting action | Airbrush ownership | The tool is part of the required setup | | A requested color is missing | Remaining palette sets | Solved this way in the Papier-mâché report | | Colors appear and painting works | Complete the job and verify its state | Normal flow | | Tool and colors exist, but interaction fails | Current known issues and bug reporting | Reported by players; no universal fix verified |
What not to assume
- Buying the Airbrush does not prove that every palette is included.
- One solved missing-color report is not a fix for every painting problem.
- The current evidence does not support exact palette prices or a best purchase order.
- A player-reported painting failure is not yet an officially confirmed universal bug.
- Restarting, reinstalling, or editing a save is not recommended without direct evidence.
Sources
- Papier-mâché palette discussion — documents the missing-color problem and the player's successful palette purchase.
- Painting Trouble report — documents a separate failure with no verified universal fix.
- Kleynce's illustrated 100% guide — independently supports the launch-build tool and palette progression.
- Official Steam achievements — confirms painting as a tracked activity in the game.