A partial painting method suitable for partially painting a workpiece or article of a complex surface shape. A surface of the workpiece is coated with strippable paint. The coated strippable paint is dried into a strippable film on the workpiece surface. A laser beam is applied to the strippable film along a prescribed cutting line so as to cut the strippable film. A portion of the strippable film corresponding to a first area of the workpiece surface to be painted is peeled off, while the remaining portion of the strippable film is left adhering on a second area of the workpiece surface to remain unpainted, and thereby masking of the workpiece is completed. The first area is then painted with a paint to form a final paint coating. The strippable paint contains powder, such as of graphite, having a substantially high light energy absorptivity, so that the strippable film can reliably be cut by the laser beam without damaging the surface of the workpiece which may be molded of synthetic resin that is relatively soft and is easily softened when heat is applied.