A method of masking cooling holes of a turbine component, in particular a turbine blade or vane, for a coating process is provided. The component includes an external surface to be coated, at least one internal cavity having an opening towards the outside of the component, and cooling holes extending from the at least one internal cavity to the external surface. The method comprises the steps of: filling the cooling holes with a masking material and hardening the masking material. The masking material, water, is used to fill in the cooling holes. The hardening is done by freezing the water to water ice. A method of coating an external surface of a turbine component and a device for use in a masking process for masking cooling holes in a turbine component are also provided.