Coating method for coating components, in particular for coating motor vehicle bodywork components in a painting installation, comprising the following steps: a) moving an application device along a predetermined coating path over a component surface (9, 19) to be coated, b) applying a coating medium stream by means of the application device onto the component surface (9, 19), b1) wherein the coating medium stream is applied while the application device is moved over the component surface (9, 19) and b2) wherein the coating medium stream is not rotationally symmetrical relative to its stream axis and therefore generates on the component surface (9, 19) an elongate spray pattern with a particular longitudinal direction, c) rotation of the application device about the stream axis relative to the coating path during the movement of the application device so that the angular position (α) of the longitudinal direction of the spray pattern changes along the coating path relative to the path transverse direction, characterized in that d) the component surface (9, 19) to be coated as a whole is not exactly rectangular, e) in that the coating medium is applied along a plurality of mutually adjacently arranged coating paths on the component surface (9, 19), f) in that the individual coating paths are not exactly rectangular, in order to adapt to the non-rectangular component surface (9, 19), and g) in that during the movement along the not exactly rectangular coating paths, the application device is rotated about the stream axis in order to rotate the elongate spray pattern such that the desired path width (SB1, SB2, SB3) is achieved. a) moving an application device along a predetermined coating path over a component surface (9, 19) to be coated, b) applying a coating medium stream by means of the application device onto the component surface (9, 19), b1) wherein the coating medium stream is applied while the application device is moved over the component surface (9, 19) and b2) wherein the coating medium stream is not rotationally symmetrical relative to its stream axis and therefore generates on the component surface (9, 19) an elongate spray pattern with a particular longitudinal direction, b1) wherein the coating medium stream is applied while the application device is moved over the component surface (9, 19) and b2) wherein the coating medium stream is not rotationally symmetrical relative to its stream axis and therefore generates on the component surface (9, 19) an elongate spray pattern with a particular longitudinal direction, c) rotation of the application device about the stream axis relative to the coating path during the movement of the application device so that the angular position (α) of the longitudinal direction of the spray pattern changes along the coating path relative to the path transverse direction, d) the component surface (9, 19) to be coated as a whole is not exactly rectangular, e) in that the coating medium is applied along a plurality of mutually adjacently arranged coating paths on the component surface (9, 19), f) in that the individual coating paths are not exactly rectangular, in order to adapt to the non-rectangular component surface (9, 19), and g) in that during the movement along the not exactly rectangular coating paths, the application device is rotated about the stream axis in order to rotate the elongate spray pattern such that the desired path width (SB1, SB2, SB3) is achieved.