Painting

Above all, Nick, you'll need to prime your model before you spray the definitive colour on your model. Try to find a primer (i'd suggest a white primer, to allow your red (I suppose!) to be brighter) from the same color manufacturer, to avoid paint reaction. If you can't, maybe go to your nearest automotive shop and see what they offer. Acrylic primer will be fine. Should be fine... test on a piece of sprue to make sure! Cellulose will certainly attack your plastic (cellulose paints would require a different kind of paint/primer before to prevent them to attack the plastic). For a super shiny look, you might also need to spray some gloss varnish (possibly from the same paint manufacturer again), and possibly have to buff the paint with, in my case, turtle wax (but there are many other products that will do the job). When the paint is well cured (i.e. several days after you painted), dilute a bit of black with some thinner (enamel + white spirit; acrylic + isopropyl alcohol;...) and apply the 'wash' with a very fine brush into the recesses, such as between the doors and the body,... Let the capilary action do most of the work for you: with a little 'push' here and there, the wash should follow the engraved lines rather fast. If it does not, add more thinner to your mix.

For the inside, it's really up to you. If my model has black inside, I'll spray a black primer all over, then use drybrushing techniques to get details to 'come out'. A bit of 'forehead grease' collected from your forehead with a soft flat brush, then smeared over the bits that should look leathery will gove you the look you want. A bit 'gross' but cheap and effective! I paint the underbody in that same black primer. A bitof drybrushing helps getting some definition, but very few will actually see it, so I'm not really spending much time there!

To help prevent runs and thick spots when spraying move the spray can with an even motion and start spraying BEFORE you get to the body (or other part) and don't stop until you have gone past the part. If you stop moving tha spray can and then let off the valve paint will build up allowing runs.

It's a little thing but it might save a paint job...

Don't remember exactly how it was explained to me but before you start to paint your kit with a fresh can of paint (or anytime you've shaken it up to mix) spray a little before you apply it to the kit. Sometimes the first bit of spray out of the nozzle won't be atomized and you'll get some big drops that will run or show through. It happened to me.

Like Claymore68 said, start and stop spraying beyond your model and keep your can or airbrush the same distance from it, don't move in an arc. Forgive me for repeating that but that's one thing I have had a hard time getting my son to do.

If you look to your left under *Browse by subject*, go to the Techniques topic. There are some .pdf files you can download that may help. I haven't looked to see if it's in this section yet or not but the April or May issue of FSM has an article on *Scale Shine* that gives some good tips on painting.

Wash the parts while they are on the sprues.

Do this...

fill up a sink with warm water and some dish liquid.. make it sudsey.

Dip your parts in the suds and rub your finger across any of the parts you can... let them air dry overnight.

That will take off any residue left over from the plant and help your paint/primer stick to it.

have a look in the 'auto' forum section and look for the one labeled "Nice '63 Corvette". it was on the second page when i just had a look at it.
mbie has used an airbrush to paint his models so if you ignore the paint thinning and just read the actual technique he has used to paint the model you won't go wrong :)
i prefer to wash the model in a white spirit instead of using washing liquid. you can paint just about straight away after washing and shouldn't have to worry about the crevaces trapping water and surpizing you when you start painting.
set up a piece of paper on a vertical survace and practice moving the can in fluid even strokes accross the paper (try a piece of paper with a bit of gloss to it ie butches paper). on one piece try varying the distance of the can from the paper. you will note that up close the paint will run but too far away it will appear dusty. you want the paint to be applyed just so it doesn' run this it what is refered to as 'wet'.
on another piece try coating the whole surface evenly. start from the top and work your way down. remeber that you are better to more strokes of the can and get a better finish than rather trying to do a one coat wonder. once finish look at the paper up close at different angles. if you have done it properly the paint should be evenly covered and have an even gloss to it. with a bit of practice you will soon learn what distance, can speed and nozel compression you will need to get the 'good finishes'. waste one or two cans practicing. in the long run it will be worth it, rather than producing models that you are unsatisfied with.
when finish spraying hold the spray can upside down and press the nozel. you will see the spray change color. this helps the nozel keep clean. (i think on the side of the canit usually tells you to do this.)
when you have mastered the spray can, you might want to invest in a airbrush. for short term modelling they are a bit expensive but for the serious / semi serious it will save money in paints and also usually give you better control of paint aplication. but stick with the cans for the first few models. they will give you the basic skills of spraypainting.
the best way is to learn i think is have someone show you (practice will do it to, but you are better off learning from other's mistakes. and rember you always have us at the forum to talk to :) ). a panel beater will also be able to help you and tell you how to get a good finish. my airbrushing skills have doubled since i learnt how to spraypaint on a large scale.
magor

Something I was always told to do is warm the paint can up by sitting it in a container of warm water for a few minutes beofre hand, this will make the paint flow better. Don't make it too hot, warm enough so you can put your hand comfortably in the water is about right.

When you ask an experienced modeler how to paint, he or she, will often say prime, sand, prime,sand, prime, sand. What is the purpose of so many primings and sandings?

If you are looking for a smooth, deep coat, there is no better way to get it than alternating between priming and sanding, as well as spraying thin coats of the color. By doing this, you get rid of tiny imperfections in the coat of paint, as well as imperfections in the plastic itself. Try it out and see. After 4 or 5 coats of paint, the model gives off a nice luster, and with a coat of wax, (especially for autos) makes the surface glow. It's also a good way to get rid of runs in the paint, if unfortunate enough for this to happen. (Admit it, we've all had it happen!)

demono69