A good eye and a steady hand go a long way when painting your models, but patience is the key to turning out work of display quality. With adequate preparation, consistent painting technique and detailed finishing, your model will look sharp but still be rugged enough for play.
Prepping the Model
Wash the plastic parts of your model in soapy water to remove the oily film left from the plastic injection process; this film can interfere with paint adhering to the model's surface. Buff the surface with a fine grain sandpaper until the gloss is removed, providing a textured surface for the paint to stick to.
Apply a thin coat of primer to the parts with spray paint. Consider using a dark flat color, which will subtly show through the final paint for a shadow effect. Obtain a consistent spray job by turning a shoebox on its side and placing the model parts inside; spray the primer with an even sweeping motion. An added benefit of this technique is less mess at cleanup time.
Applying the paint
Mount parts on a clamped base for the stability you need for even paint application. Use tweezers to hold smaller pieces and prevent fingerprints. For years model painters have used a wide assortment of brushes, but the airbrush is becoming the tool of choice.
Besides being quick and easy, airbrushing produces an even tone unmarred by brush strokes. Use the airbrush primarily for large areas, keeping the tool about six inches from the model surface and applying the paint in steady even strokes. Apply in several light layers to avoid streaking.
To apply lines, move the airbrush to an inch or less away from the model; for even tighter lines, remove the tip of the airbrush cap.
If yo work with traditional brushes, follow the same basic techniques. Apply the paint with a light hand, keeping just the minimum amount of paint necessary on the brush. Better to brush on several light layers than a single heavy one that could obscure details.
Finishing Touches
Wash your models after the final colors have dried in a very thin paint in order to bring out detail and increased depth. Create a wash by diluting a dark paint: a mix of 10 percent paint and 90 percent thinner. Apply it to places that would naturally be shaded in the real world. For aircraft, shadows would fall on such areas as the corners of wings, antenna bases and airflow intakes. For model cars, shadowed spots may include the engine, trunk compartment and interior floor and wheel blocks. Along with bringing out shadows, a wash tends to make the model look more realistically aged.
Dry brushing is a finishing technique applied over detail parts, such as instrument panels, tires or faces. Place a tiny amount of paint on your brush then rub it with a paper towel. The brush should be nearly dry when you lightly pass it over the surface of your model. This technique leaves a light dusting of paint over raised areas, thus highlighting them.
When your model has dried completely, seal the paint job with a light layer of gloss or matte finish. With an airbrush, apply several layers of a thinned sealant. You can also use a spray paint version of sealant or, if you are careful about not leaving brushstrokes, use a paintbrush. The sealant should protect your model from dust and sun damage. It should also make the model durable enough to use in game play.
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