Starting with and painting vinyl/resin kits...

So I want to start doing more paint-required type models and kits, probably vinyl and resin GKs, but I have little experience in model painting.

I have used paintmarkers before to detail a few models, but never extensively or on the entire body of a model, just for parts. I have had both good and bad results with them... then again, the one I once used may have been old, but the paint coat turned out a bit more dimensional than I'd have liked.
(examples: http://www.dickblick.com/paint/markers/ )

Again, hand/brush painting seems it would also give too much texture to the surface of what should appear smooth. My only real hand-painting exp. with models was doing a bunch of plaster statues as a kid using paints and dry brush.

Then there's the airbrush option. From what I've looked into, it seems a decently-rated/reviewed aribrush, not including compressor, is kinda expensive for me. I'd love to "try before I buy" but as there are no hobby shops in my area (and hardly any in my state anymore!) it doesn't seem an option.

As to paints themselves, the Tamiya line of colors and finishes seems nice, and lots of models refer to those color palette numbers. Would those come out chunky/thick if hand painted onto a surface?
I've never used thinner, so I'd need to learn that too.

TL;DR version:
So yeah, some general tips about starting painting would be great. I don't want to splurge on it yet though, as I haven't really tried my hand at it in the most literal sense, and am not sure I want to invest in the most high-end stuff.
And if you've ever done a vinyl kit before.

I am by no means an expert modeler but I think I can pitch in. In painting I use a combination of industrial and hobby grade spray paints, I also use markers or resort to hand brushing when masking proves to be difficult or if the part to be painted is so small. Using spray cans for me is much easier compared to doing it by hand because IMO it's way easier to attain a uniform coat by using spray cans than by manually doing it by hand not to mention that you can cover a lot of ground in a short time too.

However you can't just be sloppy in spraying, you need to be careful with your distance and you need just as much patience in hand painting.

When hand painting there are thinners and levelers that you can use to attain a uniform or smooth finish and will also reduce visible brush strokes. The type of brush you use will also affect your work as well. I am not too keen on this since I use spray cans most of the time. But I know a lot of fellow modelers who have god hands when it comes to hand painting!

Also it's very advisable when painting plastic models to sand the parts first and apply primer. You do this so that the colors you will use will stick to the model and be at least be more durable.

You can view a sample of my work in my sig too. I hope I helped ^_^

Tamiya is one of the best... but the primer is almost impossible to find in stores or on the net... just got my HGUC 144th Ewac Zack in today ill be buying my tamiya spray paint in about an hour... ill post pic up when im finished...

Nice! Spray paint seems the way to go... but is it available in colors besides just the Gundam primaries?

And sanding... hmmm. I am guessing with a very fine grade, right? Or else you ruin the model, no? ;3;

^Yes of course Spray cans come in a lot of varieties ^_^ Though of course your options are limitless when you can mix colors yourself, that's one of the disadvantages of using spray cans.

And you're right about the sandpaper, use a fine grit so as not to ruin panel lines or other details.

For colors I would rather apply by marker, would paints work in this type of a pen? Apparently it's refillable... I spotted it in a catalog I saw at my internship.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/montana-empty-markers-and-fluid-ink/

And if so, would it likely be reusable/cleanable? :\

^Ah you mean you're gonna put paint in a refillable pen canister? That's rather innovative but I think you'll have a harder time achieving a uniform finish by doing that than with a paint brush...Not to mention that's it gonna be hell cleaning those pen canisters, whereas with a paint brush you can just dip and clean it with water...

Hmm, ok. I just always found brushes a little too... brushy. At least with my only experience with painting on cardpaper with acrylics in high school.
Then again, I don't think we thinned them... lol

^Well yeah good luck with that you're the only one who can discover your own true path ^_^ Just search more on hobby sites all around the net and you can learn a lot and eventually you can find a method that you can work with, you don't need to rush these kinds of things.

This is one of those times that you can truly gain learning experiences from your mistakes.

I read topics and posts for Gunpla and it seems pretty interesting. So I decided to order some from HLJ during their gundam sale. Now I read that painting and ink lining are a must so I decided to order some modeling supplies. Now I just want to know if its better to buy spray paints from Mr. Color, Tamiya, or just buy an airbrush like this one : Airbrush?
Any opinion is appreciated.

For a gundam, most of their colors come in Tamiya sprays I think.

Airbrush seems more for paints custom mixed, hard to find as spray, or something like that... I wouldn't splurge on that airbrush just for a sale Gundam @_@

Well I bought like 2 FG, 4 Hg, 2 MG and well paint. I want to test out how to ink line and airbrush using the Fg ones.

Ahh. Well, if you have the funds, go for it! I've been looking at Amazon too, but make sure to check the reviews for the product... or show search results by bestselling. There are some cheap to mid range ones on there that are apparently crappy :(

Yeah i checked the reviews for the airbrush i posted and someone said they use it for their modeling kits. So i guess it should work.... Ok confirming amazon order now...?

;3;' It's up to you, pal! I have not much knowledge of this stuff yet...

So I'm thinking of getting either one or both of these kits:


Noriko from Gunbuster


Rei and Penpen

Some questions for all the painter pros out there:

Would Tamiya have sprays in those colors? They seem quite basic.
And should I want to do detail work, can spray paint be simply sprayed in a jar and mixed with a brush by hand? That would save me some cash ;;

Also, would mixed/jar-kept paints keep moist?
I imagine I'd have to work on the kits in short bits and if the custom color dried up it'd be a pain to match it again.

And what's a good primer for a vinyl kit? Preferably something I could get via Amazon.

Lastly, anyone have any good links to video tutorials on kit painting techniques? It's been years since I painted a kit of any type.

So far, these are the items I've found that I think I'll need. I'm going to go the spray-major-base-color, then hand-paint route I think.
List of paints and kits

Yes Tamiya sprays come in varieties of colors, they may not come in the exact shade that you want, but chances are that they can come close. Also you can spray the paint in the jar and mix them up then use a brush for application, however in my experience paints sprayed in jars dry up quickly (the industrial ones at least).

Also if you're gonna tackle on flesh it is advised that you use chalk pastels or anything of the sort (tamiya has a "make up Kit" or a weathering kit which helps in flesh tones down to battle damage)

And yes, just like I mentioned earlier if masking doesn't cut it use a brush then!

Hmmm. Sounds like I better go with jar paints in that case. As to primer, what brand would be good? Amazon has Mr Surfacer, which seems nice.

^Industrial grade primer is actually good enough and cheap too, I use that all the time and yeah, get Plastic primers if you can. You can look for them in hardware stores. Here in my part of the globe Bosny primers are easily accessible and are very cheap, and are roughly 2 USD a can.

Well since you have access to Mr. Surfacer then that's a very viable option too.