| Painting a plastic model kit is not easy and does | | | | 4. Take extreme care to avoid too much buildup of |
| require a bit of skills and tactics. In fact, a good or bad | | | | wet paint on the surface. When it happens, stop |
| paint job will determine the fate of the finished product. | | | | spraying and let it dry before proceeding. In the event |
| Beginners should make use of low cost or defective | | | | drips occur, immediately wipe them off with a tissue |
| model to practice their painting skill. Painting can be | | | | and spray over the area again before it becomes dry. |
| done either by spraying or using a brush. Spraying is | | | | 5. Use rounded artist brushes to hand paint small |
| easier and effective and takes a much shorter time to | | | | details. The consistency of the paint should be right to |
| get the job done as compare to using a brush. | | | | achieve a good result. To control the paint consistency, |
| Here is a brief guide to paint an armor model: | | | | always transfer it to a separate container or a piece |
| 1. Firstly, remove the tracks and the entire model | | | | of glass and test its quality on a piece of scrap |
| associated sub assemblies. Clean them in warm water | | | | material. In order to maintain the proper paint |
| and dish washing detergent. Next, leave the pieces | | | | consistency, add a drop of thinner when necessary. |
| aside to dry thoroughly. | | | | 6. Masking application: Let the painted surface has at |
| 2. Always shake the aerosol spray can thoroughly | | | | least 24 hours to set before you start applying |
| before spraying. Test the spray can on scrap | | | | masking tape to it, otherwise the tap may lift the paint. |
| cardboard to ensure the paint is completely mixed and | | | | During implementation, rub the masking tape edges |
| to determine the best working distance. | | | | down tightly to keep paint from creeping underneath. |
| 3. Aim and spray one side of the model by pressing | | | | As a beginner, you can use aerosol spray paints which |
| the button. Move the spray across the surface to | | | | will give good results, though not as good as an |
| deposit a thin, even coat. Use this method to cover the | | | | airbrush. Spray cans are convenient, but you do not |
| entire surface by spraying from different angles. It is | | | | have a wide variety of colors to choose from and you |
| recommended to apply several light coats rather then | | | | cannot control the amount of paint or pressure. When |
| heavy one. Repeat the process for the other side of | | | | you become more experienced and skillful, you can |
| the model. | | | | consider to invest in an airbrush system. |