What's a good method for painting model cars?

Question

I used to build model cars when I was a kid, and they would usually turn out looking like crap. So instead of displaying the finished product, I would just end up destroying them with firecrackers (which was fun at the time). Does anyone know how to get them to look like the examples shown on the boxes?

Additionally, what are some tips on two-tone painting?

Answer 1

Like someone else said an airbrush will give you a good finish however you can do as good a job with spray paints.
Here are a couple of tips
Wash and dry the model parts before painting. This will give you better paint adhesion.
Paint small parts while still on the trees.
A bent coat hanger is a great way to mount a body while it's being painted.
When using spray paint, alway start spraying and then sweep past the the model 10-12 inches away. Keep moving.
Remember, you'll never get the whole model with one coat, always plan on 2-3 coats.
If you start to run out of paint, get a new can, faltering cans can ruin a paint job. A full can of spray paint should easily cover a 1/24 scale model car.
Paint drying times will vary according to temperature and humidity so keep that in mind and give the paint plenty of time, over night is a good rule of thumb.
If you want to do two tone spray the lightest color first and let it dry, really dry like 24 hours or more. Use masking tape or frisket paper to tape the area you dont want to get the next color on. When youre satisfied with the tape job check it again, paint has a way of finding the untaped areas.
Apply the next color, using light coats. Make several passes. Paint will sometimes try to get under the tape so if you spray angled away from the tape you can reduce the risk of this happening.
After the second color has dried inspect the model and make sure that the paint job is the way you want it. Make sure the paint has completely dried. Now you can remove the tape.
If the line where the two colors meet is uneven there are a couple of tricks you can do like adding a stripe or decal over the seam.
If you want to try fading one color into the next, again start with the lighter color then instead of taping, use a plastic bag to cover the area of you dont want the darker color on but roll the bag up so that its not covering the fade area. Then apply the paint. The bag will stop some of the overspray and cause a fade effect. Practice before trying this on a model.
When you have finished painting and applied the decals seal the whole model with a gloss coat, this will kill the decal film.
Good luck and hope this helps.

Answer 2

When you are done painting, just wipe the excess paint from your brush with a paper towel. The best way to wipe it is to wrap the paper towel around the ferrule (metal bit) using your fingers, squeeze and pull the brush towards you. This will absorb the maximum amount of paint still left in the brush. After that, just dip the brush in the jar of paint thinner as you have done before however this time, you will notice less paint coming out of the brush and into the thinner so your cleaning jar will last a little longer.

Answer 3

Same fun I had. An airbrush is the only way to go without leaving all the brush marks in the finish. Also, i'm still trying to find a meal the same as the example on the menu.

Answer 4

Use the correct paint and apply in even layers. I used to paint models as a kid and they turned out pretty good with a little preparation and caution.