Tip #1 - PAINT

So I use a lot of different paints when working on my little projects.
And not just lots of different colors, but lots of different types....

From this picture of my little side table, you can see Testor's enamels, some Model Master lacquers, there are even some big bottles of craft acrylics an even some fingernail polish bottles there in the middle.
The variety allows me lots of different colors and finishes, but also creates some small headaches.

Certain paint types just don't get along, and certain paints also don't like certain materials.
So you have to be a little extra careful.

Some types of paints have a "hot" solvent base and can eat plastics. Others simply won't stick without the proper base coat.

So I guess sub-tip #1 is to know your paints, and where and when to use them.
This is also important when it comes to cleaning brushes.

Some paints clean up with water. Some require paint thinner or mineral spirits. Some require alcohol (not that kind!) to clean the brushes thouroughly.


Next is the spray paints, and again variety is a good thing here.

This shelf is mostly Testors, or Model Master model car spray cans, (also called rattle cans).
These work great, have wonderful spray nozzles (as long as you keep them clean), and usually lay down a great coat of paint. I also like them, as they come in a wide variety of manufacturer colors.
Sometimes you just need Gaurds Red for that Porsche, or Citrus Green for that Chevy you are working on.

I also use larger cans of automotive paints.

You can see the Duplicolor cans on the right of this shelf.
And again these work great for matching real cars paint, but the metallic flecks are often sized 1:1 for a real car. So something with a heavy flake, may look too large and out of scale on a small model.

I also like these because there are a WIDE variety of silvers.
Sometimes when you're detailing an engine or suspension having a couple of different colors of silver will help make it look like a lot of little parts put together, as opposed to 1 molded piece that is simply painted silver.

Here's a good example. While not entirely factory correct, there are at least 3 different colors of silver here. The exhaust is a bright aluminum silver. The gas tank is more of just a plaint dull silver while the rear leaf springs have a little bit of a brown tint to them of a steel color.

Looks much better to me than just painting the whole thing silver and calling it a day.