How to Paint Model Kits — Beginner's Guide

Learning how to paint model kits is one of the most rewarding parts of the hobby — and one of the most intimidating. Your first look at a sprue of unpainted grey plastic, a palette of colours, and a pile of brushes can feel overwhelming. But here's the truth: good painting isn't about talent, it's about understanding a handful of simple techniques and doing them in the right order. This guide will walk you through everything from the tools you need to the finishing techniques that make a model look truly special.

What You'll Need to Get Started

Before you touch a brush to plastic, you need the right kit. Don't skip this step — the wrong tools make everything harder.

Brushes

You don't need dozens of brushes. Start with three: a size 1 for basecoating larger areas, a size 0 for detail work, and a drybrush (a stiff, flat-headed brush) for weathering effects. Cheap brushes will frustrate you — invest in a decent mid-range set. Citadel (Games Workshop), Army Painter, and Artis Opus all make excellent hobby brushes.

Synthetic brushes are fine for beginners. Take care of them — always rinse in water between colours, never let paint dry in the ferrule, and reshape the tip after washing.

Airbrush (Optional but Worth It)

An airbrush isn't essential for beginners, but it opens up a huge range of techniques — smooth basecoats, zenithal priming, gradients, and weathering effects that are nearly impossible with a brush. A basic dual-action airbrush like the Iwata Neo or Harder & Steenbeck Infinity paired with a small compressor is a solid starter setup. If you get serious about scale modelling, it's the single biggest upgrade you can make.

Painting Surface & Holder

Holding a model in your bare hand transfers oils and makes painting awkward. Use a handle — even a wine cork with blu-tack works — or invest in a proper painting handle like the Citadel Painting Handle or the Army Painter equivalent. A wet palette keeps your acrylic paints workable for much longer; highly recommended.

Find our full range of model making tools and accessories here.

Primer: The Most Important Step You Can't Skip

Primer is the foundation of every good paint job. Without it, paint beads off smooth plastic and chips at the slightest knock. With it, paint adheres properly, colours stay true, and the finish lasts.

There are three main primer types:

• Grey primer — the safe all-rounder. Works under any colour scheme.
• Black primer — great for dark schemes and for techniques like drybrushing where you want the recesses to remain dark naturally.
• White primer — best for bright colours (yellows, oranges) that struggle to cover over grey or black.

For spray primer, Tamiya Fine Surface Primer (available in grey, white, and light grey) is exceptional — fine enough not to obscure detail. Vallejo Surface Primer is excellent for airbrushing. For rattlecans, Citadel Colour primer sprays are convenient and reliable.

Apply primer in thin, even coats in a warm, dry environment. Two thin coats are better than one thick one. Let it cure for at least an hour before painting.

Acrylics vs Enamels vs Lacquers — Which Paint Should You Use?

This is the question every beginner asks, and the answer isn't as complicated as it seems.

Acrylic Paints (Recommended for Beginners)

Acrylics are water-based, dry quickly, clean up with water, and are safe to use indoors without special ventilation. They're the go-to choice for the vast majority of hobbyists today. Top brands include:

• Vallejo Model Color / Game Color — superb quality, huge range, dropper bottles mean no waste. Our personal favourite for detail work.
• Tamiya Acrylics — excellent for panel-line modelling, great with an airbrush, especially good for Japanese and WWII subjects.
• AK Interactive — premium range with a focus on realistic weathering effects. Their Real Colors line is outstanding for military and aircraft modelling.
• Humbrol Acrylics — traditional British brand, great range of RAF and RN colours, widely available.
• Citadel Colour — optimised for miniature painting (Warhammer etc.), excellent contrast paints for speed painting.

Browse our full model paint range here — we stock Vallejo, Tamiya, AK Interactive, Humbrol, and more.

Enamel Paints

Enamels dry slowly, which is actually an advantage for certain techniques. They blend beautifully for smooth finishes and are excellent for panel line washes — the slow drying time lets you clean up excess with white spirit, leaving crisp lines in recesses. Humbrol Enamel has been a British modelling staple for decades. The downside: you need white spirit or enamel thinner for cleanup, and they need proper ventilation.

Many experienced modellers use acrylics for basecoating and enamels for weathering on top of a varnish barrier. This gives the best of both worlds.

Lacquer Paints

Lacquers (like Tamiya Lacquer or Mr. Color) produce incredibly durable, smooth finishes — perfect for automotive models or anything that needs a deep gloss. They're solvent-based and need good ventilation and a proper respirator. Not recommended for beginners, but worth knowing about.

Core Painting Techniques Every Beginner Should Learn

1. Thin Your Paints

This is the most repeated advice in model painting and it's repeated because it's true. Thick paint obscures detail, runs into recesses, and looks rough. Add a small amount of water (for acrylics) or thinner until paint flows like semi-skimmed milk. Multiple thin coats build up coverage without losing detail. If your first coat looks slightly transparent, that's fine — the second coat will cover it.

2. Basecoating

The basecoat is your first full-coverage colour layer. Apply it thinly and evenly. Don't worry about perfect coverage on the first pass — work up to it. The goal is a smooth, consistent colour with no brush strokes.

3. Washing / Shading

A wash is a very thin, dark paint that flows into recesses and adds instant depth and shadow to your model. It's one of the most satisfying techniques in model painting — a single step that transforms a flat basecoat into something that looks genuinely three-dimensional.

Apply a wash (Vallejo Game Wash, Citadel Shade, or AK Interactive Panel Line Wash) over your dried basecoat. Let it settle into the crevices, wipe away any excess from flat surfaces with a damp brush. Then allow to dry completely before moving on.

4. Drybrushing

Drybrushing is the easiest way to add highlights and bring out raised details. Load a stiff brush with a small amount of paint (lighter than your basecoat), then wipe almost all of it off on a tissue until the brush is nearly dry. Lightly flick and drag this over raised surfaces — edges, rivets, texture. The tiny amount of remaining paint catches on the high points, creating an instant highlight effect.

Perfect for model railway scenery, rusted metal effects on tanks, fur on fantasy miniatures, and stonework.

5. Edge Highlighting

More controlled than drybrushing — edge highlighting means carefully painting a thin line of lighter colour along the very edge of a surface. Primarily used in miniature painting (Warhammer, etc.), it creates a clean, cartoonish style with strong visual contrast. Use a fine detail brush and a slightly watered-down highlight colour.

6. Masking

For crisp, clean demarcation lines — like a two-tone aircraft camouflage or a white panel stripe on a car — masking tape is essential. Tamiya Masking Tape is the gold standard: it sticks well enough to prevent bleeding but lifts cleanly without pulling up paint beneath. Mask, paint, allow to dry, then carefully peel the tape away. Always pull at a low angle and go slowly.

Varnishing: Protect Your Work

Once you're happy with the paint job, seal it with a varnish. Varnish protects against chips and handling wear, and also ties the whole finish together.

• Gloss varnish — creates a shiny finish; ideal for vehicles, ships, anything that should look polished. Also provides the best protection and the ideal base for decals (prevents silvering).
• Matte varnish — flat finish for military vehicles, figures, anything that should look realistic and non-reflective.
• Satin varnish — a mid-point; great for skin tones, leather, and certain weathered looks.

Apply varnish in thin coats from a sensible distance. Never varnish in cold or damp conditions — you risk "frosting" (a white milky cloudiness) that can ruin a paint job.

Recommended Starter Paints by Brand

If you're buying your first paints, here's where to start:

• Vallejo Model Color Starter Set — 16 essential colours, all excellent quality. Great all-rounder.
• Tamiya Basic Acrylic Set — 10 colours including the essentials, ideal if you're building Tamiya kits.
• AK Interactive Starter Sets — themed sets for WWII armour, aircraft, figures. Very good quality.
• Humbrol Starter Tins — traditional enamel or acrylic, British colours well represented.

Shop Vallejo paints, Tamiya paints, and AK Interactive at Access Models.

Common Beginner Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

• Skipping primer — don't. Just don't.
• Paint too thick — thin it. When in doubt, thinner.
• Rushing drying time — patience. Let each layer fully dry before the next.
• Too many colours at once — start simple. Three or four colours done well beats ten done badly.
• Ignoring the reference — look at photos of the real thing (or the box art). Colour placement matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What paints should I use for model kits as a beginner?

Acrylic paints are the best choice for beginners. Brands like Vallejo, Tamiya, and Humbrol offer excellent starter sets. Acrylics are water-based, quick-drying, and safe to use indoors without special ventilation.

Do I need to prime a model kit before painting?

Yes, priming is essential. Primer helps paint adhere properly to plastic, improves colour accuracy, and prevents chipping. Tamiya Fine Surface Primer or Vallejo Surface Primer are both excellent choices.

What is the best technique for painting model kits?

The core technique for beginners is thin coats — always thin your paint and build up coverage gradually. Add a wash/shade after basecoating for instant depth, then use drybrushing for quick highlights. These three steps alone will produce great results.

Do I need an airbrush to paint model kits?

No — you can achieve excellent results with just a brush. That said, an airbrush speeds up basecoating, produces smoother finishes, and unlocks advanced techniques. It's worth considering once you've got the basics down.

What varnish should I use on a finished model?

Use matte varnish for realistic military or nature subjects, gloss varnish for vehicles or anything shiny, and satin for a middle ground. Always apply in thin coats in warm, dry conditions.

Ready to get started? Browse our complete model paint collection and modelling tools at Access Models — everything you need, delivered fast across the UK.

If you want to take your builds further, our diorama making guide covers everything you need to create realistic scenes — from groundwork and scenery to lighting and weathering.