For most of my other model builds I paint the parts as I build the model. For this project I am going to paint all the parts ahead of time. It is a different way to do it. And I will point out some of the benefits and downfalls of doing it this way.

Let's paint the parts!

Let's take a look at the assembly instructions. Here is step 1. It shows a lot of information. And what we need right now is the letters. Each letter tells you what color to paint a part. So, in the upper left corner you can see that the pilots arm part number is 43. And we paint it two colors I and F. I is olive drab and F is flesh color.

The instructions have a key to show you what each letter represents in color.

If you don't have all the colors that is ok. You can substitute for something similar. For example I don't have the brass color (A) so I used gold which is similar to brass.

For the best results you should prime all the parts with a primer first. Let that primer dry then paint the colors on. I didn't do any priming for this build. I just went ahead and painted all the parts.

The skill of painting is just like any other skill. You will get better with practice. But I do have a couple of tips for you. First off it sometimes makes sense, and is easier, to paint on some colors before others. Secondly the quality of your tools and paints makes a big difference. Testors makes great paint specifically for plastic models , both in enamel and in acrylics.

If I can recommend one place to spend a little bit of money that would be on some quality brushes. A few very small and high quality paint brushes makes a big difference in how easy it is to paint and in the level of detail you can paint.

Okay, we have painted all the parts Let's begin building the model

Testors Camo Flat Enamel paint set

• Flat Black and Flat Sky Blue
• Flat Battle Gray and Flat Green
• Flat Brown and Flat Tan
• Flat White and Flat Sea Blue

Testors Aircraft Finishing Enamel Paint set

Virtuoso 15-Piece Fine Paintbrushes, Handmade Detail Paint Brush Set - For Acrylic, Watercolor, Oil - Includes Deluxe Carry-Case

Building and Detailing Model Aircraft (FineScale Modeler Books)

You will learn how to master construction and finishing of plastic model aircraft with basic skills such as assembling aligning, gluing, surface preparation, painting, and decaling. Then you will be able to add extra details and use more advanced techniques.