First Build - Painting Question

[mcvickj]

Greetings all.  I have been lurking for a while and admiring some amazing stuff.  I am going to be attempting my first build and I have some questions on painting.  Do you just brush paint the small pieces during assembly?  Do I have to prime the pieces first?  Or do most people just typically prime the body only?  I would love to get an air brush down the road but for now it will most likely be a rattle can when it comes time to paint the body.  I want to get a few builds under my belt before investing to heavily in the hobby.

[Jantrix]

Personally, I rattle can EVERYTHING. It just looks smoother. Brush paints are for detailing only or for those odd colors like orange for an oil filter. If parts are going to be flat black or silver, I generally don't prime. Others will tell you to prime everything. Primer is the acid test on whether or not you have successfully cleaned up the part. Mold lines other flaws will stand out like a sore thumb, so it's not a bad idea.

For the body I recommend Testors One Coat Lacquers and Model Master lacquers.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I prime almost everything depending on certain circumstances, & I brush paint only areas where spraying paint would be too difficult.

 

Steve