Paints???

Thanks for all of the replies and advice! I really appreciate it!

Taking photos never hurts either because you'll see spots you missed that you'd never notice otherwise.

I use tamiya, (those that come in small bottles) but I also use those cheap acrylic paints that I buy on a bookstore near our place. the store that sells tamiya is so far from our place so I tend to use the "generic" acrylic paints more often. the brand is SEMCO, it costs half the price compared to tamiya and its double the size of the tamiya bottle.

well, I think acrylic is acrylic and any brand will do. just like in medicines, the generic works well just like the branded ones coz their ingredients are (almost) the same. you just have to figure out how to work with that particular brand of paint. I don't use thinners or alcohols in thinning down my paints, I just use water and it works well.

just thin down the paint, use a fine bristle brush, apply it one thin layer at a time, let it dry completely, 5-10 mins is ok, but I sometimes let it dry for hours, or even overnight (if I get lazy. hehe!) before applying the next coating.

I use tamiya acrylics exclusively on everything I do. you can get it form hobby chain stores like hobby people for $3-4 a jar. use 90% alcohol for thinning it out. I use it because it mixes and blends well, also applies smoothly. clean up is with regular water. hope this helps.

Personally I use Games Workshop paints but there are others, try taking a picture of your custom and see how the paint looks then as I've found it often looks better on pictures. You could also try sealing the paint as this often smooths out the paint. Hope this helps a bit. Oh and welcome to the realm MissBigMac!!