For all models its important to use an undercoat/primer (see painting undercoats) this goods a good surface for paints, and gives good life/handling to the colours applied.

Top coat paint manufacturers all produce similar types of paints with similar properties in use. I have been brought up to use Humbrol on Revel paints and get on well with these they are cheap and easy to get hold of, all can be mixed together to give different coulors hues to give life to your models.

Humbrol (Revel) come in small tinlets and come in matt, Satin and gloss.

I almost always use matt paints as it is easy to gloss up to satin or gloss using a satin or gloss modelling varnish (i use rowney). I always think models look better in matt and 'satin' things like cars or vehicles especially if I am doing a showroom where shiney cars are the norm. Gloss often looks too shiney on models, so I use sparingly.

The little tinlets come in a multitude of colours but I often use other colours to mix on a small palete to change the hue. For example Cricket figures are in whites but often between people the hue of white will vary.......so a little green or a little blue, cream gives life to different parts of  figures and looks more natural to the eye, than just plain white.

See our humbrol paints in the Glues, Solder and Paints Section