newbie painting questions... how to go about it.

I just bought the Revell '05 Corvette C6 model kit and I have a couple of basic questions about how to paint it.

1. For this kit the hood is a separate piece, it's not pre-molded onto the body. I would like to spray paint the top of the hood the color of the body and the underside of the hood in flat black. I'm thinking the best way to do this would be to hand paint the underside flat black and then mask (with tape) the underside so I can spray paint the top side. Is this the best approach or should I paint the top side first and then try to hand paint the underside?

2. On the body there is a section between where the hood goes and the windshield goes. This is the area that has the windshield wipers molded. I would like to paint this section flat black. Should I paint this area first, then mask and spray the entire body?

3. What is the best type of tape to use for masking?

Thanks for any help....

A general rule of thumb is to paint the colours in order from lightest to darkest. Additionally, brush painting large areas results in uneven paint coverage, so try black spray paint instead.
For tape, try Tamiya's masking tape.

How well does the regular blue masking tape used for painting walls in a home work? Can this stuff be used for modeling.

Also if I spray the body of the car and go through the whole process of sanding, painting, waxing... etc to get a super shiny coat can I paint over that coat to do some detail work? Not sure if new paint will adhere to such a shiny final outer coat.

Do small pieces that I'm planning on hand painting need to be primed? Are there any guidelines for when to prime and when not to?

I've used Blue painters tape, sometimes it works great, and others not so much.

I think you can paint over a polished body as long as it dosen't have wax on it.

I never prime small pieces like engine blocks and the like.

How well does the regular blue masking tape used for painting walls in a home work? Can this stuff be used for modeling.

Also if I spray the body of the car and go through the whole process of sanding, painting, waxing... etc to get a super shiny coat can I paint over that coat to do some detail work? Not sure if new paint will adhere to such a shiny final outer coat.

Do small pieces that I'm planning on hand painting need to be primed? Are there any guidelines for when to prime and when not to?

How well does the regular blue masking tape used for painting walls in a home work? Can this stuff be used for modeling.

Tamiya tapes really are the best way to tape off areas to be painted. They are less likely to damage other painted areas.

There are some really good threads on painting and body prepping, you could do a search and really come up with some great ideas for exactly what you are looking to do.

Just my :2cents: