This tip was inspired by a commission by a friend who wanted a prop designed after a characters weapon. The prop is a simple gun, not much detail and basically no moving parts, the only problem is that I have yet to obtain a good front view of the weapon. Usually to make an accurate replica of anything you need at least a front, side, top, and bottom view, which you can then use to make a 3D model or accurate measurements for the replica. Most times you can usually find a good piece of concept art or footage of the prop, giving you a good look at the weapon and allowing you to estimate the proper look for it. This particular gun is from a video game so I think ill start shifting through game footage for good views of the gun, i hoping for a good front view of the gun which i can then use to plan out the final design.

-Mike

sometimes kits wont come with exact instructions for painting, most do come with color suggestions and some even come with the exact paint they want you to use. You can usually use the box art to obtain the correct paints and if the model is popular you can find sites where they list the paints that they used for it.

-Mike

Don't be put off by the age ratings of models, there mainly there to suggest the age at which you should try and tackle the model, not how old you have to be to have fun putting it together. Most pre painted snap together models have the same level of detail as their more complicated, and more expensive, counterparts. They can be easily assembled in a short amount of time and are a great way to try your hand at model building or spend an afternoon with the kids. I find that most sci fi models come as snap kits, this is great if you want to hang a few Klingon war birds around the house or use them as a special effect in a movie without spending alot of money. these are the kits that most people enjoy getting at chirstmas beceasue they dont need alot of prep time or the added cost of paint supplies. Mostly i find these models satisfying to build becuase you see the end result quicker and lets face it, sometimes I'm just to lazy spend 6 hours getting that perfect gritty look on the aft section of an imperial star destroyer. 

-Mike

Remember that even though you buy an model for cheap, and I'm talking about $20 or $30, the paint for that model may cost upwards of $40 for even a simplistic model. Some model are simplistic snap kits where they are pre-painted and only need to be assembled, possibly requiring some glue for smaller parts. You can order model paints from testors, I use acrylic paints because they look better in my opinion and they have a quicker  dry time which allow you to get more work done.

-Mike