Well, first off i'll get the hello's out of the way. Hello.

I'm a first time modeller and I decided to jump into it for something to do when I have spare time. (which I seem to have more of lately)

I was recently on vacation and took a tour through a local aviation museum because i'm fairly interested in flying.

I picked up a Revell/Monogram P-40B Tiger Shark and took it home. I was quite excited to be able to create this model. I've always been fascinated by old era fighters and I couldn't wait to get it together.

I also picked up a Testors Enamel kit that included a dozen or so flat paints, a blade, glues and brushes. I seprately purchased some better quality camel hair brushes, some more paints and some paint on masking.

I ended up putting the whole thing together on a day off and it looks okay. Nothing like the quality I see here. I started looking at some tips and techniques and realized there was more to it than glue together, paint and enjoy.

Now i'm sure all hope is lost on actually making it look good because now it's all painted and decaled.

I dont know anything about sanding, scribing, filling or anything else actually. I plan to buy an airbrush as well. Are there any recommended articles that I can learn from for my next attempt?

Sorry it's so long. It's a great hobby and deserves time well spent.

Hi and welcome to the site! I suggest you first familiarize yourself with modeling basics before venturing out into an AB. Check out the feature articles here. They can be very helpful.

Sounds like you did fine to me. We are all learning every time we build something. I think the big thing I have learned is patience. ( That might be procrastination, I don't know for sure. At least I don't want to admit that's what it is)

Have fun and build some more. Post some photos and welcome to Armorama.

Hi Nokinja, welcome aboard the best modeling site on the net.

For hints and tips check out the "Features" pages, I learned more from them in the short time I've been a member, than from years of reading modeling books and magazines.

Hi Nokinja

Welcome aboard! It's great to have you with us!

The others have offered good advice - check out the feature article and be patient. Don't expect instant perfection and don't try to tackle everything at once, because it could discourage you.

The main thing is to have fun and tackle the basics first. Every kit presents its own challenges and you'll never stop learning... that's part of the beauty of this hobby.

All the best

Rowan

Welcome to Modeling.
Ditto to what evrybody is saying here.
Just take your time and before you know it you will owe the bank your House and first born for that new Tamyia Kit.
Good Luck!

Welcome Nokinja. You'll find the more you visit this site the better it gets. There are alot of fine model builders here who are willing to help. That is the great thing about this site. I have to agree with the other guys about being patient. If you find yourself getting frustrated during a build session just walk away from it and go about it the next day. The more you take your time the better your project will turn out. Rowan gave some great advice, start with the basics first and by all means have FUN. Looking forward to seeing some of your work, Wingman out.

Stick to walmart! thats what i did when i first started out id fall on my but and cry if i would of messed up a 70 dollar kit lol.

if you want to start AB id sugest walmarts aztek kit with the paint tray and everything, does a fairly good job and its worth the price since you most lickely will buy something much better eventualy... make sure its clean after EVERY use, it has ot be like new after every use or else you'll start having problems.

then if you realy enjoy the hobby, go to a hobby store and pick out some other kits and PE sets, putty, masking tape, watever you might need

Good luck in the world of glue and plastic
Frank

and remember, we were all beginers at one point, say, i still am

Welcome to the best site on the web!
We were all beginners once, son, so never let that stop you from enjoying the hobby, I've been building for most of my life, and yep, I am an old man, and still continue to learn something here all the time.
If you are just starting out, I suggest just sticking with some good old fashion out of the box modelling, developing your skills at the basics.
Pick up the good old basic cheap kits at Wally world or the like and practice. Most of this hobby is practice and learning from our mistakes and the mistakes of others. One of the reasons this is such a great site is here we actually do show not only our show stoppers, but also out mess-ups.
I can honestly tell you that here we have some of the greatest modellers on good old mother earth willing, able and happy to help you.

It can't be any more expensive to do this than to maintain my aquarium. lol... I'm breaking that down for a less stress hobby. Tired of water changes and the like. I'd rather get covered in paint and then glue my fingers together. That's my idea of fun.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Hi welcome to this wonderful site :-)
I sometimes wish I could go back to putting a model together in one day :-) In some ways I envy you, I certainly wish there had been a place like this when I first started out. Thing to remember is to have fun, you will aquire the skills you need through practice and asking for help, here. I agree that it's a good idea to buy cheap kits to prctice on, we all have disasters. Much better to have a disaster on a cheap kit than an expensive one. An airbrush is a very good tool to have, but it can take a long time to master. Another good reason for starting with cheap kits.
Looking forward to seeing your progress, don't forget, if you need any help just shout
Mal