Hambone, those look great.

I need to take pics tonight of the ones Ive done. I have so many I bought and havent finished though h:
Now that winter is here I may just do that.

Tamiya does make some really great kits, but they cost a lot. You can always start out with a cheapish model from Walmart or something and practice some painting/cosmetic tricks on it before fudging up an expensive kit.
If doing a large multicolored piece (like an airplane wing or something), do the lighter color first.
Use a good quality spray, if you get the crap kind it will sometimes come out of the nozzle uneven. Go airbrush if you can...
When spraying, do several light coats - figured most people know this already, but you never know.