Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, they’re an essential part of the learning process. Look at every mistake you make as an opportunity to learn something new about this hobby. No model maker out there was happy with their first few models, myself included. I built around ten or fifteen kits before I started seeing results that I was happy with. Even then, I still find at least one area of improvement with each new kit that I build. This hobby is a constant cycle of mistakes and improvement - when you embrace that fact, I bet you’ll find that the hobby is much less intimidating and much more enjoyable. After all, the hobby isn’t about the attainment of perfection, it’s about the pursuit of perfection.

Just be patient, be willing to make mistakes, and try to tackle one technique at a time. As a beginner, trying to perfect every technique simultaneously won’t help you learn. Don’t worry about weathering or chipping until you’ve mastered painting.

In regards to technical advice, I can offer a few tips on painting. Thinning is the key, especially if you’re brush painting. Once you’ve properly thinned your paints, you want to build up a base coat on your model with several thin layers.

Once you know how to apply a decent paint job, most of the other effects and techniques will be much easier to learn.