A very basic modeling guide?

"Basic Modelling Techniques" can fill huge books, but the key thing to remember is that it is an art form - there are lots of different techniques and nothing really right or wrong with any of them.

The first thing to making the leap up in quality of your models is to get into filling and sanding. Real aeroplanes dont generally have massive join lines down the middle so even cleaning these up will go a long way to making your models more realistic. Use proper modelling filler (e.g, Tamiya putty) and let it harden off properly. Sand it using progressively finer grades of wet and dry paper with a little water until the seams are nice and smooth. you will probably then need to carefully rescribe the panel lines where they cross the joins, but dont panic too much as most kits (especially the old airfix ones) have far too much surface detail anyway - especially at smaller scales.
The other big thing to make the step up is to paint the smaller components before assembly. if you can do this before taking them off the frames, all the better. Also, consider the assembly steps, and leave things like undercarriages, props, engines and canopies off until the main airframe is painted. it may go against the instructions, but generally there is a bit of flexibility in when the bits go on.
I prefer to use liquid cement for most bits, but super glue is good for bits like undercarriages which need to go on solidly and not move as the glue sets. Dont ever use super glue on clear components though - it will make them fog up instantly. The best stuff for that is PVA (wood) glue that dries clear. There is the stuff called "Krystal Klear" which is really good, but essentially the same as PVA.
For Painting get some nice quality artists brushes from an arts supply shop. Make sure they are genuine hair bristle - not synthetic, and make sure they are good quality - pull the bristles firmly and if any come out, you'll have problems. Always clean them after use - dry them with a paper towel and stand them bristles - up or on their side, never bristles down in a pot of thinner! I personally like using Tamiya acrylic paints as they are a lot friendlier to use than enamels, but thats a personal choice thing. You will need a selection of brush sizes - 00, 0, 1, 3, 7 sizes are pretty useful. Brush painting camo isnt easy, but paint the lightest colour first, overall. then mark out the next colour faintly with a pencil and do that. You will generally need 2 coats minimum. I find if you do the top coat of the top color with a fairly "dry" brush around the edges, you can feather the colours a bit and although its not the same as airbrushing, it looks better that hard edges.

Thats a starting point anyway. try some new things each time and see how you go.....

As Bruce said, basic modelling tips could fill volumes.

Some I have thought of

Rules :

1) Modelling is Fun

2) See No.1

Seriously though

Steps to follow are much as Bruce has said, all valid points, with
some additional ones I can think of.

Find an old model and experiment, such as painting scribing etc if it becomes your hangar queen so be it.

Depending on how "Accurate" you want your model to be
look at pictures/real thing to gauge how/what/where/why.

Learn, to go step by step (What I mean step by step, is a part of your model at a time) don't rush, if you study things out then
apply the glue etc you'll do fine.

Important Modellers litany Dry fit, dry fit, glue.

I use elastic bands to hold large parts together some modellers
use clamps etc.

Keep a supply of toothpicks they are great to apply tiny bits of cement to tiny parts, also good to attach small parts to with blue tack when touching up paint after removing from the sprue

Get some good tweezers great to help fit small parts also,
I have various types, the most used are the needle tip.

When filling seams scratches etc or the occasional oops. when scribing, I use Tamiya putty applied with an old model knife blade or scrap plastic, let it dry some, then using nail remover (with acetone) I use "Q" tips soaked in the nail remover to smooth out the putty. This cuts down the amount of sanding, then sand with fine grade and water, comes out really well (and nice smelling model too.....)
see photo


Brush Painting

Brush painting can be just as effective as spraying, I have
seen some awesome models that have been hand painted.

Some tips for brushing

Wing/Horizontal stabillizers brush in the direction of leading edge to trailing edge

Fuselage nose to tail

Use steady strokes

Decaling

Use a gloss clear coat (or gloss paint) to assist decal placement and it helps covering the decal film.
Cover with semigloss or matt clear coat to seal the decals.

Weathering

Weathering important note study your aircraft type and look at what type of weathering it may have.

Late WWII USN aircraft on carriers in Overall Glossy Sea Blue did not have much in the way of chipping, but types like the F6F Hellcat could have massive amounts of exhaust staining.

On aircraft that has chipping, a small brush with aluminum/silver paint wiped clean can be used to dry brush around panels/leading
edges etc

Dry brushing can be used to 'Highlight" parts as in the cockpit or engine, as in the "bronzing" of this Buffalo engine


Canopy Frames

Number of different ways to approach this

1) cut tape to fill in area between frames and paint, remove
tape

2) paint decalling stripe and place on as frames

3) (my favourite) smooth out kitchen foil paint on one side
interior cockpit colour, then the opposite side exterior colour,
cut into thin strips (wide enough to cover frames) then fix with
either Krystal clear or white glue. With some practice you can do
curves as well

One last important note
If building Spitfires, Mk I's they did not have crowbars on the cockpit
door till 1941 ;D

Hope that helps

Regards

Alan

Must be a small cupboard...!