I did EXACTLY what you want to do. Washed everything with soapy water, rinsed, dryed and then sprayed with Tamiya Metal/Plastic primer paint. Then used a couple of spray cans of dark yellow as the base paint and then airbrushed the red and green (all Tamiya). Since this was my first airbrushing, I wasn't sure how to thin the paint. I believe it was Jason (Icecreamslick) who said open the bottle and fill it with thinner and shake. Didn't have any problems whatsoever.