SO, doesn't sound like your limited by your piloting ability's, your flying a good mix.
The Top Flite kits are more like a carving kit, not a good first build. Perhaps the Great Planes P51 is suiting. As for painting, a lot of guys are using Super Coverite with latex paints! Myself, I'm building my first scratch built model with Super Coverite and Klass kote epoxy paint.
This is after many kits and kit bashing!

Building a nice Sig Something Extra and finishing it with UltraCote would be a great start into kit building as well. 100 dollar kit that will give you a million dollars worth of confidence