Welcome aboard. Spray paint is ok for primer, but after that you should use an airbrush for best results. I just bought an airbrush kit on ebay that comes with an instructional dvd. If you're going to light any of your models, remember to spray the insides black, then silver if you like, to prevent light leakage and then to increase light reflection inside. Check out the following forum for some tips.
http://thomasmodels.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=3Thomas is the guy behind the polar lights 1/350 build.