This was back last year. I took a EG RX-78-2 and used hobby mio lacquer paints through my new iwata airbrush. Overall pretty happy. Used knight gold and mecha “black” plus red on the eyes. Only complaint was the black was purple. Idk who at hobby mio decided THIS was “mecha black”
I suggest getting some plastic spoons and spraying one whenever you get a new color or try a new technique. They're cheap and plentiful, so you won't get any surprises when you paint your model. I also keep my spoons with new colors and use them as a color guide whenever I decide on a color scheme for new builds.
My go-to "black" is Mr. Color Cowling Color. It reads as black, but is lighter than a pure black, so details aren't hidden as much. Gaianotes Neutral Grey V is another option for this.
Yeah, I definitely learned from this one. That’s basically my process now. Test spray on spoons then model. I really like the hobby mio gloss black. Looks nice and is actually black