when ordering models on-line, is there any way to tell what paints you will need, so you can order at the same time?

You can research the kit your thinking about.Sometimes someone posts a build blog somewhere.Or perhaps ask a question on the forum about which colors and brands someone who built the kit would recommend.

Thanks. No one else?

Take a look at the manufacturers web site they sometimes list the paints needed to paint the kit, although they will in some cases be their own brand.

Also bear in mind that some kits, aircraft mainly may have several different options in the box of which they may be in totally different colour schemes. Armour although may have different schemes tend to be the same colour although that's not always the case.

What kits are you thinking about ordering?

Over time, you start to know which colors you might need for a certain project.

I don't know where you are in Georgia, but there's some good selections in brick and mortar stores in the Atlanta area.

ScaleHobbyist has a very good search engine which I often use for color reference. There are several sets available but I prefer ordering the single bottles. Start by building up a basic stash (especially primary colors) and eventually, you'll be able to mix some of your own in a pinch.

Type the manufacture and guess at a color in the search field. Example: 'vallejo green' or 'tamiya green' ... etc. A number of paint swatches will appear which will at least get you in the ballpark. ... Then prepare to build a paint rack!

Here's the Vallejo list: Vallejo Acrylics at ScaleHobbyist

HTH.

—mike

Darrell, whenever I build a kit that I've never built before, I usually go here
http://www.modelingmadness.com/kitindex/kitindexmain.htm

....to see if anyone else has built that kit in the past. It will give you a good idea of not only the colors you'll need, but also if there are any problem areas with the kit that you'll need to work around. It will also many times show you what the kit will look like with aftermarket parts like decals, resin cockpits, etc.