Anyone out there use the Alliance Model Works 1:35 Painting Stencil WWII US Vehicle Markings? I am thinking about using these and I was just curios if they are good?

Their other stencils are fine and so I see no reason that these should be any different.

Quick question regarding stencils. What is more realistic... brush painting or airbrushing them on?

Airbrushing is definitely the way to go- Be sure to not spray too heavy with the coats. A couple of light passes to build up the color will help to prevent "bleeding" under the stencil edges.

Hand brushing requires the use of a stencil brush (yes, there is such a thing) and a "daubing" technique to apply the paint. Again, you don't want to use too much paint in a single coat for the same reason - trying to prevent bleeding under the stencil edges.

(I've never actually seen a stencil brush small enough to use on models, so you might have to make your own by cutting down a small round or a bright. Might be a neat technique to try sometime... I'd imagine that you'd have to use a technique almost like dry brushing - i.e. using very little paint on the brush - but with a stabbing or daubing motion instead of a side-to-side stroking motion.)

You can use the AM-Works stencil allignment tool supplied with the PE stencils on the model (the "L" shaped thingy as shown in their instructions) or, if you don't have enough room on the model (depending on marking locations), you can use the allignment tool while you tape the individual characters together and then apply that taped unit to the model (using more tape to hold it in position).

You will also need to mask around the edges of the stencils to prevent overspray. However, one advantage of using the stencils is that you can also use some "creative" overspray to achieve a more "hasty," candid look to your markings. You need to keep this "deliberate" overspray to a scale-like appearance to pull it off convincingly. If you don't, then it just looks like a sloppy job on the model.

You can also use a deliberate "under" spraying to simulate a paint job that's slightly incomplete on the model.

I actually find with the Allied white star markings, that it's easier to use the PE stencil to cut out a mask from tape and then use the tape mask on the model rather than to try to spray through the PE star mask. However, with the smaller numbers and letters, using the the PE masks directly is the way to go.