This sounds like a GREAT first(ish) project! Yes, it is very doable with beginner-to-intermediate Arduino skills. I agree with dave that you will need some LEDs to practice with. Also get some resistors: 75 ohm for very bright, 330 ohm for medium bright, and1K ohm for dim, but noticeable (these are approximate values.) Get some way of hooking things together. A breadboard is great for experimenting, but to put your 'lighting harness' together, learn (or recall) how to solder. Look at the nano and micro boards - they both have lots of pins, yet are small enough to hide inside a model - and they program through the USB port.