Anyone into gunpla - Japanophiles unite to share tips on painting our toys (GUNPLA IS FREEDOM)

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At last, I finished the MG Ginn after about a month. This month is loaded with work schedule, so it took quite a while to finish this guy.

It looks good, especially with the decals applied. The articulation is superb, even after I put the armor on. The accessories it come with are also decent. I paint the the missile launcher a bit with grey, because I think it's too dull.


The biggest gripe I have about this kit is, that the arm joint is fucking fragile. It is one thing that the right arm broke off when I'm playing around with it. But it baffled me when the left arm also broke off, while I'm posing it for photoshoot. They broke at the exact same spot.


For comparison, I played with the RG Nu Gundam for months, and it doesn't even come loose, let alone break. I hope this accident only happened to me. Thank God I can still somewhat fix them with Tamiya cement. Altough it left the arms with reduced range of articulation.
I'm planning on picking up the Ginn at some point, when I've gotten my backlog down, so it's nice to hear it's pretty good. Will say that I'm disappointed when MG include a lot of really obvious stickers rather than nice dry or water slide transfers, I always can't stop looking at the sticker edge when it's the normal ones. Does the Ginn come with any dry or water slide at all? If not, it might be worth getting one of those Water Slide decal sets since they have one for Seed specifically:
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At last, I finished the MG Ginn after about a month. This month is loaded with work schedule, so it took quite a while to finish this guy.

It looks good, especially with the decals applied. The articulation is superb, even after I put the armor on. The accessories it come with are also decent. I paint the the missile launcher a bit with grey, because I think it's too dull.


The biggest gripe I have about this kit is, that the arm joint is fucking fragile. It is one thing that the right arm broke off when I'm playing around with it. But it baffled me when the left arm also broke off, while I'm posing it for photoshoot. They broke at the exact same spot.


For comparison, I played with the RG Nu Gundam for months, and it doesn't even come loose, let alone break. I hope this accident only happened to me. Thank God I can still somewhat fix them with Tamiya cement. Altough it left the arms with reduced range of articulation.
Looks awesome! Kinda disappointing that the shoulder joint to the body broke though. Hopefully it can be repaired and be good as new.

Now, I was planning on taking a break yesterday from model building, then suddenly, without warning, this boy shows up!
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Now I know what you're thinking. "But this is just the LMHG of eva 01." Yes, it is, but its a curiosity for me because there is barely any info on this kit variant. I did find scraps but beyond another kit sharing similar design, that kit and this one are oddities due to little info. Now a question, Can you see the kit?
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I'll admit I'm not that good at making it invisible. Yes, this is noted as the "Crystal Clear" version for obvious reasons.
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This kit is based off the eva 01 variant from 1996 (the first LMHG) but it includes lots of things accessory wise (we'll get to that soon). The oddity of this kit is it was released in 1998, which according to online research, I am a moron (edit: turns out it ended in 2003, with a new batch coming because of end of rebuild. I am very dumb, sorry for burning brain cells.) making it odd in the sense that few records exist of this kit. The other kit that shares a lack of info is the movie eva 01 translucent kit, but that one is even more odd, as it was a evangelion world exclusive, so while you can find a few of this kit for reasonable cost, that one is way more rarer, its also based of rebuild eva 01.
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This kit comes with a lot of accessories, I believe more than the old eva 01 and close to the retool, its missing the docking bay of the retool, but there is a lot of stuff besides alternate hands.
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Yup, it comes with the positron rifle! And thats not all!
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A few hands, a bazooka, a pallet rifle, 4 blades (2 sheathed, 2 unsheathed), a pack? (Unsure of what it is), a spear of Cassius, and an N2 mine. The pack and sheathed blades should connect to the eva, but its a very loose grip.
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I'm currently displaying her with the positron rifle, currently waiting on some action bases to come in (along with an Ingram model from Moderoid), and some more surface primer (managed to score a 6 pack of primer surfacer 1000 for $30 in jar form, because I don't wanna piss off my landlord for using the spray can version.) So, if you're interested in this model info wise, I will try to explain it better! It's pretty solid and has good articulation (even with the rubber shoulder (yea the shoulders is coated in rubber for a seamless arm)) and if you want this kit, I'd recommend mandarake (which is where I got this kit for $54), or the only reasonable priced one on eBay (don't pay over $60) so, I hope your builds go smoothly! :)
 
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Just ordered mine. I wanted to make sure I got one before the Olympics get cancelled again.
 
So I just finished up the legs on the Baund Doc and just those alone are already taller than some of my HG kits. Also for anyone looking to build it I'd recommend taking it slow when doing it because it's such a unique build with the pieces. I struggled a bit putting the feet together because it was very picky about which piece went with which on the claws. The pink really pops though.
 
Got done with another model but its not bandai or koto. No, it is moderoid and today I bring the Patlabor Ingram
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Yea this kit is very good, plastic quality is solid, and they even label certain parts for construction, they even give you some parts that may need extra adhesive to stay in place.
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Now he looks plain without his watersides, but I didn't bother to do that, mainly because I did a different take.
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Thats right, I drybrushed... kinda and panel lined parts. Now I think I went a little too heavy on the drybrush with too much paint, but I think it looks a lot better with some shading from the drybrushing.
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This is my first moderoid kit, and its pretty good. There are alternate parts for type 2 (I used type 1's shoulders and head parts) and like I said, waterslides for extra detail. There are a few gimmicks like the side panel on the right leg that opens up for the magnum, and there is a part for that to show the arm extend, overall, if you're looking for something new, this might be for you, just forewarning it is the size of a HG and the optional requirement of glue may be off-putting, but the glue for the most part is for small pieces and is optional at best (its for extra stability for certain parts.)
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So many kits... and ya know, I don't regret it! Completing a kit always makes me happy, and it gives me something to show, so in summary, I'm happy to be able to partake, and to those that have helped me this far here, I thank you. I hope your builds go smooth and I hope you have a good day!
 
Got done with another model but its not bandai or koto. No, it is moderoid and today I bring the Patlabor Ingram
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Yea this kit is very good, plastic quality is solid, and they even label certain parts for construction, they even give you some parts that may need extra adhesive to stay in place.
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Now he looks plain without his watersides, but I didn't bother to do that, mainly because I did a different take.
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Thats right, I drybrushed... kinda and panel lined parts. Now I think I went a little too heavy on the drybrush with too much paint, but I think it looks a lot better with some shading from the drybrushing.
View attachment 2373734
This is my first moderoid kit, and its pretty good. There are alternate parts for type 2 (I used type 1's shoulders and head parts) and like I said, waterslides for extra detail. There are a few gimmicks like the side panel on the right leg that opens up for the magnum, and there is a part for that to show the arm extend, overall, if you're looking for something new, this might be for you, just forewarning it is the size of a HG and the optional requirement of glue may be off-putting, but the glue for the most part is for small pieces and is optional at best (its for extra stability for certain parts.)
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So many kits... and ya know, I don't regret it! Completing a kit always makes me happy, and it gives me something to show, so in summary, I'm happy to be able to partake, and to those that have helped me this far here, I thank you. I hope your builds go smooth and I hope you have a good day!
are the joint covers plastic or quasi rubber? i had a chance to build the unit 1 from the 2nd movie (with armor) and it was a top notch kit. but this was the 90s.

saw those moderoid kits on amazon but no one says if the joint covers are rubber or not.
 
are the joint covers plastic or quasi rubber? i had a chance to build the unit 1 from the 2nd movie (with armor) and it was a top notch kit. but this was the 90s.

saw those moderoid kits on amazon but no one says if the joint covers are rubber or not.
The joint covers are hard plastic.
 
I'm planning on picking up the Ginn at some point, when I've gotten my backlog down, so it's nice to hear it's pretty good. Will say that I'm disappointed when MG include a lot of really obvious stickers rather than nice dry or water slide transfers, I always can't stop looking at the sticker edge when it's the normal ones. Does the Ginn come with any dry or water slide at all? If not, it might be worth getting one of those Water Slide decal sets since they have one for Seed specifically:
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Unfortunately, it doesn't come with dry transfer or water slide decals. And yes, the stickers are a bit annoying. I had to cut the the edges of the stickers so many times so they don't come off the edges of some parts or covering panel lines.

At first, I wanted to use 3rd party water slide decal for the Ginn, but I had to reconsider it because of time constraint.
 
I've been busy building more kits so today is a double review of the MG Rick-Dom and the RG Wing Gundam.

Rick-Dom:

Probably the most simple MG I've built thus far due to the sheer size of this lad. It is big compared to my other MGs, it may be closer in scale with the MG Zeong (don't have because of cost, having the RG, and besides I'd want the Perfect Zeong anyway, which is very expensive.) I decided to paint this guy, which gave me a reason to use my new acquirement of mr primer surfacer 1000 jars, they worked very good and because I used so little of the jar, I doubt I'm gonna run out of them too soon (I have 6 jars).

Now, I know what you're thinking, why not use the spray stuff? 2 reasons, firstly I live in an apartment with not so great ventilation and summer around here gets kinda warmer then I like so I could do it outside, but I'd rather not, and second, I don't want to anger my landlord by using the spray inside and getting it over stuff I can't clean. So in conclusion, the jars are good, yes they have a strong smell but its less then the spray.

So, what did I paint him as?

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Now, somewhere out there, BFG Division is blaring and yes it was accidental how he was painted, because as I was painting him (with cheaper paint that actually worked pretty good), I was like "he looks like DoomGuy with this color." So its the Dom-Slayer (BFG Division with air horns plays somewhere.)

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He has articulated fingers as well (only one bend point), but they can be a hassle to work with sometimes when it comes to holding weapons. He comes with, what I call the BFC, which is so big and heavy on the joints he needs a stand to hold upright, a Zaku Bazooka, and a beam saber. Like I said this guys selling point is its a big MG, and its a lot more easier to build due to few small parts, but some stickers may be necessary, such as the eye, the Zaku Bazooka sight, and the BFC has a red jewel with sticky back on it.

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Overall, it was a fun build and would recommend to people that may be slightly hesitant of MG due to part size being bigger than normal I'd recommend getting it for 50 or 60 dollars before shipping and tax, Do NOT pay the premium on eBay for this kit, I got it from Galactic Toys online, I paid for premium shipping so my price was slightly more, but still its a good MG and can be a great jumping in point for those wanting a MG experience, also would recommend custom paint jobs, you have a large real estate on this guy, which lends to all sorts of painting and customizations. So in closing, would recommend!

RG Wing Gundam:

This RG was acquired at a hobby store a bit away from me, originally to be a scouting and recon mission, I wound up buying a kit because they had a solid collection, along with a few newer kits in their stock, for safety reasons I will only say its from Hobby Town.

Now this RG can transform, but I didn't take pictures of that because I am lazy, and also I didn't want to deal with it. Its joints can be a bit awkward due to this, but its pretty solid.

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Now to get him working with a stand, you have to use the custom attatchment part (included) meant for the flight mode to secure him to a stand, and slide it in the rear (kinky). The Action Base 4 (which is meant for 1/100 scale but works for any scale) works beautifully for aerial poses because of bigger parts, and makes this kit shine because its meant to be in the air. The build was easier to do thanks to there being few tiny pieces and the kit going together smoothly, but I had to use super glue on one knee part and the center gem on the control fin because they were ridiculously loose and didn't want to stay attached, but since the knee part wasn't a central moving part, it worked perfectly. He comes with a beam saber, a rifle and a shield (you can see the shield and beam saber on my table, Wing is holding the rifle).
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Here he is holding the full arsenal. The wings were a bit tricky, but as long as you remember the tabs on the wings need to align, its not difficult. But, I will say this, you will need to balance him on the stand, he is very back heavy and if you don't balance him right, he will fall backwards, its happened once, but with some stand fiddling, he's secure now. Overall, this is a good kit, if you like RG and you maybe want to transform it (I don't but that's more due to me being happy with his pose right now, them wings put in work) its a solid kit. Just keep in mind, if you want to take full advantage of Wing Gundam, you will need a stand, Action Base 4 I would recommend, Action Base 5 is good as well, you don't need Action Base 2 that the manual recommends, just remember that you will need to use the included stand adaptor and the thin peg attatchment the stand included (it has a big base to slide over the medium peg, but has a small peg on top, I'm not sure what part that is, but it is included with the Action Base 4 (and 5 I think).

So, I hope your builds go smoothly and have a good day! :)
 
anyone paint(airbrush) with nail polish before? i read that people were thinning top coat clear polish with laquer thinner 2:1 but no one reports are few and far between. or rustoelum clear coat?

i have the testors and tamiya rattle cans but those are pricey for the size. i use rusteolum primer to prime but havent fucked with it after airbrushing. dont want to go throigh the painful process of stripping paint off a fucked up model.
 
anyone paint(airbrush) with nail polish before? i read that people were thinning top coat clear polish with laquer thinner 2:1 but no one reports are few and far between. or rustoelum clear coat?

i have the testors and tamiya rattle cans but those are pricey for the size. i use rusteolum primer to prime but havent fucked with it after airbrushing. dont want to go throigh the painful process of stripping paint off a fucked up model.
nail polish is thick as fuck, don't bother
 
Relevant thread.

Nail polish is “just” lacquer paint, so if it’s thinned sufficiently, there’s theoretically no reason it can’t be airbrushed. Of course in practice it will require experimentation to make sure it doesn’t clog your airbrush or melt your plastic. But the concept itself is sound.

I’m definitely interested in giving it a shot, since I can’t get lacquer paint in person. Cost wise though, I dunno how that would shake up against proper hobby paints. For how long they last you the small jars of Tamiya/Mr Color paints aren’t that expensive to begin with - the cost comes from buying a large selection of colors. Without doing a proper analysis, my guess is nail polish won’t be much cheaper, if at all. The one advantage it would certainly give though is availability and variety.
 
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Relevant thread.

Nail polish is “just” lacquer paint, so if it’s thinned sufficiently, there’s theoretically no reason it can’t be airbrushed. Of course in practice it will require experimentation to make sure it doesn’t clog your airbrush or melt your plastic. But the concept itself is sound.

I’m definitely interested in giving it a shot, since I can’t get lacquer paint in person. Cost wise though, I dunno how that would shake up against proper hobby paints. For how long they last you the small jars of Tamiya/Mr Color paints aren’t that expensive to begin with - the cost comes from buying a large selection of colors. Without doing a proper analysis, my guess is nail polish won’t be much cheaper, if at all. The one advantage it would certainly give though is availability and variety.
Sounds like it could work, it depends on if you're looking for basic colors or special types because those special types may require more thinning than basic stuff, but, its worth a try and may work. Experimentation is good, just research throughly.

Now, I decided to get the Ultraman version 7.5 full frontal assault kit and it was rather strange for lack of words. Most of the parts worked fine, but the thigh piece that connects outside was freaking wonky and had issues getting it together. I got him in a pose I liked a snapped some photos.
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Now, I screwed up on the backpack with the guns, the guns are not supposed to be shoulder guns, but it looks cooler like this so screw the instructions, I like this better. I only built one of the mega cannon things (I don't know what it is because I don't watch Ultraman, I purely bought it because it looked cool, I'm a fan of black and red colors on things... sad that certain political idiots had to co op the colors but what can ya do?) The only reason he's in one pose is it feels stiff some parts and lose in others and I was losing patience after the thigh pieces on the side.
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Honestly, its not bad, but I'd only recommend if you're interested and have patience. Mine has grown thin due to watching over the equivalent of 3 furry toddlers (short story I had to watch over my dad and stepmom's 3 dogs and they act like spoiled children, but I still love them regardless, just kinda lost my marbles lol) and now I am trying to seek part-time employment so I can effectively pay for my hobby and prove I can be independent (its a long story with power leveling so I'm just gonna spare the details) but still decent kit, just wished it wasn't as fumbly as it was. (The colors are stickers in case you're wondering.)
 
Just finished my rewatch of 00 with the wife. She really enjoyed the second season compared to the first, and was satisfied with the ending the movie gave the series. She hated CCA so I wanted to let her watch something from start to finish and she picked 00 since it was my favorite series.

She also picked out the Raphael Gundam as something she wants me to build so I now need to go and find that. The movie suits are all so good I am surprised we don't have more MG's from that line. Also Arche Gundam MG when?!

I havnt been building much, I started the Transient Glacier HG but lost a purple piece for the head and its annoying me to the point that I dont want to finish it. Still have the Infinite Justice HG and the ramen cup as well in my backlog.
 
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what an absolutely kino grunt suit. puts the HGBF build burning to shame.

EDIT: kitbash sort of done, just want to bulk out the minovsky shield a little bit now
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Just finished building the HG Heavyarms yesterday. It's my personal favorite gundam from Wing series, along with Wing Gundams other than the original Wing. Why do I like it? Because this guy has a LOT of guns. This is just a straight build, with panel linings and a bit of painting here and there.

Things I don't like about this kit, are the amount of the stickers and polycaps, which is, while not that many, still a lot by today's standard. But besides that, it's still a nice kit.
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The legs are pretty much the example to why you should do panel lining. Other than the feet and joints, they're just plain white without the lines. I also added gray to some parts, like the missile pods' hatches and the small circular stub on the tip of the knees.

The only stickers I applied are the one for the eyes, and the yellow ones below the chest parts. Apart from that, either I paint it (e.g. that grey part on the lower knees) or just panel line them (e.g. the mark on the middle of the chest).

For the accessories, it comes with the gatling, army knife attached to the right arm, and 3 pair of hands (standard holding hands, open hands, and melee weapons holding hands).
Overall thoughts, altough it has some outdated elements on it, it's still a kit that's not only satisfying to build, but also fun to play.
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Also, I have a question. Is the MG Heavyarms EW good? I've been wanting to build it, but I have some doubts. Mainly because it's a relatively outdated kit by now.
 
Just finished building the HG Heavyarms yesterday. It's my personal favorite gundam from Wing series, along with Wing Gundams other than the original Wing. Why do I like it? Because this guy has a LOT of guns. This is just a straight build, with panel linings and a bit of painting here and there.

Things I don't like about this kit, are the amount of the stickers and polycaps, which is, while not that many, still a lot by today's standard. But besides that, it's still a nice kit.
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The legs are pretty much the example to why you should do panel lining. Other than the feet and joints, they're just plain white without the lines. I also added gray to some parts, like the missile pods' hatches and the small circular stub on the tip of the knees.

The only stickers I applied are the one for the eyes, and the yellow ones below the chest parts. Apart from that, either I paint it (e.g. that grey part on the lower knees) or just panel line them (e.g. the mark on the middle of the chest).

For the accessories, it comes with the gatling, army knife attached to the right arm, and 3 pair of hands (standard holding hands, open hands, and melee weapons holding hands).
Overall thoughts, altough it has some outdated elements on it, it's still a kit that's not only satisfying to build, but also fun to play.

Also, I have a question. Is the MG Heavyarms EW good? I've been wanting to build it, but I have some doubts. Mainly because it's a relatively outdated kit by now.
I've built the MG Heavyarms and its a great kit! Very little stickers and it went together nicely, I also painted it as well (I refer to it as the Guyver Gundam because of the color scheme I went with.) This kit looks great though, you did good :) so if you can find it, the MG Heavyarms is a definite pickup.

Now as I'm waiting for church to open so I can make the coffee, I am currently waiting on a kit to come in from Japan. I recently found out about Cyber Trooper Virtual On and I love the design of the mechs, and they had multiple kits over the years so I picked up one online and currently waiting. I hope all your builds go smoothly and have a good day :)
 
I hate Bandai trapping nice kits behind P-Bandai because of how ridiculous in pricing they are for a single kit.
they're honestly not that bad if you know where to buy from. Speaking of unique PBendy kits;

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I've been watching a lot of RAY studio's vids on custom work and it inspired me to pull out one of my dusty old woundwort kits and see how much I could do while still keeping the 'feel' of the base kit.

The above modifications took 2 days alone.
 
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