Whenever i build an Real Grade i always make it a habit to buy its specific waterside decals. Why? since the RG kits only come with clear or aluminum decals which shows the edge of the sticker when placed. So i like waterside decals better. but RG have metallic reflective stickers, which waterside decals don't have. 

stock decals

i will be applying the stock decals to the RG Zeta.

remove the sticker using your tweezers.

dip in water to lessen its tackiness. then apply its specific area.

press it down with a cotton swab or your fingers till the water gets squeezed out.

Wetting the decal gives you better control  while placing it and it helps blend it with the surface.

the HGCC Turn A Gundam kit has now been released in japan with the starting price of 1,470 yen.

images taken from Gundam Guy

i recently just purchased a product of Gsi Creos which i was very eager to try out. Mr. Crystal Color. there are other color choices but here i'd only be using one, Ruby Red.

i wasn't sure yet on how this works, so i tried experimenting a bit. it comes in a bigger bottle than that of the regular small mr.hobby color bottles, and has a somewhat white/ clear look to it.

so i will be testing this product out on a plastic spoon. first, i'll try it out bare on the white plastic, then try it as a layer using red as a base. since its Ruby Red, maybe it works well with its related color.

so lets start with the red base coat.

 after:

the thing about pre paint mods is that its supposed to help make the job easier in getting rid of seam lines etc. and to make assembly processes smoother before and after you paint.

not all gunpla are the same, so finding a way to do a pre-paint mod is up to you depending on your kit.

 i hope that this can help give you an idea on how to do one yourself.

take this SD Sazabi for an example:

as you can see, there is a huge seam line cutting through the whole head. if you want to fix this the inner parts would be required to be painted before working on the seam which will lead to masking and other tedious work. unless, you mod the head before-hand so that you can work on these two parts separately.

the inner part connects to the armor using the common plug and socket connection. wherein both parts are held in place which doesn't allow any movement. so what i did i cut the lower part of the socket connection which ended up like this:

it is supposed to have a square like socket, but after the mod it is now more like a ''U''.

so instead of having to insert the two parts, you can now just easily slide the inner-head through the bottom like so:

as i said before, not all modes have the same design, which require different ways of modding. but once you get the hang of pre-paint mods, getting rid of seam lines would be easier.

now with the pre-paint mod applied, i can start working on that seam line without having to worry about painting problems.

now pre-paint mods can be applied to other areas such as the arms, legs, body, etc. of your model. you just need to observe the design of your kit and get creative, 

goodluck!

its the mid year competition once again, the Sinanju din't place the last year but I'm hoping the SD Sazabi could bring me in some luck.

its the first time i've assembled an SD, pretty simple as it is, it actually has good detail work. but at the looks of it, i guess a lot of masking is needed in this project.

i would be doing an OOB paint job with slight color mods here and there, throw in some shading probably. i never used an SD for a competition because it doesn't look like its cut out for the job. but i have a good feeling on this one..

plans on the final pose.

till next time!

i have always looked up to DC, as his works are always splendid and was always an inspiration to me.

i haven't seen him post on his blog for around a year, and now he's up and running and its good to see him back in gunpla with another great diorama which he calls "The Old Guard". 

here is his site for more pics: DC23 Mech Arts

In this tutorial i would be doing panel washes using tamiya's panel line accent color. Instead of creating your own wash, tamiya has made a pre mixed enamel paint ready to use anytime for panel washes. 

So to begin, start by giving a nice thin gloss coat on the surface of your kit. It doesn't certainly have to be coated depending on your base coat, because a matte finish tends to absorb the wash instead of allowing it to flow through the lines. This is to protect the lower layers of paint just incase something goes wrong with the procedure.

Today we'll be working on the RG Zeta's leg, and as you can see there is a decent amount of panel lines as well.

 First, I like to give the bottle a shake beforehand, just to properly mix the pigment inside. Also, the cap of tamiya's product comes with a fine point brush for applying the wash. (yay)  Start tapping the point of the brush on the corner or edge of each panel line. Once the brush makes contact with the surface, let gravity do its job and watch as the paint flows thru the panel lines.

Carefully wipe of the excess wash without applying too much pressure on the qtip so that you wouldn't risk stripping the paint underneath.

finally finished up on the Zeta, i can say working in the decals was the hardest, but i did enjoy this build . there is a lot of work to be done, and i can say that this RG can be quite delicate having a transformable gimmick and all, its all worth it.

i will  be posting better pics soon.

till next time!