Finally healthy enough for paint fume exposure! Time to return to MG GN-X.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
ReBorn 100 the Third
Somewhere in Japan there is a box, inside that box is a MSF-007 Gundam Mk. III. In roughly one weeks time it will arrive coated in new Gundam smell and at that time I will lose myself to its construction. Until then I'm left to soak in the sexiness of the newest RE/100, the RX-78-GP-04G Gundam Gerbera and wonder if I'll still be interested in it after building the Mk. III?
This...
Is definitely more enticing than this.
Honestly these earlier casts did nothing at all for me, but seeing it in color and with a variation of the traditional Gundam colors gets my spending finger to itching. Also the "Rebone" typo amusing the part of me that's still 10 years old. What do you think dear readers, does the Gundam Gerbera get your vote or are you waiting for the other Gerbera?
Gundam Kyrios Custom Paint
I'm always blown away by how good an application of paint can make any model kit look, straight out the box these 1/100 no grade kits really show their limitations but this paint job has done wonders to embue the kit with a high-level polish and a personality all it's own.
Hmm kinda reminds me of this.
Hmm kinda reminds me of this.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Hot deals on Cool Plastics
The Jesta is a very awesome looking mobile suit, perhaps the best looking grunt suit not based on a Gundam there is? GG Infinite is taking orders for the P-Bandai exclusive Mobile Suit Side Story Missing Link Jesta. Personally I'm on the fence with this one, while I do love the Jesta I'm not much for HG kits and prefer MG kits but this is pretty sweet looking so I may pounce on it. Or I may procrastinate until there are no more left.
Surrender your monies here.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Magazine Gunpla Bundle
The bundle fun continues with the May 2015 issue of Hobby Japan, which includes a single Honoo Sword Kit along with the magazine. As is the case with Build Fighter kits and most 1/44 scale gunpla this sword can be used with the Wing Gundam Honoo or paired with any other model in your collection. Although I prefer MG's I love Gundam Wing and embrace it's derivatives happily so I'll be picking this up eventually.
Surrender your monies here
Surrender your monies here
Magazine Gunpla Bundle
For my 1/144 scale peeps out there Hobby Link Japan is advertising this little ditty you may find interesting, bundled with Dengeki Hobby magazines April '15 issue is the Lev D weapons part set. Intended for use with the 1/144 HGBF Hi-Nu Gundam Vrabe this part can nonetheless be used with any 1/144 scale Gunpla, perfect for your kitbashers out there.
The Waiting is the Hardest Part
While I have no personal relationships with the various bloggers and reviewers I follow, I often feel like a kid taunted by his friends, all of whom have ice cream on a hot summers day while I do not. In a time long forgotten, a time known as December 2014 I ordered for myself a MG Tallgeese. Since then at least once a week images of completed builds dance across my screen, reminding me time and again that although time marches on it is not yet February and I do not yet have in my possession this majestic white suit grrrr!
For reasons Bandai refuses to share with me - not that I've actually asked them - the MG Tallgeese III is a P Bandai exclusive and available only through certain e-tailers. I honestly thought MG Tallgeese II was popular enough for the Plamo overlords to approve a standard release, perhaps that popularity didn't translate into the kind of dollars Bandai needed to see? In any case an exclusive is better than nothing and I'm glad to have this model kit available from Bandai. Any one interested in this model kit should check here and here. You can also check out eBay if that's your bag, happy hunting meisters!
The conversion beginneth!
First things first Wow! Wee!
Now on to business.
As you read this blog you'll hear shout outs to various persons across the internet, most of whom are somehow related to Gundam. Perhaps it is a shared interest in most - if not all - things Gundam or maybe it's his enthusiams that's contagious? Whatever the case YouTube's Jabman025 regularly transforms me into a covetous little boy.
Now you might be asking, "eL what in tarnation does any of this have to do with anything?"
Well dear reader nice of you to ask! As a dedicated reader of multiple Gundam blogs I've seen no shortage of Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin screenshots and teaser imagery, however thanks to the aforementioned Jabman I watched for the first time a trailer for this upcoming anime. Instantly I have gone from passively interested to super-hyped for this release... Honestly super-hyped doesn't do my enthusiasm justice. As I watched this trailer with the intensity of a wide-eyed 3 year old - my face was literally inches from the monitor - all the while thinking the original series needs this treatment. Perhaps it's high time I read the manga from which this anime sprang.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin airs February 28, 2015, check out the trailer below or check out the post that birthed this rant here.
Now on to business.
As you read this blog you'll hear shout outs to various persons across the internet, most of whom are somehow related to Gundam. Perhaps it is a shared interest in most - if not all - things Gundam or maybe it's his enthusiams that's contagious? Whatever the case YouTube's Jabman025 regularly transforms me into a covetous little boy.
Now you might be asking, "eL what in tarnation does any of this have to do with anything?"
Well dear reader nice of you to ask! As a dedicated reader of multiple Gundam blogs I've seen no shortage of Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin screenshots and teaser imagery, however thanks to the aforementioned Jabman I watched for the first time a trailer for this upcoming anime. Instantly I have gone from passively interested to super-hyped for this release... Honestly super-hyped doesn't do my enthusiasm justice. As I watched this trailer with the intensity of a wide-eyed 3 year old - my face was literally inches from the monitor - all the while thinking the original series needs this treatment. Perhaps it's high time I read the manga from which this anime sprang.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin airs February 28, 2015, check out the trailer below or check out the post that birthed this rant here.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Hot deals on Cool Plastics!
Good morning Gundam model meisters! I've long coveted the Master Grade Tallgeese II but disliked the price tag it's P-Bandai Exclusive status saddled it with. Listed everywhere from Amazon to eBay, the Tallgeese II typically retails between $80 and $100, a price I was unwilling to meet. Well thanks to Gentei Kits.com my miserly procrastination has rewarded me with a $70.00 Tallgeese II! Anyone looking to get their hands on the one and only mobile suit of Treize Kushrenada should turn your gaze upon Gentei Kits, depending on shipping choice you may get yours for less. If you do grab a kit share your excitement below in the comments.
Order yours here.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
MG RX-78-2 3.0
Gradually I've warmed up to the original Gundam and someday I too will embark upon a build of this iconic suit. I began my Gundam watching experience with Mobile Suit Gundam Wing - which was preceded by The Vision of Escaflowne, so when I originally saw the RX-78-2 I was unimpressed. In it's base colors the original Gundam is blocky and archaic, almost comically so. However what I didn't realize until recently is the benefit of that block design, the flat surfaces and panel lines combine to create a model kit that lends itself perfectly to color separation.
Take in the full glory at SupremeMecha.blogspot.
Take in the full glory at SupremeMecha.blogspot.
Naked Sinanju
The Sinanju is one of my favorite mobile suits after Wing Gundam, Wing Gundam Zero EW version and the Sazabi, so naturally this image of it without its armor freaked me out. Taking a second look the details jumped out at me, there are metal parts galor and even on thes skeletal form there's excellent color separation. It's folks like this who remind me how much further I can go in my model building and show that Gunpla awesomeness is limited by only individual ambition.
Take in the full glory here.
Painted GN-X
Completed my first painted build last week, MG GN-X painted up and ready to go! Although I say completed a few unpainted parts remain and the kit needs a gloss top coat. As I write this I'm feeling a bit sloppy/inconsiderate for not taking WIP pics. I'm also reminded that I was supper eager to set about painting my first Master Grade - had no idea it'd be so much fun! Going forward I'm going to post WIP pics and explain my system for painting, as far as I know my process differs a good deal from most builder's.
So enough about me and my feels (for now), this kit was painted in its entirety with Tamiya Color spray paints. One side note before I get into the details, paint costs add up very quickly. When I began painting kits I thought I'd only be doing custom schemes, after placing the painted GN-X besides my unpainted kits the difference paint makes is obvious. So much so that I'll probably be painting all my kits going forward, even if the colors remain cannon. What this means is I'll soon be resetting my learning curve as I begin the way of the airbrush. Okay now back to the actual paint!
A base coat of Metallic Black was applied as a base coat to everything, with the exception of the bright parts and the purple plastic parts. After that the armor parts were coated in Dark Blue, most parts required no more than 2-3 layers although a few troublesome parts needed 4-5. Despite this I am pleased to say I achieved the desired results, I wanted the kit to look really dark in low light but pop in bright or natural light and that's largely what it does.
Originally I intended to paint the brighter parts more of an reddish orange, however when I got to the local hobby shop and saw the Flourescent Red can I was immediately captivated by it. Unlike with the frame and armor the parts painted in Flouresent Red - save the part sandwiched by the hand parts - didn't receive a base coat. This was a bit of a mistake because the lighter colors of the plastic made my Flourescent Red more of a pink, nonetheless I still like what I've created and consider it a pleasant surprise.
The weapons still require painting and probably won't be done for another week at least, as I'm currently wrestling with a cold for control of my nose, throat and lungs. Truthfully it'll probably be even longer than that before this model is completed for a variety of reasons, the weapons aren't really much of a priority to me as I've got something in the works with Sengok Astray that I'm dying to finish and HLJ will probably have sent my Master Grade Kampferwhich I've also got plans for before I complete the weapons.
In closing I really enjoyed this build, so much so that I'm already dreaming up another GN-X project. Things weren't entirely perfect I broke a part and had half of one leg experience a bubble plague but it was loads of fun watching the design come together. I'm sure when I finally prioritize the painting of the weapons - and free myself from the grips of this cold - I'll be even more pleased. Before I go I've added pictures of the unpainted weapon parts - with a glimpse at my organization system - and a picture of my initial inspiration for this project. Till next time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)