It's that time of the year when I get the airbrush back out again, mainly to try the Shockwave Primer that someone recommended.
A little pricey — a 100ml bottle sells for about $22.99 CAD — but it's very thick and can easily be thinned down at a 1:4 ratio. Coverage is decent; it's roughly a 1000-grit primer. Not the finest primer out there, but more than adequate for mecha work. I was also told that it adheres extremely well to GK parts, which I tested on a few sample pieces.
The smell isn't great, so make sure you have proper protective gear and work in a well-ventilated area (the same goes for all types of paint).
Kit Info:
This is the classic 1/144 HGUC version from 2002. It has great proportions, a really beefy appearance, and even includes some inner frame details in the legs. Articulation is quite limited by today's standards, but it's thoughtfully designed. Being from the early HGUC era, it's still a very respectable kit even today.
The Build:
I bought mine pre-snapped over 10 years ago. The kit was out of stock at the time, and I picked it up from a local seller for around $15. It already had decals applied, was top-coated, and had some rather sloppy paintwork in a few areas. It sat on the shelf for years until I recently picked up a set of waterslide decals.
The age of the kit definitely made things more challenging. Some of the parts and joints had become brittle over time and started snapping as work progressed. There was some part separation and seam-line filling involved, but overall the build was fairly straightforward.
One of my recent favorite tools has been the sanding sticks from Madworks — both the grey sponge type and the green rigid ones. They make the sanding process much more efficient.
For the paintwork, I ended up using Vallejo and AK acrylics for the main colors. They were the closest match to what I had in mind, but they're quite fragile and scratch very easily. Because of that, I eventually decided to go down the weathering route. Most of the panel lines were re-scribed, and the waterslide decals really helped bring out the details.
Colour Scheme:
- Primed in Dark Grey (Shockwave Surface Primer)
- Main Body – Vallejo Pale Brown → AK Pale Yellow
- Joints – Dark Grey / Purple mix
- Piping - Metallic Red
- Under Armour – H72
Thoughts:
The whole project took about two to three weeks to complete. More parts broke during the overall wash process, which led to a few additional surprises along the way.
This was my first time spraying both Vallejo and AK acrylics, and I'll most likely avoid that combination in the future. Light weathering and washes were applied to help cover some of the flaws and tie everything together.
I think part of the renewed interest in this kit comes from the recent reprint of the MG version. Personally, I don't find the MG particularly appealing, and I would actually recommend the HGUC version instead.
Photos:
wip:
