MG Kampfer(Completed)

I have finally finished the MG Kampfer for the "Universal Century vs Alternate Universe" group build on Gundam Eclipse forum and i'm so glad that i managed to finish it before the dateline.MG Kampfer is an awesome kit,the design looks cool and it has tons of weapons.My only problem was its frame,since it uses an older frame design some of the joints weren't very strong which make posing it a challenge. My original concept for this model is to make it into a machine that have gone through many battles,however i wasn't able to completely stick to that idea.

I've made 2 mistakes during the work process,the first mistake lies with the damages i've added.It wasn't enough nor sever enough to give the impression of a war machine.Aside from adding more big slash marks,burn holes and bullet holes,i also should have added some cast iron effect on the kit.

Secondly,i've overlooked the importance of "washing" during the weathering process.The washing technique is very crucial if you want a nice weathered kit,because if done correctly it helps to show the age of the machine,by introducing rust and other weather elements to the kit,just like a real old machine would have.I skipped this step because to prepare for the washing process,another clear coat must be added after panel lining to seal the panel lines.However,the weather was bad and i couldn't spray that layer of clear coat in time.I thought i can achieve the same effect by using pastel but i was wrong,it was really a shame.

Although i wished that i could have avoided these mistakes,i am still very proud of this.Everytime i finish a kit,i always get this "wow" feeling,i'm sure some or all of you will understand this.Maybe its because of the effort i've put into the kits or maybe its just how different the kit look after it has been painted.I hope you guys like this kit as much as i do and i can't wait to get back to my Epyon gundam.Cheers:)

WIP MG Kampfer Part 2(Painting)

I took 2 weeks to finish up the paintings and glossing the parts.I didn't expect this to take up 2 whole weeks,so i'm a little behind time.I will do my best to finish up the washing and panel lining this week,and finish up the whole thing by next week.
Nothing much to say about the color choice but i did try a heavier shading on this kit.And with proper weathering,i hope it will turn out the way i want it to.Here are some photos of the parts....

WIP MG Kampfer Part 1(Damages)

My overall concept for this model is that i want to make it into a gundam that have gone through many battles,and to do that adding damages to the kit is a must.If i have the time to make a diorama i would make it as if this kampfer is the last machine among his squadron,still standing and battling its way out.Thus i went a little light on the damages,just a few scratches and slashed marks.So as to make a significant contrast to his fallen comrades when the diorama is done.However,i won't be able to make the diorama in time for the group build since i started this project quite late.

Anyway,here is what i have done for the kit over the past week.

Let me show you guys the tools i used for adding damages.There are these mini tools that you can attach to a router to make realistic damages by scraping plastic off of parts.I used them for slashed marks and small cuts mainly.Next is a corse sanding tool that i use to scrap the edges of the parts to show bump marks that is creating during melee fights and also the age of the machine.Lastly,to create burns holes created by beam rifles or cannons,we need to first make a hole and using soldering iron,melt the plastic around the edges of the hole to show the beam melting through the thick layer of metal armor.If you don't have a soldering iron,you can also use the fire from candles,but its harder to control the radius of the burn.So i only use direct flame when i'm making big burn marks.

Here are some useful tips that i would like to share with you guys.Take a photo of the kit after assembly and plan out the damages on your model by drawing them on the photo first.Also i found it useful to fully prime the kit before adding damages,so that you can roughly see how the damages will look like after painting.

I hope you guys learned something from this week's update.I will start painting tonight and the color scheme will be the same as the one in the manual,only the blue will be a little different.Thank you for viewing this post,cheers:).

Gundam...Im back!!!The Beginning of a New project...

Happy New year everyone!!!How is everyone?I'm sorry for not updating my blog,i just didn't have any new contents to share with you guys.But fear not,this new project that i am working on marks a new start for my gunpla hobby.As you guys may know i was in a slump and didnt really have the motivation to continue building models.But after entering the gunpla competition that was held in November,my passion for gunpla was somehow reignited.Even though i've only gotten merit for the open category i feel that i was really lucky to even get that because there were so many amazing entries there.It was a really awesome experience.

My epyon project will be pushed back for a while,as i am currently building a MG Kampfer for a group build that i have entered.This time i wanted to try something rather new to me and that is to create a "dirty" look for the model,which means I will emphasize more on weathering and less on modding.I have only tried weathering techniques once on my unicorn gundam and i like it a lot,but i hope this time i will be able to make the kampfer even better.

For the past few days,i've been putting this model together and priming it.There are a few problems that i have encountered while building this.As you all know,kampfer is a rather old model and old models tend to have more slim lines,which means more sanding.Also the parts separation are not as good as the newer models,that means more masking is needed or you can mod them so that after cementing you can still separate them for painting.It also have some mobility issues(especially the big legs),which makes it hard to pose and very limited.

I'm no expert in reviewing models,these are just my thoughts while building it.But people who are just starting out gunpla should consider these before buying it,a newer model will be an easier build.However,every model have its own problems,solving these are also what make building models so fun.The design is still top notch and the look of this kit is just awesome.I hope my skill will be able to complement this amazing model.

For next week i will be adding damages to it.I'm very eager to use some of the weapons that i have found from some of my old models to enhance the damage look.