So yeah. This build went sideways real quick.
Nothing went wrong, mind you. Nothing broke, or got messed up.
The problem is more, well …
I think a visual aid would tell the story best.
Let’s look at the runners for this kit again:
There are two grey runners, but all of those pieces are for the weapons and the inner frame. Doesn’t look like there is much, if anything, on those runners that are part of the exterior armor.
Now take a look at these photos of the finished model:
There is a lot of dark grey on display, and not all of it from the inner frame. And there seems to be more yellow and red than is on those runners.
The truth is, this kit needs to be detailed. A lot. Exactly how much? Here is my best attempt to highlight all the places I can identify:
Now, I said “detailed”, rather than “painted”. That is because some of this coloring can be achieved using decals provided in the box. However, the whole “use a large decal in lieu of paint” trick is risky, and doesn’t always look good. More importantly, the decals don’t account for everything I highlighted. No matter what, if you want this kit to look anything close to color accurate, it needs to be painted.
And that is a lot of painting, on many pieces, across the entire body.
This is going to take some time, if for not other reason than because the pieces need to dry.
It will also require care. Some of this detailing needs precision.
Lastly, it will require planning. Since there is a lot of work, there is a lot to keep track of. A lot to remember to do. In some cases, it will be important to paint certain parts at the same time. That in turn throws my normal build routine out of whack. I prefer to work on one section/limb at a time, but I can’t do that if I have to simultaneously detail pieces from across the model.
This also means that I may not have much to show. I could possibly assemble the inner frame first and show that off, but by and large this kit won’t come together until the very end, when everything is ready.
And this is to say nothing about the inner frame, or the weapons!
So yeah. This is going to be tricky. I have no idea how long it will take. I have no idea how many posts I’ll get out of it. Stay tuned, and we shall see what happens.
Other Thoughts
- There is one other section that needs detailing, but I couldn’t find a good place in the photos to highlight it. The Barbatos’ thruster is a grey piece where the top panel needs to be painted/decaled white.
- I’ve done the “use a large decal in lieu of paint” trick on a number of High Grade kits, to varying results. On my Gundam F91, the large decals used on the VSBRs still look great to this day. On the other hand, the stickers on the feet of the Gundam Astaroth have been visibly peeling around the edges since I finished it. In the case of this particular kit, there’s no way you would get the nice matte look you see in those photos by using the decals, no matter much clear coat you use on them. I am going to paint this thing for sure.
- In fact, I may not use any decals beyond the one for the eyes.
- In fact, I may not use any decals beyond the one for the eyes.