« An old RX-79 mobile suit that had been lying around in the forest for a long time. It was fix to go and help out those partner of the 8th team who fell in battle in the guerrilla zones. It has suffered a lot during its career but it still works. It can also be used as a support unit with its 180mm gun.«
[ngg src= »galleries » ids= »2″ display= »basic_thumbnail » thumbnail_crop= »0″]Its dedicated gallery : https://flashfan981.com/index.php/the-mine-sweeper-1-144-hg-rx-79-g/
Today, we speak about a ‘simple’ technic to creating chipping on model kits : The salt. Yes ! You’re read correctly, a simple salt to obtain a nice chipping on your gunpla. It’s a technic which work with an airbrush. I think it cannot work with brush … But I’m not sure. Maybe I will test one day.
I make a HG Jo hound model kit few month , and I wanted to obtain a heavy chipping. I decided to use only my brushes and little pieces of sponges. But this time, I decide to use the salt.
First, you need to prepare the surface of your gunpla. For the example, I use the hand of the HG RX-79 ‘Ground type’ (1/144) from « the 08th team » anime.
Like for a classic preparation, I use a primer. In this case, I was a black primer from Vallejo mecha color. After, I added the rust coat. I used a red/brown primer color from GreenStuffWorld. You must a really hard paint because we will be ‘violent’ in a future step.
Now, it’s time to use the salt.
Put some water gently at the surface of the piece where you want obtain chipping (often on the edges). Personnaly, I used a little sponge. Then put the salt directly on the piece like it’s raining salt. It will be trap by the water. To obtain various effect, try to use different sizes of salt. In my example, I used a really fine salt to try to respect scale.
Some advises :
Paint your part as usual, the salt will work like a mask. You can use a pre-shading if you want. But becareful to the pressure you use on your airbrush. If the pressure is too high, the salt will be remove. On this example, I worked with the Mr. color white C1 diluated at 50% and applied at 1bar.
To finish, You must remove the salt. I used a toothbrush with some water and I brush … brush … and brush again. If you remember, I said you must use a hard and dry paints. That is the moment where you’re going to see if your paint it’s good.
Salt chipping on gunpla is a good way to have random chips on a your paint. I think it’s a simple technic which give good results.
See you soon 😉
Definetly, I love this model kit. So I take my time to obtain the best result I can. For this post, I will speak about the custom base coat paint and the panel lines work. I don’t like the base plactic aspect of the model kit. So I prefer a custom paint gunpla.
A good way to improve the general aspect of the gunpla, for me, it’s to use the black and white technic before to paint the main color.
Like on my previous work on the MG Exia, I painted a black primer coat first (ref : vallejo mecha primer black 70.642) . Then I highlighted the parts with white paint (ref Mr. Color : C1). To finish, I applied the base coat with the desired color.
I used this method for all the pieces, It’s long but I like the final apparence of the gundam.
Did I say I love this Cobald Blue (ref Mr. Color : C80) ? 😍😍😍
After several hours of painting, this is the finish work. I’m really happy of the final result. I think the paint imprive the volumes … isn’t it ?
After that, I put a gloss varnish coat (ref : Mr Color. C46) which is very important to protect the previous work. It was ready to receive the enamel juice to improve the panel lines. Like usual, I used the panel line accent color product from Tamiya which is a perfect product for me. When I have more time, I made it myself with a classic black enamel paint thinned with white spirit. To clean it, I used zippo lighter fluid 😉 with cotton sticks or a little brush.
I don’t finish all the mecha for the moment but this is some photos without and with the product applied on some parts.
I hope this post will be useful to improve your gundam and to work on a custom paint gunpla. Don’t hesitate to write a comment and to share of you like 👍.
See you soon for the waterslides 😉.
I continued to paint the MG Exia. I used the black and white technics to improve my model kit. That’s allow to make some artificial shadows and to improve the volume sensation. If you’re looking for a tutorial, I can advise you to go here (english) or here (french).
I painted the primer coat with the « one shot black » from Mig ammo [nozzle 0,4mm/1,5bars]. Then I used the white paint from Mr Color (ref : C1) diluated with a ratio of 50%/50% to paint the center of some parts [nozzle 0,2mm/1bars]. I decided to work with the paint made by Mr. Hobby for this project.
To finish, I a apply the base coat. You can see the result on the piece below with the « White MS » from Mr. Color (ref : UG01) [nozzle 0,2mm/1bars].
I hope you can the difference between the leg painted and the leg ‘out of the box’. I used exactly the same light for the photos. I think it looks great, no ?
See you soon 😉
I work a lot this moment, so I post when I can but I progress on my differents builds. The Exia is on the good way. I paint slowly because I use a lot of masking tape between each step. But I love the result.
‘Be patient to obtain a beautiful work’ that what I think.
In a same time, I work on a car model kit and that is an story 😀
See you soon 😉
I put my MG Exia on the side for few weeks. I prefer finish this star wars legion model kit : AAT char. You can see this vehicule in episode 1 and the animated serie clone wars.
It’s for me the occasion to try a lot of new technics and paints. For example, I used liquid mask with a succession of different colors for the chipping effect. I use the Mr. Color paints which is just … amazing. Moreover, this product is really durable and strong, I hope the color will stay like that.
It’s not finish but the most important is to take a lot of fun.
I put all the photos in his own gallery.
See you soon 😉
It’s done ! It was difficult for me to work with this scale, but it’s a good training. I will do a gallery for it in few days, if I’ve got enough time.
❓❓ Do you like it ? ❓❓❓
See you soon 😉 … with the MG Exia !!!!
I must finish some panel lines and the socling. But the harder is done 😉. For the moment, it is probably my favorite kit from the gundam seed animated serie, but I don’t build all the kits 😁.
See more photos on its dedicated gallery : here
See you soon 😉
Work in progress : The Ginn is completed 😀 !
When I list all the operations, I’m afraid 😱
To see more photos, go to the gallery : here
See you soon 😉
I continu the Ginn, I finished the paint and the varnish of the left leg. I will finish all the different part before to make the panel line, the water slide (or not ?), the weathering and the final matt varnish coat.
See you soon 😉 … but in a long time 😅
