I've been kinda focused on trying to grow my Youtube channel these days. I just finished writing a couple of magazine articles too. One for Fine Scale Modeler Magazine ( my 2nd ) and one for Fantasy Figures International Magazine. September was a crazy busy month and the following months look crazier.
My Youtube uploading was so sporadic the past year. I skip months of no uploads. But this year, I am more consistent and there are months that I am hyperactive. Like 3 to even 5 uploads a week since August. I was also very active back in March to April, to help promote my Maquina Painting book.
Youtube is very time consuming. Not really "hard work", as you like what you are doing. But it is very time consuming. Like 10x more time consuming in comparison to blogging. But much like blogging, Youtube is very fun and fulfilling, as you get to share your artworks to many people.
My daughter NICO, who is into gunpla these days is also very active at Youtube. She has her own channel and is about to reach 1,000 subs! Nico's most recent video upload is crazy good ( super bias Dad here ). She is now getting comfortable at recording her voice.
I just uploaded another version of my Armor Trimming tutorial at my month old Youtube channel.
This time the kit is my commissioned MG Gunner Zaku Warrior. A beautiful kit albeit the seam lines at the leg and arm parts.
I kinda found it difficult to shoot ( video ) while doing Gunpla modifications. You are trying to favor towards the camera while cutting with a sharp stencil blade. Also favoring to the camera while drilling holes ( I slipped once ). I think I won't do much videos like this, except if I show a new technique ( at least for me ) or an old technique that I haven't shown in my channel ( like panel line scribing ).
Anyways, I hope new modelers will find the modifications easy to follow and the video clear enough, or at least more clear than my older RG Sazabi Armor Trimming video.
Also, I just hit the 9K milestone at Instagram! A ton of thanks to all the follows!
I truly appreciate it so much!
More Gunpla and Mecha Designs at all my Social Media accounts ( Twitter, IG, Facebook, Youtube and here )!
First off, my apologies as I cannot post detailed progress pics here at my blog, as my photos are reserved for something... hmmm... better.
Anyways, I am in the middle of working with my MG Gunner Zaku Warrior when I suddenly wanted to do some heavy weathering. I see a few well done over weathered builds at Facebook. I like them very much.
But photos might be intimidating for new modelers. So I felt I had to create a video to show that weathering is super easy ( and fun ).
I find heavy weathering, without physical damages to the kit a bit off tho. So I thought the first part of my video should teach people what to do in preparing kits for heavy weathering later.
Listed below are my STEPS seen videos at my new Youtube channel, which shows how I prepped the pieces before painting.
PAINT CHIPPING verDC23 PART 1
STEP 1 - clean all the nub marks and seam lines. A nice well cleaned ( well done ) kit should look more Pro level work, even if you plan to over weather them.
STEP 2 - Scribe the existing panel lines. I scribed with a .5 scriber as this is a Mega Scale and is a big kit.
STEP 3 - I made the panel lines deeper with a needle point scriber. This should be great during the washes stage.
STEP 4 - Bevel the panel lines with a V shape chisel. Bevels will always make detail look like they are part of the original design. Very sharp un-beveled panel lines and detail look like paper craft.
STEP 5 - Melt the plastic with soldering iron. Be careful. Also be mindful of the direction and position of the damages.
STEP 6 - Chip away small edges of the armor with an art knife. This will compliment the heavy weathering later.
STEP 7 - Chip away small holes and damages with a V shape chisel.
STEP 8 - Sand and clean up excess plastic and sharp edges ( edges of damaged parts ).
PAINT CHIPPING verDC23 PART 2
Paint Vallejo Mecha Black Primer
Paint with Vallejo Brown and Sand Primer ( mix ) for pre shading
Splatter Panzer Color Light Rust
Seal with Mecha Color Gloss Varnish
Let cure overnight
That's it! I hope you still find this informative, even if I can't share detailed photos ( here ). Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next update guys!
I've been using Vallejos ( mostly Vallejo Premium, Vallejo Game Colors and Vallejo Game Airs ) for years now. I started using them on my LOTR action figures ( Vallejo Model Color back in 2001 ). Frodo looks better dirty with washes and grime than the bare plastic after all.
I love Vallejos coz they are the best in hand painting. The paints adhere well to primed or varnished ( Vallejo varnish ) surfaces. And they self level. Vallejo Colors will never reactivate the previous layers ( like other paints do ), so building up of thin coats is super easy. Also the high pigment and finer ( microscopic ) pigments makes better coverage than others.
They are also great with airbrushing as they are non-toxic.
Also the paints are reasonably priced. The high pigment count and the shelf life ( I have Vallejos that are more than 10 years old ) makes the paints worth it! These paints ( like other well established paints ) are investments in themselves.
Lastly, Vallejos are now very accessible to everyone. you may now purchase Vallejo Model Color, Vallejo Model Air, Vallejo Game Color, Vallejo Game Air and Vallejo Mecha Colors ( The whole shebang ) at all Neutral Grounds everywhere!
I get my stock at Neutral Grounds Centris.
So happy that Neutral Grounds started importing these awesome paints!
Anyways, thanks as always for dropping by! Until next post guys! Just enjoy the hobby!
Just finished this quick weathering project. This project was basically a test, a sort of experiment that you can paint the Vallejo Mecha Colors on kits and figures ( any model surface ), even without priming. And that the paints when dry, will even look like the material of the kit / figure.
Vallejo also claims that the Mecha Color range were formulated to withstand regular handling and wear and tear of articulated kits like Kotobukiya, Gunpla, StarWars, Transformers and the like.
So I tested the paints!
I weathered this rubber ( rubber plastic of some sort ) Zaku figure without priming and painting the base colors. I used a ton of Vallejo Mecha Color Paints, but you could reduce the painting to around 8 to 10 colors. I really have to practice painting with sets of 6 to 8 colors ( limited palette ), so that I could share it with other modelers easier.
MECHA COLORS
Mecha Color Light Green
Mecha Color Green
Mecha Color Dark Green
Mecha Color Pure Black
Mecha Color Grey Sand
Mecha Color Chipping Brown
WEATHERING WASHES & INKS
Mecha Weathering Black Wash
Mecha Weathering Eng Soot Wash
Mecha Weathering Dark Rust Wash
Mecha Weathering Light Rust Wash
Mecha Weathering Oil Earth Wash
Game Ink Yellow
Game Ink Green
MECHA COLOR METALLICS
Mecha Color Light Steel
Mecha Color Dark Steel
Mecha Color Copper
MECHA FLOURESCENT
Magenta Flourescent
AUXILLIARY
Mecha Color Gloss Varnish
Mecha Color Matt Varnish
Retarder Medium
Airbrush Thinner
Flow Improver
Distilled Water
MY VALLEJO COLORS WEATHERING PROCESS ( in summary )
Hand paint Matt Varnish ( 3 thin coats )
Paint lighter colors with Mecha Color Light Green and Green
Dry brush Light Green
Paint shadows with Dark Green
Paint the chipping with Mecha Color Chipping Brown
Hand paint Gloss Varnish ( 3 thin coats )
Apply Mecha Weathering Washes in varying ratios
Filtering with Game Ink Yellow & Green
Hand paint Matt Varnish ( 3 thin coats )
Paint Pure Black on details, then Metallics
Paint Flo color ( mono eye )
Paint rain streaks and armor stains with washes
Asmuch as I want to talk you through in detail. I think it is easier to just watch my Youtube video below. Saludos!
I just checked my really old TUTORIAL page. And I realized that Photobucket is asking me to pay to display my banners properly. According to Photobucket, this is due to the bandwidth thing ( blog traffic ) that the tutorial page is getting.
I am too busy, too broke and too lazy to fix the banners now, so I just thought of creating a new page!
My old tutorial page has been getting a fairly good amount of traffic ( visits ) even during my inactivity from 2015 to last month. I am really happy that those old WIPS have been visited by a handful and hopefully have been informative or inspiring to some.
I am always fueled by the inspiration that I get from others and inspiration that I could give to others as well. This is the very reason I share my work in progresses too much. I even share my supposedly secret competition projects wayback.
I cannot thank all the people enough, who continued to visit this old blog, even during my inactivity.
This blog is slowly getting the normal traffic it was getting before. I am very happy to know that people ( specially serious Gunpla modelers and painters ) still love to read blogs. Blogs are not totally dead after all. I am very happy to have decided to keep this old blog going again.
Anyways, I have embedded my first 3 video tutorials in this post. I promise to do another and better ( with more close ups ) Armor trimming tutorial very soon.
I should be filling this new video tutorial page faster than usual, as I work on my Gunpla and miniature projects. I will also create shorter video tutorials ( but are still informative ) soon.
Old Gunpla friends know how fast I curn up not so well done Gunpla. LOL... But still I finish kits like hotcakes. Hahaha
Okay... I talked too much again. I hope you'll find the new page useful.
Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next update guys! Cheers!
The first part ( zenithal priming ) of this blog article is HERE.
I painted the green base color by mixing Vallejo Mecha Color Olive Green and Mecha Color Yellow.
I wanted to make this base color really bright and vibrant. The Sand primer highlights in the previous post worked like a charm! I want a 200ml Mecha Sand Primer from now on.
I always thin my primer and paints with Vallejo ab thinner and flow improver. Ratios or how I miss them is better explained in my videos.
I also gave this base color some highlights of Olive Green mixed with Sand Primer. I added a couple of drops of Off White. I was not happy with the result. Thus I painted a thin coat of yellow to bring back the vibrance of the whole kit.
The highlighting is a simulation of having a light source at the upper right side of the kit. The underparts of the kit ( like the legs ) are actually still "blackish green". This lighting technique gives this fixed pose resin kit more depth and action.
Anyways, my apologies for not taking enough photos, as I was focused on the recording of the videos while painting.
Do check out my video of this painting at my Youtube channel for more info and tips.
Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next update guys! Just enjoy the hobby!
I decided to paint the base color of the skin tone as I did not want my Youtube video, to just have the Zenithal priming. The 10 minute video is now at least filled with information from Zenithal priming with Vallejo Mecha Primers to painting the base skin tones with Vallejo Mecha Colors.
I think I will no longer mention paint and thinner RATIOS here in my blog articles, as my videos will show and try to explain how I miss Vallejo Mecha Colors for airbrushing.
I use Vallejo Mecha Colors mixed with Vallejo AB Thinner and Flow Improver for airbrushing.
I clean up my airbrush in between spraysduring painting. My Harder&Steenbeck Silverline airbrush is the easiest airbrush to clean that I ever had ( I have other brands of ab, but I no longer use them ).
THE COLORS
I used Vallejo Mecha Color Pink for the base color of the skins of all the 3 Gundam pilot figures. I sprayed in thin even coats ( 3 times ).
I then highlighted the base color with Vallejo Mecha Color Light Flesh mix with a bit of Off White. Thinned the misture with thinner and V Flow ( Vallejo Flow Improver ). I then sprayed on the upper right side of the figure to simulate lighting.
I like subtle lighting with anything I paint these days. Flat painting is... errr... is fine, but I like models and figures with simulated lighting.
THE PAINTING
Always test spray on a piece of paper ( I use thick vellum cardboard ) before spraying on the actual kit. Add paint if you over thinned, and add thinner if the paint is too thick. I can write thin lines of around 1mm before attempting precision airbrushing.
CONCLUSION
I love Vallejo Mecha Colors! LOL
Seriously tho, this was my first time painting skin with the Vallejo Mecha Color paints. I usually paint skin tones with my Vallejo Game Air "Skin and Leather Set" for my miniatures.
Overall, I think the painting went well. Albeit I had to add paint on the highlight colors as I over thinned them. I could have painted deeper shadows with my airbrush and more highlights, but decided against it. Including a complete process of airbrushing skin will make my video too long and difficult to upload already.
Anyways, I hope you found this blog article and my Youtube video informative or at the very least inspiring.
Thanks as always for dropping by! Just enjoy the hobby!
People who follow me or been friends with me since I started this blog back in 2009, might be surprised a bit as I am coming back to Gunpla and Miniature painting again.
I previously tried to come back to the hobby a couple of times before ( 2012 and 2015 ), but ended up focusing on my career ( employed artist in 2012, freelance illustrator in 2016 ).
I was focused in being a professional illustrator ( I do not use the term artist, as anything you do with a computer is art these days ).
I have illustrated more than 50 published children's books in less than 3 years already. I have also drawn a ton of ink illustrations from Star Wars, Wargaming characters to Gundam. 90% ( maybe 98% ) of my illustration clients are from abroad tho. My wife ships traditional art, rolled inside a plastic tube through our local post office. Here is the link to my ART portfolio.
Drawing monsters and robots at home, for a living is so fulfilling, You do not have a ( insert expletives here ) boss after all. It won't get you rich like crazy, but you will have enough to put 3 kids to school and slowly ( really slowly ) build a house / home studio - Blue Brick, at the same time.
FAST FORWARD
I'm really back as a Gunpla, Miniature Painter, Scale Modeler this time!
NO, I do not think I will be joining GBWC ever again ( I am conflicted ). I used to join Bandai Gunpla competitions in 2008 to 2010.
My Kampfer luckily won as World Champion in Hong Kong back in 2008 ( it's not even in the Bandai site anymore ) I met so many awesome people there. Back in 2010, Bandai created the expert category for multi time champions.
I think mostly to prevent us from joining the Open category. My Gilgamesh Projectwon as Expert Champion. There are only 3 multi champion participants including me, in the expert category tho. A ton of LOL!
The old "Expert Category" of Bandai's competition back then, is one of the reason I stopped doing Gunpla. I shifted a bit to painting miniatures. Miniatures take less prep work, but are harder to paint. But it was also fun stuff!
I AM REALLY BACK THIS TIME
I am really back this time. Promise. LOL
I am actually waiting for a shipping of my model kits ( from the Gunpla Distributor from Singapore ). Yes I do not even get my kits locally these days ( lol ). I am so excited, but afraid of the custom taxes at the same time. haha
I will also have a ton of personal Gunpla and Miniature projects. I like to do some restoration work of my older dioramas and vignettes and do some quick painting of smaller kits and minis.
I am expecting a whole year's ( 2020 ) amount of kits. Not sure if they are sending the whole lot I listed tho. But never the less, I am sooo excited!
