Hey There!

So you’ve decided you want to build Gunpla, but you have no idea what to do, what all those words and numbers mean, what tools you need, or where to buy them. Well that’s what this guide is for! Give everything a thorough read, it’s quite a bit of information but it’ll be your foundation for all future PlaMo exploits.

But First

I wasn’t sure where to put this, so I’ll just leave it at the top. dalong.net is an insanely useful (Korean) website that has pictures of pretty much everything released from 1995 to present day. If you think you want a kit, go here and check out his review of it first.

Also http://otakurevolution.com/content/laymans-gunpla-guide has a ton of useful guides. The writer goes by Falldog on /toy/, say thank you if you meet him!

Quick link: http://tinyurl.com/GunplaGuide

I. Scales and Series [SaS]

II. Terminology [Tmy]

III. Equipment [Eqp]

IV. Where to Buy [WtB]

V. Where to Start [WtS]

VI. Actually Building [AyB]

VII. Going Further [GFr]

VIII. Playing Around [PgA]

IX. Photography [Ptg]

X. Conclusion [Csn]

Scales and Series [SaS]

Let’s say you’re a big fan of Turn A Gundam, and you want a Turn A and a Turn X. You go online and start searching, and eventually you find some kits. Overjoyed, you immediately purchase them (ignoring the “MG” next to the Turn A’s name and the “RD” next to the Turn X’s because pffft reading) and wait until they ship. Days later they finally arrive, and you excitedly rip open the box. But much to your confusion, the Turn A is a bunch of plastic plates while the Turn X is an action figure! And more than that, once fully assembled the Turn A is over twice the size of the Turn X! Did you just get ripped off?

No you dummy, you just bought two entirely different things.

First off, the size difference. Every single model kit ever is going to have a scale, usually either 1/144, 1/100, or 1/60. If you’re not good with math, that means that the toy you bought is going to be a fraction of the size of the fictional bot. Exactly how big any given kit will be depends on what it is (a 1/144 of the Psycho Gundam is going to be larger than a 1/100 of the Victory for instance), but in general

1/144 kits tend to be around four inches tall,

1/100 kits are around 6 to 8 inches,

and 1/60’s stand at a towering foot.

Well that explains the size issue, but why were the Turn A and Turn X completely different toys? Well believe it or not, but Bandai doesn’t just make one thing. They’re a very large toy company, and they know that not everyone wants to spend all of their free time working with plastic. So they have two main lines: model kits and action figures. And inside these are even more lines, each with a handy name so you can tell the difference. Let’s start with the former.

No Grade/First Grade (NG/FG) are 1/144 kits for beginners. Well I say “beginners”, but preschooler might be more appropriate. Featuring very few parts molded in just as little colors, the only things good about these are the price. ($4 - $10)

Advanced Grade (AG) are sort of spiritual successors to FG. Exclusively featuring models from Gundam AGE, building these things is as simple as slotting parts onto a pre-built frame. They also include small computer chips that can be used in a Japanese arcade game. (~$10)

High Grade (HG) is where things get confusing, because a lot of things fall under its umbrella. Most share the same general price tag ($10 - $40), but let’s break each one down so you know what’s what.

HGUC. If someone mentions HGs, they’re probably talking about this. High-quality 1/144’s solely dedicated to Universal Century (the most popular timeline in Japan) models, these easy-to-build kits are an excellent place to start from.
HGAW/FC. A subset of HGUC, these lines respectively focus on After War and Future Century mobile suits. Few have come out, and for a while it seemed HGAW had died.
HG 1/100. Prior to HGUC, “High Grade” could refer to either 1/144 or 1/100 kits. Today these 1/100’s would be referred to as NGs, so check that section for details.
Seed/00/AGE. Because Bandai wanted to keep HGUC focused on UC, the other Gundam shows have their own lines. 00 and AGE are just as good as HGUC, but many of the old Seed kits are rather mediocre (with a few outstanding outliers). If you want them, try and get the newer Remastered models.
Gunpla Builders. Another AU with its own line, the reason this one gets special mention is because it has Bearguy. And who doesn’t like Bearguy? Also some of them are literally kitbashes/recolors but who cares.
Build Fighters. The latest line to be announced, BF will also feature kitbashes. All of its models will be compatible with a series of backpacks.
All Gundam. A recent Bandai announcement, this project aims to both standardize polycaps in all HG lines to allow for easier kitbashing as well as finally give every single lead Gundam a HG. HGAC Wing, HGAW Double X, and HGUC Victory will kick off what will hopefully be a great success.

Fucking support this, it’s the greatest thing ever. Also buy six Double X’s.

Next up are the 1/100 kits.

No Grade (NG) kits are just beefed up HGs. Solid engineering-wise, but the only reason you’re ever going to get these is if the next line doesn’t have the kit you want. And that happens a lot, actually, so don’t be shy about picking one up. ($20 - $50)

People with decent memory spans might recall that “No Grade” was also the name of the crappiest 1/144 scale kits. To be honest, NG can refer to a lot of things so you’re probably best off specifying which scale you mean whenever you mention one. So this would be NG 1/100 while the NG/FG is a NG 1/144.

Master Grade (MG) is Bandai’s longest running line of kits, and usually the best bang for your buck. Featuring intricate detail, excellent articulation, and a slew of optional decals, this is the line you’ll want your favorite MS to show up in. Spoilers: unless your favorite is the RX-78-2 or the Zaku II you’re going to be waiting for a while. ($30 - $100+)

Inside the MG line are a couple sub-categories.

Early. The technology behind model kits has greatly improved with time, so of course early MGs aren’t as good as their more recent brethren. Whether it be an incomplete inner frame, poor balance, bad proportions, lack of articulation, or just a construction gimmick that went nowhere, all MGs prior to around the first Aile Strike are risky purchases. Good thing they’re usually cheaper!
Modern. A complete inner frame is probably the hallmark of the modern MG, as is the reusing of these frames. “Sister” suits like the Unicorn and Banshee Gundams will often look identical (or at least have very similar construction) underneath the armor. While this is certainly more cost-efficient for Bandai, it also means that different MGs aren’t necessarily different building experiences.
Version Katoki. Hajime Katoki has been involved in the design process of most MGs in some way, but there have been a couple where he has personally overseen every single step. These “vKa” kits are usually extremely high quality, but they’re more well-known for their proportions and ridiculous amount of optional decals. You can tell a Katoki kit right away by the boxart; every single one is just the MS standing there.
2.0. Updated re-releases of previous MGs (usually early ones that suck by today’s standards), these guys are all amazing. Now if only Bandai would release more...
1.5/OYW/3.0. As the flagship mecha of the franchise, the RX-78-2 has been released multiple times, usually to update it to the latest in model kit technology. Your best bet is likely the upcoming 3.0, but if you want something now you should choose between the 2.0 (amazing articulation and balance) and the OYW (excellent detail).

HG and MG are the kits most people will usually work with, the rest are for the more dedicated.

Real Grade (RG) is a bit of an oddball. Incredibly high detail (Perfect Grade level!) on a 1/144 frame, these kits are often the best-looking version of a MS you can find. Their main selling points are their two-tone color separation (something MG has recently adopted) and a revolutionary near pre-assembled inner frame. There’s a very small selection, however, and all but the MkII (pictured) tend to have idiosyncratic issues. These kits are not recommended for beginners, especially if you’re bad with small parts. ($30 - $40)

Perfect Grade (PG) is 1/60 and possesses, quite literally, perfect articulation and detail, as well as a ton of bells and whistles (the pictured 00 Raiser comes with LEDs). A modern PG is an excellent centerpiece for any collection. Older PGs (pre-Strike or so) with their loose joints and poor balance, not so much. Prices run at lowest $150 with most prices around $250.

The HY2M Glorious series are basically PGs. Good luck finding one though. NGs also come in 1/60 scale. Once again they’re just scaled up HGs, so don’t let their bulk intimidate you. Relatively pricey, though not nearly as much as a PG. (~$60)

Mega Size Models (MSM) are 1/48 behemoths. Double the size of your average MG, they are surprisingly simple. With easy to remove parts and HG level construction, these would make good beginner kits if they weren’t so huge and expensive. ($80- $100)

And now for something completely different. Super Deformed (SD) models are incredibly small and just as cheap. With few parts molded in fewer colors, they’re perfect models to practice painting with. There are two big groups, G-generation 0/F and BB Senshi. Stick with the latter if you can, they’re practically HGs. (~$10)

EX Models (EX) are just as unique. Focusing on battleships rather than mobile suits, these 1/400 kits require a lot of paint to look good. If you consider yourself an experienced painter, put your skills to the test with these! ($20 - $80)

And last, but certainly not least, the legendary 1/24 RX-78-2. If you got this you have more dollars than sense, I’m sorry.

That’s it for Gunpla. Every other kind of toy you can find is an action figure rather than something you assemble, and since this guide is for model kits I’m only going to give brief descriptions.

Robot Damashii - The main line for Sunrise robot action figures, these are essentially pre-built HGs. Any given RD is only in scale with other RDs from the same series, and in general they’re all about five to six inches tall. There’s a different thread for RDs, so go talk about them there.
MS in Action - These are from the late 90s, they were cheap and targeted at American audiences. They’ve been discontinued since Gundam 00.
High Complete Model Pro - 1/200 scale figures made out of lighter, harder plastic than the norm. Sometimes more detailed than RDs, since those are styled closer to the animation models. Most have a couple parts you need to assemble yourself, so they’re in a gray area as far as gunpla goes. Discontinued since Gundam 00.
Thanks to ∀nonymous !!3lJq8u66wnp and AGerbil for the information.
Super HCM Pro - HCM Pro on a 1/144 scale, they were RG level before there actually were RGs. Very expensive, and also discontinued.
FIX Figuration - Katoki's gundam line. The releases have his personal "touch".
Metal Build - High end 1/100 scale figures containing diecast metal. Very expensive.
Thanks to anon for the information.

Terminology [Tmy]

Gunpla - Gundam Plastic Model | Plamo - Plastic Model
Runner or Tree - The plastic that the a piece is attached to.
Sprue - The bit of plastic that attaches the piece to the runner.
Nub - The bit of plastic left on the piece after you cut it off of the runner.
Panel Line - The detail lines on the kit, ranging from the two lines on the mouthpiece to crazy things on the legs.
Dry Transfer - Decals that are applied with tape and rubbing. Typically are clear and have a sheet of wax paper underneath them.
Foil Stickers - These are stickers that are typically used for the cameras on most kits.
Decals/Stickers - Different from the regular foil stickers that most models come with, these are usually just to increase the detail of a model. If you buy vKa kits you’ll see a lot of them. They have a light green backing.
Water Slide Decals - Decals (not stickers) that are applied through various methods involving water, gloss coat, and Mr. Set (see this guide). Typically have a light blue backing and are rarely included in Bandai kits.
EMS - Refers to Express Mail Service, the most expensive shipping for Asian based stores and always the fastest. Most 1/144 kits will cost around $20 to ship through this method but I’ve yet to wait more than 5 days for a kit. And I’m on the East Coast of the US.
SAL - Surface Air Lift is the cheaper and slower option. Most 1/144 kits cost about $10 to ship this way but in exchange take around two weeks to ship. Unless otherwise noted, SAL is almost always unregistered if that bothers you.

Equipment [Eqp]

Here’s a basic list of tools, feel free to suggest things that you like or are more comfortable with in the thread.

Sprue cutters or a pair of small wire cutters. Xuron 410s are an excellent pair.
Fine grit sandpaper or files.
X-Acto brand hobby knife with a number 17 blade.
If you have the money get this set as it comes with a case, three handles, and the #17 and 18 blades (#18 is a bigger #17 and can be used when you have a thicker nub, or in place of the #17 if you are uncomfortable with it).
Toenail clippers, these are extremely useful but DO NOT use them for anything but cutting really thick sprues.
Black and gray fine point markers, preferably a Sakura Micron 005, a fine point Gundam Marker or lastly two super fine tipped Copic Markers.

Mechanical pencils work too if you can’t get any of these.

A filter mask. This isn’t necessary, but some of the paints and sprays used in this guide are toxic. If you’re smart you can avoid harm, but remember that you’ve only got one set of lungs. $30 spent on a good filter mask could mean saving $600 on a hospital trip.

Where to Buy [WtB]

So you’ve got your tools, made sense of my guide and decided on what you want. Good, now here are a few plastic crack suppliers. Remember to shop around, aka check a bunch of different retailers on their prices, including shipping. Even if you only save a few dollars, that can be the difference between being able to buy a Big Mac or not.

Your Local Hobby Shop

Not all towns have one, but if your’s does there’s no reason not to check it out. They might not sell Gunpla, but they’ll probably at least sell the tools.

Gundamstoreandmore

Something of a joke these days, considering they are out of stock for most new kits and update around three times a year. But if they do have something you’re interested in, it’s well worth buying from them since you can avoid international shipping. Also worth checking out for their weekly and monthly specials, which can be any number of things.

Hobbywave

Flat $12/$18 shipping fee and only for US/Canadian residents are all you need to know. Much better stock than GSAM (including tons of modeling supplies) and they actually update their website fairly often. Cheap prices too, though that’s offset by the shipping. They ship on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and allow you to add items to previous orders if they haven’t shipped yet.

Gundam Planet

Despite the name, they sell a ton of japanese toys. Their prices are pretty in line with Japan based companies. Shipping is either via USPS (pay by weight) or FedEx (pay by order value). Flat $9.99 for Fedex on orders less than $100, maximum of $18.95 charge for orders in excess of $300. Only thing to watch out for is that they will let you order backordered items currently, and they’ll hold your whole shipment until the backordered item is in (generally two weeks). They’ve got a pretty rad website design and open up their location on Fridays, Saturdays and restock days. Last time I went they had a few kits at reduced prices that they didn't put on the site because they came with damaged boxes from their shipment.

GGInfinite

Run by the guy from Gundam Guy. Generally has new kits within a reasonable time and is a good place to get exclusive kits like the GM Wagtail kit there. I have made multiple purchases and each one has been smooth and easy. Will honor some requests (I asked him to hold my order until all kits were in).

HobbySearch

Actually called 1999 in Japan (when you google hobby search, it pops up, it’s the right site). Being based in Japan gives them a massive advantage, the day a kit is released, it’s available for purchase and if you pre-ordered it, they’ll send you the bill. They have standard international shipping rates and the occasional sale on kits or shipping. I’ve had several good experiences with them and they respond well to emails.

HLJ

Hobby Link Japan. HLJ isn’t a bad place to look up dates for release but for actually buying, they are the most expensive, even when they have a sale going. They have a private warehouse where they store your purchases for up to 60 days in case you need to hold the delivery. I’d avoid them unless they are the only place that has a kit in stock or, like I stated above, have a good sale going. I’ve had several experiences with them and they are very efficient.

AmiAmi

My favorite retailer. They regularly have the lowest prices on any kit they have in stock and they update their stock constantly. The only issue with them is that they are a very popular retailer and will run out of stock quickly. So if you really want something, pre-order it. I’ve had numerous orders from them and they always respond quickly to emails.

eBay

For those of you who visit us on /toy/, you may occasionally hear eBay as a suggestion for buying gunpla and plamo. I’m sure you have your reservations about eBay, but it’s a good site to check if you are looking to buy one or two kits (especially if the person will combine shipping). Just make sure you know where your package is coming from and be sure to check the seller’s rating.

Amazon

Surprisingly, Amazon isn’t a bad place to look for gunpla. However, you need to make sure you are buying from Amazon directly, not a store using Amazon. If you are buying it from Amazon, your shipping will be fairly cheap, and if you have Amazon Prime, you can get free 2-day shipping. Just don’t expect cheap prices.

Mandarak

A Japanese based site that sells many different items including gunpla. It’s good for some kits you can't find anywhere else, and not so good for regular kits you can find on AmiAmi discounted. Doesn't have a shipping calculator so make it 1000 yen for SAL ($12) and 1750 for EMS ($22) on a single HGUC package. It has a 500 yen ($6) handling fee if your order is under 5000 yen (~$60), so when estimating the shipping facture those 500 yen in that if you're ordering less than 5000 yen worth of stuff. (Thank you kind anon)

Robot4Less

Almost everything is on sale, but it’s a trick. Their base prices are higher than other sites. Pricey for small orders. Decent to good for bulk orders. Free shipping within the US on orders over $100. The coupon code BUY100 takes $20 any order over $100. Good Customer Service. Has sales often. (Thank you kind anon)

ToyArena

Riktasi says this is a decent US based store with good prices and a couple exclusives. You’ve probably run into them if you buy on eBay or Amazon, they’re pretty reliable sellers. Unfortunately their website design blows.

Zombster, for the Australians

I was told of this retailer during one of the Gunpla General threads. I don’t know much about them but the anon said it was his primary retailer.

PS:

Gunpla friends not of the US, I feel I have a duty to inform you of something. Unless you live in Canada or Mexico, do not order from a US based retailer. The shipping costs will be astronomical, if they’ll ship internationally at all (those of you in US territories, I have no idea). Please make a note of this when you are searching for for models. As such, check your country’s version of Amazon first, then go look at Asian based retailers.

Where to start [WtS]

First off, let’s establish that Bandai is not the only model kit company in town. There are lots of alternatives, like Kotobukiya or Tomy. What Bandai is, though, is the best manufacturer. They’ve funneled a lot of their money into R&D, and as a result have superior plastic quality, model kit engineering, and even cheaper price points (all things considered). Pretty much the only reason you should buy from a different company is to get the kits Bandai doesn’t make, like Super Robot Wars OG or Zoids.

Now let’s talk Gunpla.

High Grade

So you want to build models, read my guide, browsed through dalong.net and checked out the various stores. And you still don't know where to start. Well I'll tell you:

1/144 High Grade Gundam 00. He costs around $10 at most stores and is easy to build; as an experienced builder I put him together in around five hours, including panel lining. You’ve got a lot of variants to choose from too), all of which are simple. Pick the one you like best and run with it.

Also:

this fucker’s flexible.

Master Grade

You've had your fun with the little guys and you want to move up to the big leagues. But while you’ve decided you want to build a MG, you don’t know much and they just look so big and scary. Well have no fear, I've got the perfect kits in mind.

First up are the Impulses. And by that I mean Force and Sword because Bandai hates Blast Impulse with a passion. Anyways, even if they aren't your favorite suits, Sword and Force Impulse are still pretty cool, and fairly simple builds as far as MGs are concerned.

Oh and this should be obvious but just in case, don’t get both. Just get the one you like more.

What? You want me to recommend one?

Well the Sword Impulse has a boomerang...

If you’re some kind of crazy boomerang hater, try one of the Seed vRM kits. They’re pretty cheap as far as MGs go, cover a wide range of interests, and are fun to play with.

And if you’re a UC supremacist (which I’m going to tell you right now is a fucking silly mindset), you can't go wrong with the 2.0’s of the RX-78-2 or the RX-178 Gundam Mk II.

Some people hate the RX-78-2 2.0 because of how cartoony it looks.

Well the 2.0 doesn’t give a shit, talk to the feet. The feet are apparently Korean.

More Recommendations

1/144

Gunpla Starter Kit (includes a RX-78-2 and a gray fine point gundam marker)
HG Gundam Astraea (very good for learning to do basic mods, includes an Exia)
HGUC GM (lots of versions, simple, cheap, and a great testbed for going further)
HGUC Zaku II (same reasons as GM, now in Zeon flavor)
HGUC Unicorn Destroy Mode (has tons of small parts, good for practicing cutting)
HGUC Hazel (pick any, it’s practically a GM)
HGUC Ball Twin Set (cheap, and good practice for cutting round parts)
HGAW Gundam X (an all-around fun kit that’s good for practicing panel lines)

HGAW Gundam Double X (as soon as this comes out you all better get it)

HGFC God Gundam (very fun to play with, tons of poses)
HG AGE-1 Spallow (simply amazing engineering)
Basically anything from AGE is good.

1/100

MG AGE-1 Normal
MG AGE-1 Normal
No, seriously, MG AGE-1 Normal
Did I mention MG AGE-1 Normal?
Because MG AGE-1 Normal is a good choice.

(looking for more, feel free to mention a few)

With all of that said, let me make one last note: try to avoid HGs older than 2005 and MGs older than 2007. The older a kit is, the more likely it sucks. Look here for release dates for HGUC and MG kits.

Actually Building [AyB]

Basic Tips

So you’ve got your kit and tools and you know you need to put the thing together. Your first step is to make a workspace somewhere, as big as you can manage, and as far away from cats, dogs, small children, and anyone/thing you feel could mess with your pieces.

Read the fucking instructions. All of the words are in japanese, but the pictures are clear enough to tell you what to do.

Lay out your runners however you like, though if you only have a few alphabetical order can be helpful. Lay your instruction book out in plain view and keep your cut and trimmed pieces in it while building. Try not to just leave pieces sitting around for prolonged periods, they’ll get lost. Keep a mason jar or thick plastic box or something to keep loose pieces in.

Read the fucking instructions. All of the words are in japanese, but the pictures are clear enough to tell you what to do.

Remove your pieces with your wire cutters or side cutters or whatever you have Just don’t use scissors, it won’t end well. (Video guide: http://youtu.be/K6wyiA5yJCQ)

Read the fucking instructions. All of the words are in japanese, but the pictures are clear enough to tell you what to do.

I seriously can not stress reading the instructions enough. It sound simple (and it is!), but you have no idea how easy it it is to accidentally put in the wrong piece. And when you find out thirty steps later and have to disassemble the whole thing, well let’s just say there are suicide hotlines for this kind of thing. There aren’t.

Trimming

As soon as you cut a piece off the runner, you’ll run into nubs. Don’t worry, this is where your X-Acto knife comes in, assuming you followed my advice at any rate.

Take your #17 or #18, and lay the flat part of the blade (the bottom is completely flat, the top, where it has an incline is the blade. Yes, I’ve had to explain this before) on the piece, right in front of the nub. Now simply go forward and the nub will come off, you may have to wiggle or get a pair of side cutters or toenail clippers if a piece is real thick, but nine times out of ten this works best. (Video guide: http://youtu.be/bPs9zhQ7OAY)

Alternatively, you can take your sandpaper and just rub the nub down.

If you did things right, you’ll have a slightly discolored bit of plastic where the nub is. You can try scratching it with your fingernail, but if you want to make it go away entirely you’ll need paint.

Detailing

So you followed the instructions to the letter and now you have a finished kit. Problem is, you also have a bunch of decals on a sticker sheet and don’t know what to do with them. Honestly you probably should have put those stickers on while you were building, but hey no biggie. Just treat them like regular stickers and place them where the instruction booklet says to (which sticker you should use is usually indicated with a japanese character, if you’re not good with those just put the sticker sheet next to the picture and match). Pulling them off can be a hassle, but hey you have the shiny X-Acto knife, put it to use. If you have to you can also cut the decal out from the sheet and pull it off. This is also a good technique if there are excessive amounts of nothing (clear areas) on a decal and you are having trouble placing it.

Now dry apply/waterslide, those are a different story. With dry apply, it is crucial to remember which side of the sheet you have facing up. If you screw up, you’re going to end up with the decal permanently stuck to the tape. Also use small strips of tape, or you could end up covering (and ripping off) an already placed decal. As for waterslide, I recommend putting them on first since putting water on dry apply/stickers is a recipe for disaster.

Next up, panel lining. I hope you at least bought black and grey of whatever pen you chose. The methodology here is super simple: fill in lines. However, don’t go insane and make the lines super thick (well you can, but...), they end up looking terrible, and you’ll probably end up hating them as well. Try to get them in as thin as you can, use a cotton swab, a piece of tissue, your finger, whatever you can to rub off the excess. Clean, thin lines look far better than the crazy thick monstrosities dalong uses. Speaking of him, using his pictures isn’t a bad way to see how the lines should be done, however like I said try not to make them quite so thick. (Video guide: http://youtu.be/js5EFWqX5S8)

As for which color to use (or which tool). I generally prefer to use pencil lead or a gray marker on lightly colored kits, white, light blues, and the like. For darker colors I tend to use black, or in rare circumstances, gray, but never pencil lead (you can’t usually see it). However, much like everything involving models, it’s your damn kit and you can damn well do what you please, don’t listen to me, listen to yourself, if you think black looks better, then do it.

Panel Washes

The Super Pro way to panel line, and definitely something you should learn. Go here.

And here we have Bandai's official video tutorials (haven't watched them myself): http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=CLBaWUtvrHhfg

Going Further [GFr]

Paint:

Whether or not you should paint is completely up to you, most kits look fine out of the box nowadays. I’d really recommend it, though, since one of the main draws of gunpla is that it’s really easy to paint. What I don’t recommend, however, is that you paint your first kit; build a few to build up experience before you buy one you want to pretty up. And maybe get a SD kit to practice on first.

Now if you’ve decided you want to paint, ask yourself how you want to do it. You have three options:

Hand Painting. Not recommended for 1/100 kits and up, but still doable. You’ll need fine brushes (preferably synthetic if you use enamel paints) and a steady hand.
Airbrushing. The best choice if you’re willing to spend the cash to get a good airbrush. Their main advantage is how easy it is to spray even coats. Chris wrote up an excellent guide on them, scroll down to it if you’re interested.
Spray Can. The “budget choice” except not really. Spray cans costs really add up. By far the easiest to use, but tend to lay on paint too thick. They’re harder to control too, so getting even coats can be tough.

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Skip to the next dashed line if you don’t want an airbrush.

What Airbrush should I buy? (thanks Chris)

Mechanically, there are two types - single action, and double action. There is no reason to purchase a single action brush and you should NOT consider purchasing one at any price range. A double action lets you push down on the trigger for air flow, and pull back on the trigger for paint flow. This is essential for any sort of shading technique.

Physically, there are two airbrush styles to consider - gravity feed and siphon feed. The style is really personal preference based on how you hold the brush and how you're storing, delivering, and cleaning up paint, and has nothing to do with the quality of the brush. Each style will have dozens of brush brands and tiers to be confused by, and will pretty much all look identical anyways. Popular brushes are the Badger 150 (siphon) and the Iwata HP-CS (gravity).

There are considerations to take when deciding if an airbrush is right for you. The first is location. Painting in a climate controlled indoor area is ideal - do you have a space that can be properly ventilated, and the money for a fume hood or the time/skills to build your own fume hood? If not, is the climate where you live going to be extremely cold or hot, or extremely dry or humid? If you live in a temperate area, a garage or outdoor porch may work for most of the year, but consider it before you make the investment. Paint is formulated to be sprayed at room temperature and 40% humidity. Fume hoods can be purchased in a range of shapes and sizes to suit your work area, and there are many DIY solutions that Google can point you towards.

The second is cost. You will easily find complete kits to get you started on eBay or Amazon, particularly from a company called TCPGlobal. It's hard to narrow down the exact recommendation for a kit, because there is a seemingly endless array of mixed packages. The price range is $100-$300. The bottom end will get you a Chinese knock-off compressor and brush and a cheap hose. The top end will get you a Badger or Iwata brush, a Paasche or equivalent compressor, a nice nylon hose, a regulator, and a tank.

A tank will store compressed air so that your compressor is not constantly running, which makes some noise and vibration. Connecting a new tank to an existing compressor can be wishy-washy; if you have the $300, get a complete unit the first time. If you don't, don’t worry! There’s no need to commit to your equipment, this is a product geared towards swapping and upgrading. So if you skipped getting a tank or settled for a Chinese compressor in order to afford a real brush (Badger, Iwata, Paasche), that’s fine! That compressor might last ten years instead of thirty, but you can swap it out by then. A fresh nylon hose is like, $10 if your kit comes with a crappy one. As long as you at least have a compressor and the appropriate hose adapter, your brush will work.

Here is an example of a kit that you should just ignore. If the compressor or brush appears to be made of plastic, just keep on walking.

Here is an example of a barebones entry level kit. Two no-name products, a regulator and a hose. But you can set it up and start spraying and it'll still beat hand-brushing by a mile.

Here is an example of a very solid middle-ground kit. The brush featured is a solid make and model but is an "economy" brush for Iwata. The regulator is included and the compressor is good, but there's no tank and the hose isn't as nice as it could be.

Here is an example of an ultimate baller kit. If you've got the cash, and you find something to complain about it, you're a jerk.

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Next up is actually painting. Kendal wrote a great guide for this, and if it’s not enough then there are more guides all over the net.

Painting (Thanks Kendal)

What paint should I use?

If you have an airbrush then use Acrylic or Lacquer. If not, then use Acrylic or Enamel. Enamel is a pain to use in an airbrush but it’s really good for hand painting. Lacquers can be hand painted but since the lacquer base is so strong it will likely eat away at the bottom layer if you work it too hard.

Lacquer is natural or synthetic and is the strongest of all the 3 major paints. It is also the most difficult to remove which is a plus and a minus. You will find with acrylics that they will easily chip, this is not the case if done right with lacquers or enamels.

Paint in layers. Doesn’t matter what tool you’re using, do multiple coats. If you’re hand painting, have each following coat be perpendicular to each other to mask the brush strokes.

Thin your paints. Unless you’re using a spray can, this is an all-important step that will determine how well everything goes. Properly thinned paint will flow well, stick on well, and cure well. Poorly thinned paints will not.

For Acrylics, what thinner you use depends on what your paint’s made of. If it’s water based, get water-based thinner. If it’s alcohol based, get alcohol-based thinner. You can try making your own homebrew thinner if you want.
For Enamel, use brand name thinner or Odorless Paint Thinner for oils.
Lacquer can only use brand name thinners.
Properly thinned paint has the consistency of milk.

If you’re using acrylics, SgtSagara wrote up a guide for thinning them. Check it out below!

Flowchart

Sand-> Prime -> Lacquer -> Gloss Coat -> Enamel or acrylic -> Details* -> Top coat

*If you plan on weathering or what not, then apply a glossy clear coat here.

**Decals go either before or after weathering and fine enamel or acrylic detail. It depends on if your weathering the decals as well. Apply decals on a glossy coat!

Paint Cure times

This is NOT when the paint is dry to the touch. This is when the paint has finished with its chemical process and fully bonded to the plastic. It is advised that you wait out this entire period in any serious hand painting project (anything beyond small details) before you play with your newly painted kit.

Acrylics: 1 week
Enamel: 1-2 days
Lacquer: 1 day or less

With that said, while you’re painting an hour between each coat should be enough time.

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Thinning Acrylics with Mediums for Airbrushing (Thanks SgtSagara)

A lot of people think it’s best to use the appropriate thinners for each brand of paint, but with acrylics it generally doesn't matter. It’s all the same shit, just with slightly different mixture and pigment ratio/sizes. Do note that Tamiya has a special alcohol-based thinner though, and enamels/lacquers are completely different types of paints. This is for water-based acrylics only.

You probably want to start cheap and easy and just get a small bottle of Golden or Liquitex airbrush medium. It has retarder, flow aid, and acrylic thinner all mixed in.

Retarder is a chemical to slow the drying process so the paint has time to hit the surface and flatten our. Flow aid helps it even out and get smooth, perfect surfaces with no textures. And acrylic thinner is basically clear, slightly runnier liquid plastic that acts like water, but doesn't give the paint the watery properties that mess up the flow and make it so runny that it pools.

Transparent extender is another medium that tries to make paints, well, transparent. I have had no luck trying to use it for actual transparent paint, but it can be used to thin a paint so it can layer and blend easier.

Future floor polish (now Pledge with Future) is super strong acrylic floor coating. It works great as a flow aid too, and when added to acrylic the final, dried result will be rock solid. Note that it’s, so when you spray it with an airbrush expect some fumes.

For PSI (the pressure the compressor is set to) you want to go no higher than 10-20 if you don’t have to. If your paint is thinned well enough you can spray it at these lower pressures without it drying from too much air flow on the tip or in mid-air. With the retarder and flow aid it will still be plenty wet and dry evenly, and you get the added benefit of more control, less wasted paint, less dry tips, less stuttering, etc.

I would also recommend you get an airbrush paint mixer like this. It will mix your paint into the mediums much faster and much better than you can ever hope to and results in paint with no lumps that sprays cleanly and evenly.

It may also be a good idea for you to get some small plastic cups with lids that seal well to mix paint in, as you do not want to add the thinner to your paint bottles. I have around 50-100 small cups I mix paints in and extras of mixed colors so in case I ever want to use a certain shade again I can just pour it into the airbrush. This conserves paint and saves time.

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Aside from painting, there’s a lot of other stuff you can do. Modding, weathering, seam welding... wait, what was that last one? SgtSagara is here to explain again.

Seam Welding/Filling (Thanks SgtSagara)

Pic related since, you know, welding. Using plastic cement, lightly apply a bit to the edges of both parts and then press together. Using a rubber band or such to make sure the edge is tight can be useful for some parts. After drying you can use a knife, file or sandpaper to remove the ooze from the cement that leaked out and then smooth it down, giving you what appears to be one single piece.

As for filling, the easiest way I have discovered is to use testors contour putty, lightly thinned with acetone or nail polish remover in a glass bottle. It can then be brushed onto seams and holes and layered up until full. This is much easier than trying to force heavy putty into small cracks. Afterwards you can sand it down, but it’s easier to simply take a cotton swab or paper towel soaked with rubbing alcohol and rub over the seam. Kind of like cleaning the excess off a panel line.

Oh and another thing: you only want to use these techniques on parts you do not need to take apart again and generally do not have moving parts and polycaps in them. Some parts like upper arms that just have a polycap female end are fine, but ones with moving caps you generally don't want to be glueing and filling since you can damage or clog the moving parts.

In other cases, such as large leg panels where you have a large obvious seam in the center you don’t want to risk welding, you can instead paint the parts together as one part. Prime then paint, and once it cures, just pull them apart to put in the caps and other parts. If your paint wasn't too thick disassembly will be easy, and you’ll get a clean seam that won’t really show when the parts are pushed back together. If the paint was too thick, and the parts are stuck together, you can use an exacto knife to lightly relieve the seams so they pull apart but still fit back together nicely.

Top Coat:

Finally, the topcoat. It doesn’t matter what you did to your kit, or if you even did anything it all, everything leads to this. Read Ryan’s write-up for details.

Top Coating (Thanks Ryan)

What is it and why you should use it

Top coat is just that, the top coat that you apply to your completed kit. This stuff seals in your paint and decals, helping to prevent them from peeling or scratching off. Top coat also provides a "finish" that changes the look of your kit’s colors. The process is very simple and can make your kit look a lot better with almost no effort.

Types of Top Coat

While top coat comes in many brands, there are only three main types. All will seal in your detailing, the difference is what your kit will look like.

Flat - Also known as Matte or dull coat, when applied it will take the shine from the plastic and dull the colors a tad bit. This gives it a more "realistic" look, rather than having it look like a plastic toy. Flat coat is a standard choice for a lot of modelers.
Semi Gloss - This coat gives the kit a little bit of a shine, but on a plastic kit like gunpla it’s hardly noticeable. Think of it as a neutral coat that doesn’t do anything beyond making it a little shinier.
Gloss - This topcoat will make your kit look VERY shiny, as well as give it a wet sheen like a new sports car. This is normally used on metallic or glossy colors, however certain kits can look very good with a gloss rather than a dull coat.

Decals adhere well to gloss coats, so that’s why you’ll see a lot of flowcharts recommend you use prior to the final coat.

Good Top Coat brands and where to find them

Tamiya - An excellent brand for top coating, Tamiya makes some of the best Flat coat available. It can be a little expensive though. Tamiya can be found at certain Hobby shops.
Mr. Super Clear - A decent brand that can be found at a lot of Hobby shops. Works well and is reasonably priced.
Testors - Testors tends to be exceptionally common in not only Hobby shops but also arts and crafts stores. It works okay, but can be expensive for the size of the can you get.
Krylon - Krylon is found not in Hobby stores, but in the paint sections of hardware and department stores. Krylon works okay, and you get a big can for your money. It’s the "budget" option if you aren't looking to spend a lot of money.

More Top Coating information

http://moregelgoogguy.wordpress.com/2012/08/13/top-coats/

Playing Around [PgA]

Now that you’re done building your kit, there’s only one thing left to do: play with it! Don’t be a stick in the mud, you didn’t buy that toy just so you could build it and never touch it again. Pose it, display it, take pictures, hold one in each hand and make fight sounds, whatever you want. Just have fun!

Alright, are you done? Good, now let’s talk about how to do all of that right.

Display:

If you have kids, younger siblings, or cats, keep these models out of their reach, preferably in some kind of display case with a door they can’t open or don’t know how to open. Cats are vicious little buggers with models and I have a collection of chewed up beam sabers and a Unicorn v-fin to prove it.

Even if you don’t have anyone like that, it’s still a good idea to keep your kits someplace safe. It really sucks when you trip, slam your desk, and all of your cool models topple over.

Posing:

Don’t go crazy with your poses, if you want to take a few pictures to show off the articulation, go ahead, but yoga poses can look stupid. Try to keep the poses “natural” looking, as in keep the arms at proper looking angles and have the feet slightly apart. Basically, do the pose yourself in a mirror to see how things should look.

Also, do you have an Action Base? Use it!

Action Bases exist so you can make a kit do its full range of poses without worrying about balance, and come in a multitude of colors. There are three types: Action Base 1 is primarily for 1/100 scale, though HGs can fit (and look silly). AB 2 (pictured) is for 1/144. And AB 3 is also for either, and has a gimmick where you can put a postcard in it to make your model look like it’s flying out of the picture. Action Bases can be connected to each other so you can pose two models at once.

A detailed before and after that also shows off what you can do with an Action Base. Thanks USB desk anon!

Posing tips from Silentman0 on the SA Forums:

Make sure the feet aren't parallel. When a person stands up, their feet naturally splay out in opposing directions. When the feet are parallel, it appears more stiff and wooden. Only pose them with parallel feet if they're standing in formation or are docked. The best way to do this is to manipulate the joints where the hips meet the pelvis.
Have them look/aim off to the side. Humanoid robots have necks and waists, use them! It allows them to have a smaller profile, and cover more of their body with a shield, if they have one. Just like with the feet, they only need to be facing straight forward when they're not really being used. It also helps to bend the elbows in a natural way.
Idle hands look boring. If a model has a big gun/sword that looks like it would need both hands to hold, use both hands! Even if you can't open the fingers, just putting the hand near where it should be will help a lot. If it's a small gun, put a small sword in its off hand, or if it has a shield on that arm, make it so it's covering itself with it.
Try and imagine how the weight is distributed. Yeah, robots are big and strong and metal, but imagine if it were you. Would you have to brace yourself if you were holding a big gun in front of you? Where would you put your feet? Would you put more weight on one of your legs than the other?

Making pew-pew noises:

For something like this, your only limit is your imagination and possibly your alcohol tolerance. Grasp those kits firmly and fucking pew pew pew ka-shing BOOM whiz the fuck out of nearby ears.

And remember: beam swords don’t go pew-pew. Unless it’s a gun beam sword, then it's okay.

Photography [Ptg]

Your kit’s posed in the perfect display, and you want to show it to the world. While taking the whole shebang in some sort of traveling circus is an option, it’s easier just to post it online. And to do that, you’ll need to take a good picture. For the purposes of this guide I’m going to assume the only thing you know how to do is turn your camera on.

Camera Settings

ISO settings as low as they can go.
Ensure that the pictures are on the highest quality setting.
Turn on the macro setting.
Turn off auto focus.
Play with white balance. Try preset manual if it’s an option. Just take multiple pictures with the different light settings and see which one looks best.
Okay, easy part’s over, time for the annoying and finicky bit. Now that your camera settings are good to go, it’s time to get an area for your pictures.

Picture Space

You’ve got some options here. You can go outside and find a nice clear space, or you can make one. Making an area is simple. Just find a clear spot on your desk or table and whatever, and add a background. Simple? No, not really. You need to make sure the surface the model is standing on is one color, and the background should also be one color. My advice? Get some of that posterboard crap and use that as your background, white, black, or any other light color (not yellow) works well. If necessary, get a second piece of posterboard for the standing surface.

Another good (and relatively cheap) option is a Light Tent/Cube. They cost about ?15 on eBay, come in 12" or 20", have 4 backdrops (Black, White, Blue and Red) and have a door/cover with a slit in it so that when you're photographing a reflective object you don't get yourself in the shot. Also the material (I think it's nylon) diffuses the light, preventing sharp shadows. So you can take the shot either in natural light outside or with a couple of desk lamps inside and you won't notice the difference. Plus it collapses into a small bag. (Thanks anon!)

Lighting

This can be the trickiest bit of taking pictures, getting the lighting right. If you’re outside, chance are it’s a sunny day and you can largely ignore this. Otherwise, read on.

The basics of lighting are pretty simple: Get light on the direction you’re taking the picture in. A really easy (and cheap) way to do lighting is to get a desk lamp (one that is moveable) and stick that near your area. Just move it around as you need. Now, about the bulb you’re using. LED is my preference, although they are a bit more expensive at around $12 for the cheaper ones at Lowes. Honestly you can use whatever you want, halogen, fluorescent, or incandescent. Okay maybe not that last one, hopefully you have a bit more funds and can avoid incandescent. And of course, you have other options than a desk lamp, but that’s up to you. I’m just covering the basic and easy method here.

Something important to keep in mind is that your lighting will determine your camera settings. In other words, the solution for all of your problems is to add more light. Can’t get the ISO low enough? Make it brighter. Your lens isn’t focusing well enough? Shine on harder. And so on.

Resizing

Please, for the love of all things good and holy, resize your pictures. I know, most people don’t have dial-up anymore, but I think the average download speed is like 6Mb, which is rather paltry if you have to load up 40+ pictures. So to avoid clogging up some poor schmuck's bandwidth, you’re going to resize, because you’re a nice person (I hope). You’ve got a few options with this one.

Imgur - Basic. You upload your picture and save the one it gives you. Not bad for single pictures. Clunky for multiple.
Photobucket - Online image gallery. You can upload several at once, but it’s clunky to download them.
Flickr - Same deal as Photobucket.
Photoshop - Not a bad option, but considering how slow it is to do, it’s not really recommended unless you need to mess with lighting.
Light Image Resizer - This is what I use. It’s free, and you can do batches. Just pick the resolution you want (I like 1600x1200) and click.

Fixing

So what do you do if your images come out looking crazy? Well, here’s two options. In Photoshop, find the Auto Tone, Auto Contrast, and Auto Color options. One of these should help you. In Photoshop Express, find the white balance option.

For 4chan bros.

Hello friends of 4chan, specifically /toy/ (and perhaps /m/). My tripcode on 4chan is, Gelgoog Guy !!XOac6frt+Ny, feel free to yell at me if you see me off of /toy/. Here’s a super handy add on for 4chan. It’s called 4chan X, and it lets you bookmark threads without actually bookmarking them. To install it with Firefox, first get the addon Scriptish, then go here. For you Chrome domes, you just download it and enable it by going here chrome://settings/extensions. For Opera, if you haven't set your userscripts folder:

Go to Preferences (Ctrl + F12) → Advanced → Content → JavaScript Options → User JavaScript Folder.
Choose what will be your userscripts folder.
Save the 4chan X file into your userscripts folder.

And for those of you using IE, switch to Chrome or Firefox already!

Now to actually bookmark the Gunpla General thread, you click the four leaf clover beside the OP’s name (usually me or one of the other trips).

Conclusion [CnC]

That model is yours. If you don’t like the way I do something in this guide, then do it the way you want to. If you feel like painting something bright pink and covering it with purple dots, go right ahead. Hell you might even make it look cool, don’t let the internet put you off. Just don’t write off criticism as someone being an ass, sometimes people are honestly trying to help you improve. Though there are some elitists, it’s 4chan.

Now to all of you novices, remember something: you don’t have to sand your kit, paint it, panel lines, or top coat it. Everything beyond actually assembling the kit is completely optional. But damn if a kit doesn’t look better after some or all of that. On the interest of showing you what you should shoot for, I’m going to show you a few of my kits, and explain what I did to them.

This is my HGUC GM Custom. On this kit I applied sticker decals, panel lined, and did some very basic touch up work (painting the thrusters and the verniers) as described by the instruction booklet. I did no major painting or top coating.

Here’s my HGUC Zaku II FZ. Once again, I applied its sticker decal (on the shoulder shield), panel lined, and did basic touch up painting. But this time I also top coated this kit with Krylon flat finish. It doesn’t show up well in the picture, but then again it isn’t as obvious in person either.

And finally, here’s my HGUC Jegan Echoas Type. Of these three kits, this is the one I put the most work into. I panel lined it, applied decals, extensively painted it, and top coated it with Tamiya flat coat. It’s much more obvious than the Krylon and a lot nicer looking. Try comparing it to the pictures on dalong.

The GM Custom is how most of my kits are (minus the touch up paint) and I only have two top coated kits, the Zaku shown and the Jegan. It’s not something I always do because it’s time consuming. However if that’s what you want your kit to look like go for it. But once again, there is nothing wrong with just doing filling in panel lines and applying sticker decals. Do what you want, the kit is yours and we can’t reach through the internet and make you do something different.

Just one final piece of advice: be careful. Just like following the instruction it sound so simple, but if you’ve read this entire guide you’re likely starting to grasp that a lot goes on in building a kit. I’ve messed up several models with very basic errors that could have been avoided if I’d simply paid more attention to the instructions, the model itself, or even stuff in this guide.

On that note, I bid you good day. Happy building!

Feel free to email me any changes you find appropriate, I’ll add them in. And just so everyone knows, I’m not going to give anyone else editing privileges until five years have passed.

Peanutman4002@gmail.com if it doesn’t show up. Alternatively, I sit on Skype and Steam most days so you could try tj-wooten and cradle_of_filth_fan_666 if you have an immediate question or issue. There’s also #gunpla on RizonIRC now, join it for crazy political discussions, anime blogging, video game bitching, maro bashing, Blitz’s hating, and gun chat. And sometimes gunpla.