Layman’s Gunpla Guide

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Dry Brushing Tutorial

Dry brushing is an extremely simple and easy way to add scratch marks around your kit or depth to its internal frame. What makes the process easy is that you only need a brush and some paint. What makes the process special is that you’re applying the paint when it’s nearly dry. This allows for only a little bit of paint to be applied at a time and in thinner, narrower streaks than you’d get with regularly applied paint.

Dry Brushing the Internal Frame

The only equipment you need for this method is stiff bristled brush, some paint, and paper whose color contrasts with the paint you’re using. I like to use an old toothbrush and save myself the trouble of buying a brush just for this purpose. read more

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Miscellaneous Equipment

Another revamp in progress! New stuff at top, old at the bottom.

The further into the hobby you get the more and more odd tools and bits of equipment get picked up. This is a partial list of some of the miscellaneous equipment I’ve used here and there for the years. It’s not a comprehensive list by any means but may help stir some brain cells. Note that these are items you will not need for a basic build, paint, or detail only project.

Large Cutters

Have a pair of large cutters laying around? They’re no good for removing pieces from runners but are great for taking apart runners. If you strip down a length of runner it will make a good paint stir or even a support when you paint a piece. Some kits feature extra or unused pieces. One option for storing them is to trim down the runner and only save where pieces remain. Sure, you can do that with your regular nippers, but larger cutters make the task easier. read more

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Airbrushing Tutorial

Introduction

Airbrushing can be sound pretty daunting to a lot of folks. It may not be the simplest way to go about painting your kits. Nor the least expensive way to start out. Yet the time and energy spent into learning, using, and maintaining your equipment will no doubt pay off with some of the best paint jobs imaginable.

Starting off with airbrushing requires a bit of an investment; airbrush, compressor, and various little bits and pieces to bring it all together. Setup can run anywhere from $75 all the way to $500 and beyond. Buying the most expensive equipment doesn’t mean you’ll be a master anymore than lower end products will ruin your kit, it’s all in how you use it. Currently I use a Badger Renegade Velocity along with a Badger Airstorm compressor. read more

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Construction Guide

Welcome to the construction guide! The goal here is to review some of the basics of taking transforming that box of plastic runners into a proper Gundam kit. Beginners who have picked up their first kit have probably opened up the box, looked at the runners, than the Japanese instructions. How do you feel? Excited, maybe have a sense of tribulation? Well worry not!

Despite the number of small parts and the Japanese instructions putting together a kit perhaps the easiest part of the hobby.

Basic Terminology

Before we begin it’s important that you familiarize yourself with some of the common terminology. Those plastic things with all the pieces attached? Those are called runners. The parts of the runner which connect directly to the kit’s pieces are called sprues. When you cut a piece from the runner and sprue there will likely be a little piece of plastic left sticking out of the piece itself, that is called a nub. read more

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Weathering Tutorial

Some people like their kits nice, clean, and pristine, Others like them looking like they just got kicked down a hill. Weathering can add detail from the subtle to the extreme depending on your preferences. The best part is that it’s extremely easy (and cheap) to do. It’s also a lot of fun. There are many different ways to weather a kit. Here are just a few.

Distressing Decals

It stands to reason that if your gunpla is getting worn down, so would the markings. This part’s easy. After you’ve fully applied your decals, simply scratch away with a toothpick. I think it adds character. read more

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Top Coat Guide & Tutorial

Welcome to the top coat tutorial on the Layman’s Gunpla Guide. Top coating is an incredibly easy way to add an extra dimension to your Gundam model. Unpainted kits can look great with just a nice top coat while painted kits will gain that extra umph. Top coats also serve to protect the underlying paint and details while the difference between a matte and gloss finish can dramatically change the feel of a project. Top coats, especially a dull one, has the extra benefit of helping to hide the edges of any applied decals. read more

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Buying Kits & Difficulty Grades

First timers might be wondering where exactly to start. There have been hundreds of kits released since 1980, if not thousands. Over the years the complexity and engineering has (generally) improved as Bandai’s production technologies and design methods advance.

Size and Scale

Gundam models, like most other plastic models have an accompanying original to model ratio, or scale. A 1/100 kit would be roughly 100 times smaller than actual size of the object the kit represents. A 1/60 scale kit would only be 60 times smaller resulting in a larger model. read more

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Posing & Bases!

Probably the most important thing you can do after putting together a model is give it a pose. Add some life and personality to your kit.

Posing

It’s a rookie mistake, your Gundam shouldn’t stand around stiff as a robot. It should be allowed to loosen up as to look and feel more natural.

 (click for larger, via ??? with thanks to /m/)

From here on everything is up to you. Reenact a scene, pit it in combat against another model, make it dance, facepalm, etc. If you’re working on your first kit with individual fingers, do what everyone does the first time, flip the bird. I really shouldn’t have to help with this part. read more

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Decals & Stickers

[flickr-photo:id=13103543165,size=n] (Click to Enlarge)

Panel lining and top coats are simple and great ways to spruce up a kit. Applying decals is another great way. It’s simple, easy and a great way to customize your kit’s appearance. Most Master Grade kits come with a set of stickers and decals (either wet or dry transfer). Perfect Grade kits tend to come with a lot more (because of the size) and most HG do not come with any at all. The good news is there are quite a few third party decal makers out there in addition to basic detailing sets straight from Bandai. read more

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Painting Equipment

I decided to break this page down into three different sections relating to airbrushing equipment, hand and detailing painting equipment, and everything else that you’ll need. Of course, you’re also going to need some paint!

Airbrushing Equipment

Airbrushes


(Click to Enlarge)

Picking out an airbrush can be pretty daunting at first. Here’s some information on the basic types of airbrushes…

  • Gravity, Siphon, or Side-Feed – Different brushes receive their paint in different ways, gravity receives it from a reservoir on top and siphon brushes pull it from a jar beneath. Side fed, as you might have guessed by now, receives it from the side of the brush. Gravity fed brushes are my favorite on account of their ease of use. You can add as little paint as you like to the reservoir as opposed to a siphon fed system which will generally require a bit more paint for proper suction in a jar below. Siphon fed systems are also more painful to clean as the small tube used to suck up the paint can easily become clogged without proper maintenance. The benefit to siphon airbrushes is that the bottom heavy jar will generally provide enough support to rest the brush between coats. In addition most models allow you to swap jars on the fly compared to having to empty a gravity fed brush’s reservoir.
  • Single Action and Double Action – Single action brushes only allow one spray mode. Push the button and paint comes out the other side at a standard rate. Changing the rate requires moving the needle back and forth, usually by turning one end of the brush. Double action brushes allow you to move the needle back and forth on the fly, changing the flow rate.
  • Internal/External Mixing – At some point paint and air are going to mix, either internal to the brush or external. I feel as though internally mixing brushes give a more consistent spray and have had better luck with them over the years. They are a bit more difficult to clean than externally mixing brushes where the and air paint mix outside of your brush’s components.

Which brush is right for you? Well that’s something only you’ll be able to figure out. Each type has it’s own pros and cons and everyone is going to have their own preference. Some advanced modelers even have multiple types on hand for different purposes. To make things easier I recommend a simple gravity fed brush. read more

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