Bandai EX 1/144 - HT-01B Magella Attack - WiP 1

Hope everyone had lovely Christmas, i did myself and spent nearly a whole week of over indulgences, my bad.

One from the haul i brought back from Japan. This Magella Attack is based on the more realistic M.S. Igloo 2 version which must of had around a minute of screen time or less. Another awesome redesign from U.C. Hardgraph, which lately ive become a bit obsessed with modelling.

An excellent model and a proper model from Bandai this one, you need to glue quite a few parts together on this one instead of the usual snap-fit. Great thing about this model is no visible seam line, no freaking putty to sand, sweet! Still plenty of sprue snubs to sand and so many single pieces of tank tread, very fidley. Added a little detail to the rear, hollowed out the exhaust and a few bit gibblies, but really could have left it as was.



Realised i didn't do a review of this kit before i started to model it but 2 kits per box, one i will build as the Magella Attack and the other in the far future a Zaku Tank maybe.

Ian

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas all! Enjoy and be merry!
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06S Zaku II "Char Aznable Custom" - WiP 3 - Decaled, assembled.

Wanted Char's Zaku to be less pink and more red and yeah it very red. Quite bling in the photo, always had trouble photographing red, always over saturated.

Painted the red differently to the green zaku, instead of following the RG instructions and have every panel a different shade, ive kept to the usual Zaku scheme and painted the body one whole colour and the limbs another. When looking at real military vehicles separate panel are very rarely painted different shades, i figure why noit with future weapons.

Got these 2 Rg Zaku up to the same stage right now, painted the metallic effects on the joints instead of the stickers which came with the kits.

Decaled the green MS-06F first some time ago and followed the instructions perfectly but after finishing it thought that maybe the decals made it look too busy so Char's Zaku ive decaled less tried only one decal perfect limb.

Next up weathering
Ian

Japan Trip 2011 - Day 7, part Ichi - Shinjuku and Harajuku

Day 7 in Japan was super busy, after this day my feet where arching big time, did so much i split the photos in 2 batches.

Started off in the morning in Shinjuku, where i spent some time wondering around enjoying the amazing Technological Tokyo landscape before next moving on down to Harajuku. There i visited the Meiji shrine and Takashita Street, which is one of those unique places in the world which i only think could exist in Japan. Had a crepe which turns out everyone i talked to who also been id the same thing in Harajuku, Meiji Shrine, Takashita dori and a crepe. Adored all the cure girls in the sweet fashions, they where so lovely and truly unique.




















Next up Shibuya and Roppongi.
Ian

Bandai Ex 1/44 - DFA-03 Dopp - Painted and decaled.

Painted the Dopp copying the scheme from 08th MS Team and then decaled coping U.C. Hardgraph.

Little bit of weather and i think it will be finished. Been looking for a diorama bases to make dio of all my U.C. Hardgraph vehicles, but not luck yet.

Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06S Zaku II "Char Aznable Custom" - WiP 2 Paint

Tried out the new airbrush which is a massive improvement over the predecessor and painted up all the red for the RG Char's Zaku and the Dopp which is the green in the background.

Much more red than your usual Char Zaku which is pink for some reason. Also added the panel line wash last night  and will hope to decal soon.

Build is going very smooth at the mo.
Ian

Japan Trip 2011 - Day 6 - Akihabara

So after visiting Project 144 i spent the rest of the day geeking out in Akihabara and lovin it! This is were i bought nearly everything i brought back home. Good thing i only had an entire day planed out here,t hanks to read lots of blogs before i went otherwise i would have missed so much.

Favourite shops to visit was Yellow Submarine which is split between different building, modellers paradise with a fantastic selection of 1/144 and where i got the Magella attack from. Yodobashi camera was quality shop too, since it was super close to my hotel i could visit it during the evening after a day out and just be amazed by all the electronics, seriously more than ive ever seen and will ever see under one roof and they had a model shop at the top which i didn't realise until late in my holiday.

Looking at the photos now i kinda forget where i bought what, all i know is that each shop had a jem which ive wanted or never knew i wanted and bought.










Sent this photo to friends and family halfway through my trip, walking past it near the end of my hols, notice that the green shop is a 8 storie "adult" shop.



























I miss this place now, big time.
Ian

Macross 1/144 - VF-1S Valkyrie - "Dark Bird + Alaska Base" -WiP

Here's 2 Valkyries which i started again over a year ago but have only recently started to model again. These 2 are what you you call 5 seconds Valkyries due to there screen time, which was probably even less than that.



"Dark Bird" is maybe a VF-1A/S from episode 5 of SDFM, must be some sort of low-viz space Valkyrie in midnight blue.



"Alaska Base" are the white and green Valkyries which guard UN SPACY headquarter and the Grand Cannon in Alaska from episode 15.



Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06S Zaku II "Char Aznable Custom" - WiP 1 primed.

Bit of a boring update but had to wait for the weather here to calm down so i could go outside and prime every single piece of this kit. Almost used an entire can of primer spraying every piece and almost 2 packet of kebab sticks, only have 10 proper tweezers for airbrushing.

Going to have to get the right reds for Char's zaku mixed now, still unsure about he colour, i would prefer the "Red Comet" to have a purely red MS but i know it would be more accurate to have pink.

Ian

DML Dragon 1/144 - A-10 Thunderbolt - Wip 2

Surprisingly to me it been over 3 months since ive touched the A-10, really excellent model despite what seems to me to be alot of bad fitting pieces..

Added the wings and started working on the undercarriage which both have great detail but really need quite alot of work to get fitting correctly, reckon it going to take quite alot of work getting the wings to seamlessly fit onto the undercarriage.

Been looking at camouflage schemes too, really liking the green European pattern but the light grey 2-tone also looks great, hard to decide.

Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06S Zaku II "Char Aznable Custom"

The next RG build. Going to paint up the "Red Comet" in more of a red livery as appears in M.S. Igloo rather than the pink from the TV series.

 Going to be my first entry into the Zaku Group Build over at MAC forums.

Still got 2 RG builds on the go, but if i get this started now i reckon i can have Char's Zaku finished during Christmas holidays.

During this last weekend ive sanded down all the parts which took quite some time, these RG kits have alot of parts! Some ruddy tiny too!




Waiting for it to stop raining here in Blighty so i can prime these.
Ian

New airbrush! Precision AB-180

My first airbrush has for some time been preforming badly, especially trying to paint 1/144 scale.

Upgraded to the next level, since the first one was defiantly a beginners brush, got lots to paint this weekend to try it out. Both airbrushes are the same brand and quite affordable, going to keep the other as a primer airbrush.

Ian

U.C Hardgraph 1/144 - Type 74 Hover Truck "The 08th MS Team" - WiP

Working the Hover Truck a little bit here and there lately, the 08th MS Team modelled first of course.

Great little model, with some fantastic decals from Bandai. Really tried to weather up the truck using a black and dirt wash and adding alot of rust, especially rain effect rust, photos might be too bright to see the effect but im really happy with the way its looking.

Might adjust a view things, maybe open up the open a hatch or 2 and put the sonic sensor drill thing is active position.




Plan on making a little diorama with this, once i find a decent wooden diorama base at a good price.
Ian

Japan Trip 2011 - Day 6 - Project 144

Back to Tokyo for day 6 and off to Project144, which is like the biggest 1/144 scale event in the world and possibly the only one devoted to the scale.

Lucky i  happened to be in Tokyo at the right time for this great event, wish i could have stayed longer.

Got to meet Koz who invited me along to the the project which was a pleasure and so many other 1/144 scale modeller who blogs i follow, all very kind fellows. Made me double my effort with my Japanese, thought i was quite good until i actually tried to engage in real conversations and not knowing enough vocab, got quite good at buying and understanding number when i was there.





Going to try and link to each modeller i can, i you know any i don't please leave a link if possible.


Down to The 1/144 World / Koz
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kozfc/MYBLOG/yblog.html


Yaskanba
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/yaskanba/MYBLOG/yblog.html




???


Tomytec Gimix
http://www.tomytec.co.jp


 Fumi
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/fumi_bnr32


ZiMBaD
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/zimba_heavy%EF%BC%89




Uekisyokunin




IKE
http://ike.vivian.jp/wordpress/




Aniki (really not sure what the blog is called?)
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/y023023%EF%BC%89



I walked from my hotel Washingtion Akihabara to the Project 144, on the way i saw my first itasha, 
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha style, saw quite a few Miku Hatsune too.





Was a great event and i even got a freebie from Matuo-kasten which was incredibly kind. Surprised that a few of the modellers knew my work and most knew Bluedonkey

Wonder if such a thing would be possible in the UK?
Ian