A couple of Gundam mechas

[Kazu]

Here's a 1/144 Hi-Nu Gundam (from the novel version of Char's Counterattack) and a 1/144 Messala (from Zeta Gundam) that I finished recently. They were both Volks resin kits. I started the Hi-Nu about 7 years ago, and the Messala was started last March.

 

The Hi-Nu has magnets embedded in its feet to prevent it from falling backwards. They were both piloted by top-level aces in the stories, so you don't expect them to have much damage, if any, but not weathering them makes them look like toys...so maybe I shouldn't say they're finished.

 

Once I finish my current project (F/A-18E that Maverick flew in the recent Top Gun movie), I'll take some nice studio photos of these again and post here.

[spejic]

These are excellent representatives of the genre. Extremely sharp and clean work.

 

[Kazu]

Thanks, spejic!

[Kazu]

About 25 years ago, I did a 1/100 full-scratch build of another Zeta Gundam mobile suit, the Palace Athene (that's not a typo...it's how the creator spelled it). It was for the 2nd International Orazaku competition held by Hobby Japan, and I entered from the states. I had to do the paint job in one all-nighter because I had to do the photography the next day to make the deadline. I was told that during judging, the Gundam editor of Hobby Japan wanted to give it grand prize, but it ended up getting bronze because one of the judges said the paint job is too bland, which I can't deny. To be honest, I'm not sure how much better my painting and weathering skills at the time (and perhaps even now) would have been able to do even if I had more time. But the Gundam editor asked if they could publish it in a Gundam Weapons mook, so I shipped it to Japan, and they took these photos of it.

 

Anyway...fast forward to the present. The Hi-Nu above is the first mobile suit I've completed since doing the Palace Athene. Working on the seat of the F/A-18E recently reminded me of how I loved painting D&D lead miniatures when I was a kid. So a month ago I got back into it, discovering how 3D printing has really opened up and improved the quality as it has in the Gundam garage-kit world. I soon realized I was getting very picky about how the figures should be printed, so decided to get into 3D printing myself. Then I realized that I might as well learn 3D modeling to aid my scale modeling projects (as well as other hobbies). At this point, there are so many possibilities for my next project, but I'm considering 3D modeling a 1/144 version of that Palace Athene, but with improvements and more details.

[spejic]

That Palace Athene is super impressive. I've done enough scratchbuilding to appreciate the quality and difficulty of your work, although I do ships which are basically boxes on boxes. I can't imagine doing compound curves - and then making it's mirror part exactly the same size and shape for the other side! Absolutely top level. Thanks for showing it.