Gunpla Tutorial: Decals, Panel Lines and Weathering
In the images above, you will see that the kit is almost finished. The few things that are lacking are the panel lines, the decals and the weathering. You can skip the 3rd step if what you want is a relatively clean build but I wanted to share with you guys my experiments on weathering so I included it here in the tutorial.
You will notice that the kit has a gloss finish. This is because I sprayed clear gloss on the parts to protect the paint underneath it from the next steps. This will also prevent silvering on the decals which is caused by air bubbles trapped between the rough surface of a matte finish and the decal on top. This will also help facilitate washes since the thinned paint will not adhere easily to the surface of the kit and will instead flow onto the recesses or panel lines. Also, a glossy surface will be easier to clean up if ever my Gundam Marker slipped while drawing in the panel lines.
My gloss coat of choice is Bosny Clear Coat. It is cheap (costs around $2.50) and is easy to find here in Manila. From experience, any brand will do as long as it is lacquer. Paint it on the kit and let it dry for at least 24 hours before proceeding with the next steps.
Decals
I prefer adding adding decals first but you could go and panel line first if you want. I have with me a small collection of decal sheets. Some come from old kits, most of them were given to my by a friend and a few are knock offs that I bought from divisoria. Of course, the original ones are way better. The details are crisper and the colors are brighter.
Cut off the individual decal that you need from the sheet using a new blade since a dull one could tear through the sheet instead of cutting it, potentially damaging the decals that you need.
Using a pair of tweezers, submerge the decal into the water that's placed on a shallow container. You don't need a lot of water, if its too deep your decal might float around and catching a floating decal is a lot of work.
After a few minutes lift the backing paper along with the decal and using a small brush place the decal onto the kit part.
Use your tweezers to adjust the position of the decal.
The decal is in position but you will notice that there is still a lot of water and that the decal will still move around because of this.
Use a large brush to remove the water around and under the decal. Touch the edge of the decal and the brush will absorb the water and then dry the brush by wiping in onto a piece of tissue paper. Repeat the steps until the decal is almost dry. Readjust the position of the decal as necessary.
The decal is now in place. Notice that the film is still visible? This can be removed by applying a thin coat of lacquer thinner onto the decal. The thinner will dissolve the film but will not damage the paint because we've placed a gloss coat and the thinner dries up faster than it could damage the gloss coat.
After the decals have been placed, it is advisable to apply another coat of gloss if you are going to weather your kit. If not, you may proceed with panel lining using your Gundam Marker or using a pin wash technique which we'll be discussing in a later tutorial.
Weathering
Whenever possible, I avoid using a Gundam Marker to make panel lines. My reason is that they sometimes make the kit look like a toy because the panel lines tend to be very large and uniform. That is fine though if you are aiming for an anime finish and I also do this sometimes. For this build however, I wanted to show you guys how to weather and add accent lines using a wash.
On the photo above, you'll see a very diluted mix of Tamiya Dark Brown. I have had this paint for a long while and I only use this for weathering. You may also use artist acrylics here and I think they would work better because Tamiya tends to dry up too fast.
I brush on a heavy application of paint and let it gather in the nooks and crevices of the kit.
After that, I use a brush to lift paint off the parts and to let the extra paint gather where the panel lines should go. Do note that this technique will not really clean off the surfaces but would leave a thin patina of dark brown on top of the kit which would make it appear as if it is worn. This is the effect that I was aiming for.
At this stage I let the paint dry and I try not to touch the kit but I also double check for areas where there is a puddle of paint that I need to remove.
Here's the same technique applied to the head. It's sloppy, but it works :)
Here is a sample of the body with a weathering wash in contrast with a clean head. Note that the wash accentuates the panel lines by simulating dirt and grime. The dried paint on the surfaces adds a weathered effect to the kit.
The next step after all of the wash has been done is to add a worn metal look to the kit. I use Tamiya Silver for this step .
Use an old and worn brush for this step as old brushes work better for this purpose. I have found that the stiffer and more worn the bristles are, the better.
As the term implies, dry-brushing involves the use of the paint that has almost dried on the brush. To do this, dip the tip of the brush onto the paint and then dry the brush on a piece of tissue paper. When the paint is almost dry, or when there is no paint visible when you make a stroke on the tissue then the brush is ready.
Drag the brush on the edges of the kit's surface to let some of the silver paint stick, making it appear as if there is worn metal underneath the paint.
Since I am going for a more distressed look, I drag the brush onto the surface of the kit to add more weathering.
Here is an example of a weathered torso in contrast with an arm that is clean. I did some heavy weathering because I wanted to add more character to this kit, making it appear as if it had gone through some heavy use.
Above are some samples of the weathering that I have done with the other parts of the Delta.
Panel lining is pretty straight-forward, and is actually quite a relaxing thing to do :) What I do is I only choose which panels to fill in with a Gundam Marker since I do not want the kit to look too cartoonish, as most heavily panel lined kits go. I've tried gray and brown for panel lines and they normally work better on kits that are of a lighter color scheme.
For me though, brown works best.
Hope you learned a thing or two from this short guide and looking back at it, I think I have made tons of blunders. I could have taken more pics, more before-and-after stills as well more in depth discussions about my tools. I'll do my best to cover those topics in the next WIP's.
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The Pomodoro Technique
As per Wikipedia: The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francisco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. These intervals are known as "pomodori", the plural of the italian word pomodoro for "tomato". The method is based on the idea that frequent breaks can improve mental agility.
I'm a fan of this technique. This is the reason why I get to keep on building kits on a daily basis. I focus for 25 minutes and then I take a short 5 minute break to work on a model. This relaxes my mind and my eyes so that when I get back to the art that I am working on I am able to see my work through a fresh pair of lenses. I often see areas that need improvement and when I hit the boards I am able to sustain twenty minutes of intense focus because I know that my break time is not that far away.
When coupled with a well organized to-do list, the Pomodoro Technique can spell the difference between a productive day and a mediocre one. Sustained focus is important. A short 25 minute burst of concentration is much more productive than an hour of multitasking, specially when this multitasking involves Facebook and Skype.
Whenever I feel like not working, because being lazy is easy when you are freelancing, I keep these verses in mind:
Proverbs 6:10 to 12 - A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. A scoundrel and villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth.
Faith should spur us into action, the belief that God will be our source of providence does not mean that we can be lazy. We work towards our goals because we know that God will give us what He wants for us. This may mean that we do not get what we are praying for but what I am sure of is that when you place your faith on God and work diligently towards a goal that will please His will, He will give you what is the best for you.
God bless!
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