1/144 HGUC MSZ-008A1 ZII-A1 Amuro Custom

1/144 HGUC MSZ-008A1 ZII-A1 Amuro Custom

Below is the first Gunpla kit that I had built after a two year break and my entry into the Gunpla Time Discord Server Universal Century Competition in 2019.

Inspiration:

When the Gunpla Time UC Competition was announced in the Discord server, I felt like this was the inspiration I needed to build gunpla again. I took the opportunity to go to Discount Hobby Warehouse in San Diego, CA and look at their stock of kits. After browsing their selection, I opted to go for the unusual design of the ZII over the other typical options due to its origins in the Mobile Suit Variations. 

Being a Zeta series Mobile Suit, I looked to other Federation and AEUG designs for inspiration, which is when I came upon the Zeta Plus. While the grey variation seemed monotone and hard to pull off in plastic form, I really liked the red and white version, especially with the Amuro connotation.

Since I knew what colors I wanted, I looked online and was relieved to find that there was lineart that was compatible with Microsoft Paint. This helped save some time in the long run. Now I just had to play around with the layout - did I want to go for a straight pallete swap or something closer to the "inspiring" mobile suit. I was stuck on three options, so I put out a call for help which @TimberNewtype on Twitter responded to quickly. I sent him the three choices and we came together to come up with the final design below.

Process:

The entire model, save small details, was airbrushed using the Badger 105 Patriot with a Central Pneumatic 100 PSI, 3 Gallon Air Compressor. I used 3 stickers on the head for the eyes, front, and back camera.

 

You can follow the process of building this model on my Twitter page @chetario starting in October 9, 2018 forward. You can also read the Work-in-Progress post from last week.

Colors:

• Mission Models Mecha Master Acrylic Primer - Off-White
• Red: craftsmart Acrylic Paint Bright Red, Orange, White custom mix
• White: craftsmart Acrylic Paint White, Tan
• Frame: craftsmart Acrylic Paint Brown, Gray, Tan
• Light Grey: craftmart Acrylic Paint Grey, White
• Yellow: craftsmart Acrylic Paint Yellow, White
• Green: craftsmart Acrylic Paint Green, White
• Vallejo Gloss Varnish
• Vallejo Matte Varnish
• Vallejo Model Wash - Black

Basic Shots:

Mobile Armor:

Accessories:

Action Poses and Detail:

Verdict:

Overall, I found this model kit to be an enjoyable build. I keep finding it hard to stand though due to the different directions the lines in the design want to go - between the feet and chest, the angles make it seem as if he is squatting. The beam rifle and Mega Beam Cannon run into some interference issues with the elbow or backpack too. 

If I had more time, I would have attempted to fuse more of the seam lines and seal the paint a little better. You may notice some unintentional paint chips revealing the blue base plastic. I asso need to be more aware of painting every surface, some blue can be seen poking out of certain places. With the above reasons and the high caliber of competition, this model did not place in the top 3, but congratulations to the winners.

The pictures above were taken with a Canon 6D Camera, with a Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. All pictures were post-processed using Adobe Lightroom.

Thank you for viewing this thread and the support. Constructive criticism is always welcome and I will respond to each comment. Advice on how I can improve is also appreciated.

Keep Building, My Friends!