Masking Hell Continues
Continuing the idea of masking the joints, I started my never ending quest of masking.
And some more for the usual color division masking.
The round parts on the skirt in particular was tricky. I needed to paint the round part chrome and then mask out the rims and paint the center orb gunmetal.
Adding Custom Color Divisions
I figured the backpack color was too bland so I decided to add details by adding custom color divisions.
I masked everything except the rims of the backpack thrusters so that I can give them a candy coat yellow instead.
After I finished the candy coat yellow on the thruster rims, I found some photos online that there is supposed to be a color division on the center part of the backpack as well (I really wish the model kit manual had photos of the back). So I went on and did some more masking and added more color division to the backpack.
The yellow rims do feel a bit overbearing but I figured this was fine and moved on.
I also decided to do something similar for the back wings as well.
Normally, this whole piece is red but I masked the bottom part before giving the rest of the piece a candy coat red so that it'll have a thin chrome line on the bottom.
Triple Color Split Masking
In the photo below, the parts that are masked by the giant blue masking tapes are the shoulder wings that I previously painted. After the paint on the wings were fully cured, I did a partial assembly with the base of the wing, removed the seam line, and gave it a glossy black base coat.
I then masked the wing base in two separate parts to give it two different metal coats (chrome and gunmetal). Once the metal coats were cured, I masked out the edges to add candy coat yellow.
After the yellow candy coat was sufficiently cured, I re-masked the base of the wing to finally paint the rest candy coat red.
Working With Putty
I worked on some more seam line removal after partially assembling the back wing pieces and the head piece.
The usual cement glue trick worked great for the back wings but the head piece (left) was having issues because the seam lines were too big. The head piece also had uneven surfaces resulting from poor injection mold and some deep scratches left by poor gate removal. I figured this required some special attention so I grabbed some putty.
The putty was great for filling in the seam lines and the other minor flaws. After the surfaces were covered with putty, I sanded them down to create a smooth surface.
Once the putty cured, I was able to paint the piece and confirm that no dents, seam lines, or scratches were visible anymore.
Concave Color Divisions
Remember the awful curved indented color division on the ankle guards that were giving me trouble? Well, there is a similar piece on the chest as well.
Above is a photo of enamel washing gone terribly wrong. You see here the enamel thinner eating through the clear coat layers AND the candy coat layer underneath it as well.
At this point, I decided I had to try something else so I grabbed some lacquer paint.
Oh look at how shiny and reflective that lacquer chrome looks.
Even the clear red looks so much nicer with lacquer.
I then squeezed some gold ink from a Gundam marker (enamel) and painted in the concave area with a brush.
And I did the same for the ankle guard.
I then grabbed some Gundam marker eraser and tried to wipe off the marker ink...
... so I guess Gundam marker eraser can eat through lacquer...
After this disaster, I spent a few days doing some research on how to go about this. Someone online suggested I should try using very small square pieces of masking tape to cover the edge of the curve. So I gave that a go.
I covered the edges very closely with the small square pieces on the ankle guards and the chest piece. I then covered the remaining areas with a bigger masking tape and painted it chrome.
For the ankle guards, I also had to add a small strip of masking tape before the candy coat layer to leave a strip of chrome color. Once that was done, I went on and candy coated the pieces with clear yellow.
At this point, I didn't know what to expect. This was my fourth attempt at the ankle guards...
CLEAN!!!
YES!!!
Finally, I finished off by coloring in the orb with a chrome marker.
Last Few Details
With most of the major paint layers finished, all that was left were some finishing touches.
I did some partial assembly for the back wings so that I can add panel lines.
There were some details on the left arm that also needed some attention as well.
For once, I decided to be a smart man and hand brush them in.
And I finished it off by painting the small orb with a chrome marker.
the details on the thigh also felt like it could use some loving.
I used a toothpick to add some extra color details.
And with that... all the painting for this two month project is complete. Next week, when all the top coats fully cure, I can do the final assembly and complete this project.