HG Zaku Warrior: Lunamaria Hawke Custom

Gallery here. As usual I will post the write up a bit later. More pics than usual as I'm intending for this gallery to be used as a tutorial for my new "speed" 1/144 build process (which I'm starting to realize has it's own flaws but it's still faster than what I was doing before). The other two Gundam's in the gallery I didn't build myself (assisted) but the 3 of them are a set regardless.

You're putting limits on your greatness

Post #400!

Advice from my mom. This is how I'm going to remember it. I'm going to keep him close so I'm constantly reminded of the things that need to be done. I choose the unfinished 'GF Build' Zaku to remind me of all the things I have yet to do and what I've lost because I didn't do them in a timely way, didn't do properly, or just didn't do at all yet.

The message in short means to be less reactive and more proactive.

Easier said than done but... it can't hurt to try. Actually the opposite of that. It'll make you feel good in the end just knowing that you've been active about achieving your goals.
Just something to think about.

Anyway, best of you luck to all of you in achieving your own goals, whatever they may be.

PG Zaku Custom Panel lines

Here is the suit in question.

First let me just state the obvious to get it out of the way.  Wow.

I've been thinking a lot recently about getting into etching extra panel lines on some of my upcoming projects.  I know there are a variety of ways and tools to go about this but my actual problem is deciding where the lines should go and what kind of lines should go there.  I really don't know how people do it sometimes.  I mean I consider myself a relatively creative person but when it comes to this kind of stuff a draw a blank 9/10 times.

Do you do custom panel lines?  If so how?  Do you draw out the design first and see how it looks or do you just go for it?  Pencil them onto the suit itself?  How do you know when to stop?  How much is too much?  This suit has a lot and I have to say it seems like the answer is "the more the better".

GF Group Build - Shopping

This kind of shopping I don't mind...

Well I thought I wouldn't mind but she definitely took her time to decide... There were times when I was like "Damn this is taking a while!" but... haha she was kind of intimidated at the sheer amount. Her first reaction was "Ah! There are SO many!" So she initially chose off box art alone. She liked the 1/144 HG designs the most but she wanted to build an inner frame so I told her that her choices would have to be limited to MG class models (Thus mostly U.C. choices).

The HG models she picked up in order were:


I thought she was going to go for the ReZel but she said she didn't like it's 'penis' which I'm not very fond of either. She likes turquoise so she liked this one right away. She also likes the Rasiel which she saw on one of my posters.

The only Zeon suit I have is the Sinanju and she wanted to get a Gundam to remind her of me but I told her to choose something that she likes because I want her to enjoy the process and create something she'll like for herself.

So we spent a lot of time talking about Zaku's. Of all the models to choose she chose the one with the most variations. We were looking at MG's Zaku 1, Zaku 2 F, J, S, F2, High Mobility, Mine Layer and Cannon. We actually spent a lot of time talking about weapons and thruster type+placement, hand types, points of articulation, ver.1 vs. ver.2 frames etc.

She's an expert on Zaku's now and now knows the difference between. Zaku 2 F, J, F2, FZ, FS. Can you say the same?! haha

Once she'd decided, I did too based on her decision. Of course I paid for it all (she insisted that she pay but I wouldn't let that happen. No way.) I also got some extra posters for free from the shop!

Sorry the hat is in the way. I really don't have space for posters in my place really. You can see it's covering the light switch a bit.

Yeah, I'm a hat guy. Hats, Gundams and Neckties. That's my thing I guess! haha

I chose Zeta, she liked the Strike Freedom a bit better though. She thought the gold looked really cool but that the Zeta had a much better 'face'.

And it does. The Zeta face is badass.

Hell yeah.

She also thought the MG model looked pretty cool too along with the Mark 2 Titans but that was mostly because of the backpack. She was looking at Gundams and she did see one in particular that she liked.

Of all the Gundams out there to choose she chooses one of the most powerful Gundams in all of U.C. history... and then goes and chooses one of the weakest Zeon units to build. Wow.

She wanted something flashy and she thought that this one looked amazing... but too hard for her to start out on so she wanted ME to build it for her!!! lol

I said it wasn't a good idea because 1. Space. I don't have it. I don't know where I could put this thing once it was built. 2. I wanted a suit to match hers. If she got a Zaku then the Hi-Nu would look weird beside it.

So... this is what we ended up getting.


I've been looking for the blue VF-25G for a while and I decided to just go for it since we were out. I don't know when it's going to get built but I'm glad I have it now finally.

WIP shots to come but this is as far as I've gotten.



Frame is done and dry brushed. Weapons are done as well. I haven’t touched the armour. Standard hand mod to split the fingers and mirrored tape for the pipes in the feet.

She’s done all the weapons and complete construction of head and torso (and has just finished the arms as I'm typing this). I haven’t given her any instructions. She’s finding her own way and she seems to be enjoying herself!

She doesn’t sand she just scrapes the nub away with the knife and assembles, just like I do.

She hasn’t decided what colours she wants to paint it yet. She said she wants to see the whole thing completed first and then she'll decide.

My approach is to do a lot of work on the frame and then do all the armour separately (prime and paint). Colour scheme is still up in the air. I think I might wait until she decides so we can coordinate somehow.

Is that lame? colour coordinating your Gundams with your gf?

omg... what has my life become... LOL

MS-06R-1A Zaku II High Mobility Type

zak-1
Originally uploaded by Busterbeam

This the custom Black Tri-Star R-1A that won this years ORA-ZAKU modelling contest. It is a piece of work. I noticed that this modeller replaced a lot of parts with metal ones and added A LOT of metal bolts. The end result is something that really looks like a machine. Extremely well done and the attention to detail is superb. While not my favourite of the entries (I found that it lacked the creativity of the other entries), technically, the modeller surpassed all of the others with his skills. An excellent job and worthy of the 300 000 yen prize.

MS-05 Zaku I

zaku1
Originally uploaded by Busterbeam

I've always had a special place in my heart for this suit, simply because it really is the first mobile suit ever made. Everything started from the Zaku I. This a severely modifified version that won 2nd place in this years Hobby Japan ORA-ZAKU contest. Of course 1st place was great but I liked this one more simply because of the drastic customizatoins. Built from a Char's Zaku v.2 base.

MS-06J Zaku II - Rusty

s
Originally uploaded by Busterbeam

Not so recent but I wanted to share some pics of one of my favourite paint jobs. Right now I'm just concentrating on painting properly, never mind weathering and texturing (texturizing?). This is the finished product, but there's one more 'How-To' photo on my Flickr page in the 'Plamo' section. I particularly liked the bazooka. I don't know who would want to pilot this thing though! Looks like it could come apart anytime! I kind of imagined this being stuck outside in the elements for a long time and then suddenly had to be used for some reason.