Bandai 1/100 MG Zaku II

yes - I have watched those as well!

Thanks very much Mercedesman. I've seen those decals on HLJ too - gonna order them next time I get a kit from them. Point taken about the weathering I keep forgeting how big these things are supposed to be.
I'm an aircraft modeler really just been inspired to do gunpla from those japanese modeler shows off youtube - they're good stuff!

Really nice work! I like the shoulder - I think it looks rough and ready. Do the color schemes and details that YOU want - after all - you are not modeling a real life subject - just a fictional cartoon character.

You seem to be quite an accomplished mecha modeler (I can see it clearly from the two models displayed here) but my only caution would be against VERY heavy chipping and battle damage. Recall that the scale of these things is huge (1/100 or even 1/144 in HG kits) so the type of damage you are depicting is simply unrealistic in that scale. It would work great in a 1/35 scale military vehicle or tank - but not a huge towering 1/100 robot lol.

Otherwise, the photos, poses, workmanship and details are off the charts - kudos to you on work well done - and you are clearly having fun with it and thats all that matters.


One quick note - I agree with you on dry transfers - I much MUCH prefer AM waterslide decals. Bandai has a waterslide decal sheet for the ZAKU and many many others. Just do a sear in a gundam online stores. I just did a quick search and came up with this: http://www.gundamstoreandmore.com/ban950681.html

Good luck and I hope to see more builds from you!

-Paul

doesnt look bad, but its going to have alot of peole asing, why did they glue rocks to the shoulder?

The stickers in the ktis are horrible, throw them out, but I still have all my dry transfers, never know whenyour gona needem.

Actually I'm probably being a bit harsh - it's the stickers I'm not keen on. The shoulder - don't know really just thought it might look good thats all...

Honestly, I dont know what your talking about, the dry transfers that come with these kits are better then some of the waterslides I ahve gotten with armor kits.

Whats with the texturing on the shoulder?

Ok I'm gonna call this finished for now - just didn't put the stencils on cos the stickers and dry transfers that come with kit are CRAP! Will get some AM water slide decals when I can. Painted with mainly Tamiya acrylics. Enjoy the crazy Zaku II.

"YAAARRRGGHH - On yours Knees cretins!!"



"SAY IT! Who's your daddy now!"

[Mexican accent] "I see you again, I kill you!"

thats why I suggest using aftermarket parts, like mechaskunk's snake chains

Oh Man, those hoses were such a pain in the butt for my HiZack.  Here's a tip I probably should have been able to figure out before hand, Primer don't stick to bendy rubber.

take a gander here, and check out some of the other builds on this site for gundam kits.

http://www.mechaskunk.com/store.htm

 

As far as the tubes, I mean the parts that go from the from of the head to the back, that have the ringlets that you place over a tube.

 

As far as colors, I never found a liking for the colors they used in the anime and box art, to cartoony, I always use more real colors, while keeping with the scheme.  Like, I did a Cima Garahau custom Gyan, instead of painting it her colors of flat gold and a pinkish Magenta, I did it metalic gold and high gloss purple.  I did a Groundpounder Gundam RX-79[g] instead of the classic whole white and blue, I did the white a off white tan, the blue I did OD green, and the red was done panzer gray.  I did a PG Char's Zaku II, instead of pink and light red I did it a blood red and a deep red.

I always deepen or change the colors a bit, I always go with either pastels or deeper/darker colors, I use blue angel blue for and gundam blue color, I use blood red for any gundam red, and I use deep yellow for any yellow.  Panzer schwartzgrau for most grays, etc etc

(pardon the poor quality of the builds, and the dust there older kits, except for the Gyan, if the paint didnt chip off a spot or two uder the arms, and the head didnt get a bit of a fingerprint in it, I'd enter that in a competition)

Thanks, yeah I'm going to stick with the box colours. Didn't know they did AM stuff for these models, when you say tubes do you mean the hoses attached to the sides?

Beauty.  What colors are you going to use, Black Tristar, or another color set?  The 2.0 is a wonderful kit, I lost pieces to the head when I was painting the one I have... disapointing (Was doing it a light blue and orange, looked good actuially)

Are you going to build it as is, or add any after market parts?  I find the leg tubes to be such a horror to use, I always use AM parts for those things