MG RX-78-2 Gundam Ver.3.0 [WIP: Lower Body]

Even without the Upper Body attached to it, the RX-78-2 Gundam Lower Body still manages to look impressive all by its own. At least to me it does. After weeks of work in which I could only see the separate sections of a greater whole, it was extremely gratifying to finally put all the pieces together. And truth be told I'm delighted at how the paint job (and to a lesser extent, the decal work) turned out. Far from blowing my own horn and patting myself on the back for a job well done, I am actually truly surprised I had managed to get the results I did, seeing that this is my first Gundam project.  

Master Grade RX-78-2 Gundam Version 3.0 Work-in-Progress: Lower Body (against a blue backdrop)

Complicated design of the Lower Body serves both an aesthetic as well as functional purpose ...

... aesthetic as in the whole Lower Body blends curves and hard edges for a gorgeous mecha look ...

... and functional in that freedom of movement build into the structure allows for a highly poseable Lower Body

Back view of the RX-78-2 Gundam Lower Body (against a blue backdrop)

Exposed back knee not only shows the metallic innards but also enables the joint to bend inwards to a high degree

Side profile of the RX-78-2 Gundam Lower Body is a brilliant marriage of straight and rounded lines

Color separation of the armor panels combined with strategically placed decals makes for an impressive look

If you had been following my work-in-progress posts these past few weeks, you would then easily comprehend the immediate photo below. Up until today, much work was required to get the various sub-assemblies - Waist Unit, Legs, Ankle/Feet - done up. It was almost a relief as I pieced the sub-assemblies together to form the Lower Body of the RX-78-2 Gundam. Even so, at this stage, I still can't piece the Upper Body and Lower Body together for you to get the first glimpse of a fully assembled (and painted, and decaled) Grandfather Gundam. More on why at the end of this post.

Sub-assemblies of the RX-78-2 Gundam Lower Body: Waist Unit, Legs and Ankles/Feet

Meanwhile, putting the Lower Body against a darker seems to focus one's eyes on its many details and features. It could be just an optical illusion but that's how it feels to me. Below then are a series of photographs of the said section against a black backdrop.  

Master Grade RX-78-2 Gundam Version 3.0 Work-in-Progress: Lower Body (against a black backdrop)

Dark backdrop makes details on the RX-78-2 Gundam Lower Body stand out even more impressively

Tons of details are visible on the Lower Body from the waist all the way down to the feet

Painting of the outer armor panels were done based on the official recommended color scheme

Back view of the RX-78-2 Gundam Lower Body (against a black backdrop)

While the Lower Body and Upper Body (see previous post) of the RX-78-2 Gundam is now complete ...

... there is still the matter of the mecha's Body Core (not shown here) to be assembled, painted ...

... and placed in between the upper and lower bodies thus acting as a connector for both halves

So very close now! The next logical step is the joining of the upper and lower halves of the RX-78-2 Gundam. But as I alluded to earlier, I can't do this yet. There is a matter of painting, assembling and weathering the Core of the Body, a sub-assembly which is to be placed between both halves; serving as a connector. This Body Core represents the mid-section of the Core Fighter with its cockpit open and the pilot exposed. And while I can actually transform the already completed Core Fighter and used it as the connector, I won't because I would prefer to display the completed fighter by the side of the mecha. So I best get to work on the Body Core ... no slowing down now as the end nears.