Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type [WIP - Candy Coat for the Shoulders, Neck, Arms, Hands, Legs, Feet ... & more]

 Once a key mental hurdle for a project had been overcome, the floodgates to progress tend to open as a consequence. It certainly took awhile but after the Bandai LM-HG Grade EVA Unit-01 Test Type model kit's high inertia-coefficient was sufficiently countered, my first Evangelion project has tasted progress. If anything, the only thing slowing down this project is that it's a tiring endeavor for an old scale modeler like yours truly to paint so many small parts in so many steps. It took me four days to reach this stage as parts needed to dry overnight at each step. And yet this candy coating process wasn't even for the whole EVA-01 unit. Its head, torso and lumbar pieces have yet to be painted.

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type work-in-progress: Metallic purple and green candy finish

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type work-in-progress: Metallic light green candy finish closeup

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type work-in-progress: Metallic orange, green, and purple candy finish

 To achieve the candy coat finish or metallic candy gloss effect, first the parts were primed in black using the Mr.Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black primer. Secondly, a highly reflective paint layer in the form of Mr.Super Metallic 2 (Super Chrome Silver 2) was airbrushed onto the black primer coat. Finally the respective Mr.Clear Color GX hues of purple, orange, and green clear color pigments were airbrushed onto the chrome 'plated' EVA-01 parts. End result is the candy coat you see here.

Step 01: Prepped Evangelion Unit-01 parts in their original molded colors

Step 02: Evangelion Unit-01 parts after receiving a black primer coat

Step 03: Evangelion Unit-01 parts after receiving Mr.Color Super Chrome Silver 2 paint

Step 04: Evangelion Unit-01 parts after receiving their respective clear paint colors

 One key ingredient of the candy coating process is the reflective paint layer. For the candy coat to shine, the reflective layer needs to be extremely shiny. In the Mr.Hobby website, it is recommended that painters use Super Fine Silver 2 as the base metallic coat. Because I had not read Mr.Hobby's tutorial recommendation beforehand, I had to figure out what paint to use based on my own limited knowledge. What I decided upon was a different paint in the Mr.Hobby Super Metallic Line 2 namely the Super Chrome Silver 2. Results seem satisfactory although to know which of the two is better I will have to eventually do a test paint using both aforementioned metallic lacquer paints.

Key to the candy coating process is the reflective basecoat layer ...

... which in this case is the Mr.Hobby Mr. Color Super Metallic 2 ...

... or specifically the Super Chrome Silver 2, a shiny lacquer metallic paint.

 Because the EVAs are living organic creatures with cybernetic components grafted onto them, I didn't want the pieces to be too glossy hence the exclusion of a final gloss top coat. If the Evangelion unit was a mechanical robot then perhaps the use of a gloss top coat would be justified. Since they are not, the gloss top coat won't be used in the Evangelion Unit-01's painting process.

EVA Unit-01 work-in-progress: parts chrome 'plated' in preparation for the clear paints

EVA Unit-01 work-in-progress: parts with the metallic candy finish via a clear color layer

 Although there will be no gloss top coat, the pieces you see here are not yet finished. There is still the panel lining and decals to be applied to the painted parts above. Once that is done, the EVA Unit-01's shoulders, arms, hands, legs, and feet can finally be assembled. The neck parts won't be assembled yet as they are part of the main body. They were included in this painting phase because I wanted to paint all the candy metallic orange parts together in one go. I could not do that with the candy metallic purple parts because I don't have enough Model Painting Alligator Clips/Stand Base. In essence, extremities of the EVA unit is nearly complete. Good progress for a week's work.

Short Update: Soon after I completed the candy coat for the EVA-01 unit's shoulders, necks, arms, hands, legs, and feet (as chronicled in the blog paragraphs above), I was so buoyed by the progress that I actually went on to quickly candy-coat (as well as paint) the rest of the parts/sub-assemblies. So below are the before and after photos for the EVA-01 unit's body, lumbar section/spine, head, and entry plug innards (i.e. the surrounding structure into which the plug inserts).   

EVA Unit-01 Test Type work-in-progress: remaining parts/sub-assemblies to be primed/painted

EVA Unit-01 Test Type work-in-progress: remaining parts/sub-assemblies after painting

So the hobby train continues to chug along slowly but surely. Knowing how I always procrastinate on hobby projects, I am surprised by how quickly this one is progressing. As mentioned earlier, once the panel lining and decals are applied, the final assembly process can then begin. Aside from ongoing projects, up to five new projects are about to begin. Crazy right? For a hobbyist whose projects tend to progress at a snail-pace, starting on so many new ones at the same time is kinda insane. This time though, it feels different. For the first time in a long while, I feel really good hobby-wise. It may yet all end in tears, but hope springs eternal. I plan to sustain this newfound enthusiasm by maintaining a healthy variety in the type of kits I work on. More details to follow. Until then, stay safe and be well.