Custom Candy Coated Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type [Assembly Part 5 of 5: Final Assembly]

 Candy Metallic Finish on a mecha model kit ... check! That's one more tick on my must-do-bucket-list. More than that though, I've learned a technique that I plan use again on future mecha projects. In fact, it's likely I'll use a candy metallic finish on another Evangelion project namely the EVA Unit-02, which has red as its predominant color. That, however, is still something too far into the future to worry about. For now, let's concentrate on the here and now, and on what has actually been completed which is the Bandai Limited High Grade (LM-HG) Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type.  

Bandai LM-HG Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type custom paint job (candy metallic finish)

 After assembly of the various sub-sections like the head, torso, and limbs, all that remained to be done was put the separate sub-assemblies together into a recognizable EVA unit. The final assembly process itself was fairly straightforward with the hard work done during the assembly of the sub-assemblies. Everything slotted in as expected with the end results you see below.

Fully-painted individual parts/sub-assemblies of the EVA-01 Test Type, prior to final assembly

Bandai LM-HG Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type completed (front view)

Bandai LM-HG Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type completed (back view)

 Against my usual go-to black background, a lot of the EVA-01 Test Type details were obscured. This was because the candy metallic finish tended to mirror its dark surroundings thus accentuating the overall dimness of an object that's photographed in a dark environment. As such I had to instead carry out the photo shoot with the Evangelion posed against a white background. With the EVA unit placed in brighter surroundings, I found its details to be significantly more visible in the photos. Of course it helped that the candy metallic finish now reflected/mirrored its brighter surroundings.

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type posed in a squat (front view)

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type posed in a squat (back view)

A white background was chosen as the primary background because ...

... when a black background was used to shoot photos of the EVA-01 Test Type ...

... I found that the candy metallic finish will partly reflect/mirror its dark surroundings ...

... thus accentuating the overall dimness of the surroundings the EVA-01 was posed in ...

... this was especially true if the candy metallic hues were the darker purples and blues ...

... and do here you see the EVA-01 Test Type against a black background followed by ...

... a white one, which partly reflects its brighter surroundings thus showcasing its details more clearly.

 Although I had an inkling of how cool candy metallic finishes could and did look, I was still relieved to find that the Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type did not look out of place with a candy coating. While most mecha-type kits will look good in a candy metallic finish, I believe this is not a given as I've seem some mechas look terrible when saddled with candy hues on its outer armor.

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type (isometric view, front left)

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type (back view)

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type (isometric view, rear left)

 Rough handling on my part has resulted in the paint chipping on the Evangelion's thighs. That won't be a problem though as the chips look natural i.e. how it would look like if candy metallic surfaces were scratched. Paint chips can also be partly blamed on the fact that I didn't apply a protective clear topcoat on top of the candy metallic finish. That I did not do out of choice because I liked how the candy coating looked as is, and did not want to alter the finish anymore.   

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type (isometric view, rear right)

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type (isometric view, right)

 If there is one gripe I have of the fully-assembled model kit is that the joints in its spinal column seem a tad loose in that the upper body tends to sag downwards/forwards on more than one occasion. I guess it's not all bad when you consider that the Evangelion's default pose is one of it hunched forwards. So in essence the kit is just fulfilling its core aesthetic quality. The joints on the limbs seem fairly robust for now, and the EVA Unit can indeed stand on its own two feet. However a Bandai Action Base will be needed to pull off more dynamic poses other than it just standing still.  

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type (isometric view, front right)

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type (isometric view, left)

 It's obvious from the photos above that the Evangelion is still sorely lacking in the weapons department. While I've assembled the EVA Unit's weapons, I've yet to paint them. Once those are completed, I plan to pair the EVA-01 Test Type with an Action Base in order to shoot photos of some dynamic poses. However there is a high possibility that other projects will be completed first before I eventually come around to working on the weapons. So there won't be any updates for this project anytime soon. Anyway, that's it for this post. Until the next, please stay safe and be well.  

 Important Note: Videos showcasing a more in depth view of the Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type assembly process, of which there are five parts, have been released simultaneously on my YouTube channel FourEyedMonster Miniatures. If you are the type who prefers watching instead of reading, then the videos will be more to your liking. Be sure to check those videos out. To access my YouTube Channel, you can also click on the banner promoting the channel directly below this paragraph.