Custom Candy Coated Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type [Assembly Part 3 of 5: Torso]

 With extremities of the Evangelion Unit-01 (EVA-01) Test Type completed, it was time to focus inwards. What this entailed was assembly of the Evangelion's custom painted neck, chest, back, spine, and lumber sections. Notwithstanding a slight misstep caused by a lack of mindfulness, the entire torso assembly process was pretty uneventful, which I'll elaborate on later.

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type work-in-progress: Candy Metallic Torso (isometric view, front)

While the joints weren't painted, in hindsight they should've been to create a tighter fit between parts

 For the first time a candy metallic color other than purple, orange, and green were evident in the Evangelion's overall color scheme. Initially I had intended to airbrush on a less saturated shade of candy blue onto the torso to approximate the original molded azure-like hue . But because the purples were already significantly saturated, I went for a more consistent look, which translated into a more saturated candy metallic blue. So technically it's not 100% true to the original EVA-01 Test Type color scheme. However in this case, a consistent look trumps color scheme accuracy.

In a color scheme tweak, the EVA's torso has candy metallic blue on the chest and along the spine

Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type work-in-progress: Candy Metallic Torso (isometric view, back)

Apart from the addition of candy blue, the rest of the color scheme is similar to the legs and arms

 Assembly of the Evangelion's neck, body, back, spine, and lumbar was a straightforward event except for a slight hiccup in the form of a missed step. Soon after I thought I had completed the torso assembly process, I noticed a gaping hole at the Evangelion's back (see Step E). This has never happened to me before. I blame it on the fact I was trying to take a video of the assembly process which required me to assemble the parts at an odd angle that deviated from my usual vantage point. 

(A) Arranging and sorting out individual parts/sub-assemblies of the neck, chest, and back sections

(B) Custom painted neck, chest, and back of the EVA-01 Test Type, after assembly

(C) Arranging and sorting out individual parts/sub-assemblies of the spine and lumbar sections

(D) Custom painted torso of the EVA-01 Test Type, front end assembly completed

 Unfortunately I couldn't just slot the forgotten piece right onto the Evangelion's back. I had to first disassemble the back section, put the missing piece in, and then reassemble the back section again. The problem with this process was that it was quite difficult to disassemble the back section as I had to be careful not to chip the paint. Eventually it got done, and the torso was finally completed.  

(E) A piece of the EVA-01's custom painted torso was inadvertently left out of the assembly process

(F) Custom painted torso of the EVA-01 Test Type, fully-assembled

  As it stands, there is only one other section of the EVA-01 Test Type left to assemble namely its head. I have already finished the paint job of the Evangelion's head so all that remains to be done is to assemble the head. Once that's done, the final assembly process of the Evangelion can begin. I leave you with a quote from a Neon Genesis Evangelion character named Ryoji Kaji ... "If you know pain and hardship, it’s easier to be kind to others". On that note, I wish you well and hope you are staying safe amidst a seeming resurgence of a new pandemic variant. 

  Important Note: Videos showcasing a more in depth view of the Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type assembly process, of which there will also be five parts, will all be released simultaneously after all (or most) of the blog post updates have been uploaded. If you are the type who prefers watching instead of reading, then the videos will be more to your liking. Be sure to stay tuned for that.