Repairs for family car not completely discounted yet

 If you had been patiently reading (and humoring me) about my family's recent bout of bad luck, then you might be aware of the unfortunate situation the family car currently finds itself in. Since the accident last year, it has been effectively mothballed in a workshop after an insurance adjuster deemed it a total loss. But that isn't the end of the story for this plucky family car. Not yet.

Family car ... a Mitsubishi Lancer rebadged model ... with its badly damaged front end

 Being privy to the actual circumstances of the accident as well as discussions with the car workshop mechanic has led us to believe that the car can be fixed within reasonable costs. Most important fact influencing this decision was the absence of damage to the car's engine and transmission/gearbox, arguably two of the costliest repair items. With all this in mind, we've made an appeal to the insurance company for repairs to be undertaken instead of getting a total loss compensation claim.  

To give you a sense of scale, here my son (who is over six foot tall) is standing next to the car   

Like the front, side damage to the car doors was caused mainly by a steel road barrier

Damage looks superficial on the back left door, with the front taking the brunt of the damage

While the car then slid sideways down an incline, damage to the doors on the right side is ...

... almost non-existent with most of the serious damage occurring to the front right tyre/rim.

 Fixing the car wasn't a decision made lightly because it was tempting to just take the insurance money, albeit at a lower than market price, and invest in a new car. Unfortunately, astronomically high car taxes in the country meant we couldn't afford a car we were comfortable with, safety-wise. Despite being a 12-year old car, the rebadged Mitsubishi Lancer, which is known as the Proton Inspira here in Malaysia, still has a structural integrity that is better than a lot of locally produced cars.    

Will the family car finally have a Mitsubishi Lancer GT front bumper installed after all these years?

 So going forward there is still hope that our family car will be given the green light to undergo repairs. Here's hoping we'll be able to get her up and running again, with possibly some additional cosmetic modifications to finally return her to her original Mitsubishi Lancer GT looks. While optimistic, I am not entirely confident that it'll all work out in the end seeing how bad luck has been the norm lately. Nevertheless, hope springs eternal. Que sera, sera. And with that this blog update has reached its end. Thank you for taking the time to read this self-indulgent post, and may you be well and happy.

MS-09R Rick Dom | Master Grade Zeon Mobile Suit [WIP: Main sub-assemblies either painted or top-coated as well as panel-lined and given decals/dry transfers]

 If there was only one important thing I could take from the Rick Dom project, it would be that painting Gunpla need not be an all or nothing process. Before I begin painting a Gundam model kit, my OCD tendencies mean I am apt to plan for each and every single part - seen or unseen - to be painted.  And seeing that so many pieces (some tiny individual parts and some large sub-assemblies) make up a Gunpla, the very thought of painting everything can kill enthusiasm for a project before it even begins. But this particular Gunpla project has shown me not everything needs to be fully painted.

Rick Dom work-in-progress: Main sub-assemblies painted/top-coated/panel-lined and given sticker decals/dry transfers

 Easiest to get done, at least in terms of the number of parts involved, was the Rick Dom's head (see below). And in a way, the head is a microcosm of what I mean by not everything needs to be painted. For example, the visor is a clear piece that is used as is without being painted. Similarly the black plastic section of the head just needs to be top-coated with a matte clear coat to look like it had been painted in black. So that left the eye (painted a clear pink), the visor-frame (painted red) and the inner section (painted in a titanium hue and panel-lined) as parts that needed actual painting.

Rick Dom Head: individual parts and sub-assemblies prior to final assembly

Fully-assembled Rick Dom mobile suit head (isometric front view)

Fully-assembled Rick Dom mobile suit head (isometric back view)

 While the number of parts involving the 1/100 scale pilot figurines was even less, they weren't as easy to complete. As you can see from the photos below, the tiny figurines were molded as a single piece so no assembly was needed. Both figurines were painted while still attached to the sprue because their tiny size meant there was no other secure way to hold them during the painting process. Also because of the size, both figurines were hand painted using Vallejo Model Color acrylic paints rather than airbrushed. Figurines are always an important part of a Gunpla project because it gives us a sense of scale of the Gundam as to how big it really is in comparison to a human body.

Rick Dom Pilot Figures come in 1/100 scale and two versions i.e. standing and seated ...

... with both pilots shown here after being hand-painted with Vallejo Model Color acrylic paints.

 Next we move on to the Rick Dom's Upper Torso, whereby the only painted parts are the reds of the thrusters; the metal bits; and the clear yellow sensor piece. Meanwhile, the black and gray parts were only top-coated with a clear matte coat. Nevertheless, the quality of the top-coat is such that the parts look like they had been painted anyway. This section have also been applied with the first dry transfer decals: the numeral nineteen representing the unit's number and the Zeon symbol on the front; and the alpha-numerical letterings of MS-09R signifying unit type on the back (see below).

Rick Dom Upper Torso: individual parts and sub-assemblies prior to final assembly

Fully-assembled upper torso (isometric front view); dry transfers on the breast plate show the Zeon symbol (left) and the number nineteen which I choose as the unit's numeral designation (right)

Fully-assembled upper torso (isometric back view); the back also had a dry transfer put on it and it was supposed to show "MS-09R" i.e. unit type but it was torn during application

Rick Dom Upper Torso (isometric back view; upended): inner rim of both thrusters had been airbrushed with a custom red lacquer paint mixture

 Completing the Rick Dom's body is its Lower Torso, which also houses the seated pilot figure. Sadly once the hatch to the pilot cockpit is closed, the pilot will be hidden from view. However, the pilot is still accessible via the opening of said hatch so I guess the pilot isn't completely hidden. On the other hand, the inner section of the Lower Torso was supposed to be painted in a metallic hue but I had left it untouched (i.e. bare unpainted plastic) because this time the inner section is expected to be hidden from view permanently once the outer armor is attached to it. As such I saw no point in painting the inner section; therefore it was left in its original gray molded color (see below).

Rick Dom Lower Torso: individual parts and sub-assemblies (including seated pilot figurine) prior to final assembly

Fully-assembled lower torso (isometric front view); seated pilot figurine is not seen here because he/she is hidden behind the hatch at the front facing side

Fully-assembled lower torso (isometric back view); note the grey innards which remain unpainted because they will eventually be hidden hidden other painted parts

 Then we have the Rick Dom's Waist section which like the others consists of a mixture of painted and top-coated parts. Here, the violet, red and metallic parts were painted using Mr. Color lacquer paint while the black parts were only top-coated with a clear matte coat. A series of dry transfer decals were also applied on selected locations such as a red triangle with white stripes (on the front); two circular target-like symbols (on the back); and a rectangular warning text signage (both sides).

Rick Dom Waist: individual parts and sub-assemblies prior to final assembly

Fully-assembled waist (isometric back view); the two target-like symbols on the black armor sections are dry transfers which I had applied prior to the assembly process

Fully-assembled waist (isometric front view); the red/white triangle symbol and the two rectangular signs (one on the front and one on the side) are all dry transfer decals applied to parts prior to assembly

Fully-assembled waist (upended view from bottom); everything on the waist was either painted or top-coated except for the gray inner section that contain the joints 

 Following this it was the turn of Rick Dom's appendages/limbs, starting with both the left and right arms (see below). Their color scheme and how they were painted is in line with other sections like the waist. Dry transfer decals applied to the upper limbs comprised a yellow rank insignia of sorts on the left shoulder while a rectangular signage can be found on the other shoulder. Of note is the fact that both hands have individually articulated fingers. They aren't fused together like in some Gundam kits.

Rick Dom Shoulders, Arms & Hands: individual parts and sub-assemblies prior to final assembly

Rick Dom Shoulders, Arms & Hands: fully-assembled, painted, and/or top-coated plus dry transfer decals

 Most difficult to paint and assemble were the Rick Dom's legs. While most of the legs' inner section will be hidden from view after the outer armor is attached, enough could still be seen that the parts making up the inner section warranted a coat or two of paint of their own. Due to the complexity involved, it would be best for you to see what I mean in the photos below, rather than have you read a lengthy description. Just note that the violet, red, and metallic bits are painted while the rest have either been top-coated with a clear matte coat or just left in its original plastic state.

Rick Dom Legs & Feet: individual parts and sub-assemblies prior to final assembly

Fully-assembled legs and feet (isometric front view) with the left leg's armor panel removed to reveal the inner framework which has been painted in a metallic titanium hue/gun metal/red combination

Closeup view of the left leg's inner framework, which will eventually be covered up by armor

Rick Dom Legs & Feet: outer armor and inner framework fully-assembled, painted, and/or top-coated

 Working on a mecha project tends to take a lot of out me. As you can see from the photos above, there are a lot of parts to work with, which isn't easy when it comes to painting all (or nearly all) of them. The photos above were taken prior to the series of mishaps that befell my family and I. In a way I was lucky that a major portion of the Rick Dom had been completed before the run of bad luck hit. And it's only recently I found the time to sit down and write a work-in-progress report/blog update of the Rick Dom project. Hope springs eternal that I'll be able to get back into the thick of things soon, hobby-wise. Here's to that, and to you dear reader, being well and happy as always.

More drawing practice as the missus recovers

 With the missus still recovering from surgery, all miniature and scale model kit projects are still in a state of suspended animation i.e. lying dormant. Any tasks that require a prolonged period of focus without break is being put into the back burner while I attend to the missus's post-surgery needs. But that doesn't mean I won't be able to do anything remotely hobby-related in my free time. Compared to the time consuming process of painting a scale model kit/miniature, drawing still allows me the flexibility to instantly stop and start my hobby activities an attend to the missus.

A realistic looking iris was my main goal for this digital practice piece

 Because my long term goal is to be able to draw (and eventually paint) portraits, I decided to practice drawing facial features like the eye, nose, and mouth. It helps that I'm drawing digitally because it means I can just stop what I'm doing instantly sans any cleanups, and return to real world concerns. Below are some pieces I managed to finish using the Procreate app on the iPad Pro.

Portrait facial features practice piece: digital drawing of an eye

Portrait facial features practice piece: digital drawing of a nose

Portrait facial features practice piece: digital drawing of a mouth

 Soon though, a semblance of normality should return to my hobby activities as the missus recovers that little bit more from her surgery. At the very least, I should be able to resume work on my Gundam scale model kit projects soon. Maybe no major airbrushing sessions yet, but I have enough on my plate as it is in assembly and prep work to avoid being too disappointed with the slow restart.

After surgery, the missus now has titanium plating and screws in her foot ...

... as seen here from another angle (i.e. top down view).

 While I don't want to jinx it, the wave of awful luck that is crashing upon the family seems to have abated somewhat. Apart from breaking a glass plate and getting pretty deep cuts on my hands, no other mishap has befallen the family. Long may that continue. So as I get ready to kick start my scale model kit/miniature projects for real - nearly two months into 2023 - I'm hoping lady luck deigns to finally smile on my family and I. And on you and yours too. Until my next post, be well and be happy!

Bad luck continues into the new year

 When it rain, it pours. While I have known this to be true from past experience, it doesn't make it any easier to stomach when it happens to you or your loved ones. So following close on the heels of the car accident, the missus fell down the stairs and broke her foot. It was bad enough that it required surgery, which she had successfully underwent at the time of this blog update. But on the bright side, the anesthesiologist for her surgery was an old classmate of mine for many years since I was seven years old. It was nice to see him again, even if it was for a short while only.

 Needlessly to say, the focus now is on attending to the missus's post-op recovery needs. While there won't be as much progress on the hobby front, I guess it gives me more time to plan my projects better. Maybe I'll even spent more time drawing than I intended over the next few weeks. There is always a silver lining after all. We just have to look that bit harder when times are tough. Anyway, enough of this gloom and doom. Technically, the Lunar New Year celebrations aren't over yet. Traditionally the last day of celebrations falls tomorrow on Chap Goh Mei, which literally translates as the fifteenth day. So that's one more day I'm not gonna think of all the troubles down the road. There will be enough worrying to do after that. Until next time, may you and yours be well and happy!