MS-09R Rick Dom | 1/100 scale Master Grade Zeon Mobile Suit [Completed]

 Every time a Gunpla project is completed, there is a sense of relief that goes along with the natural feeling of accomplishment. Relief that the Gundam model kit's lengthy top-coating and painting process is finally over. Relief at having an end result to display after having to deal with numerous complicated parts. And most of all, relief that all that planning - namely which parts to paint, which to topcoat; how to paint them i.e. individually or as a sub-assembly; what colors to use; how to secure the numerous tiny pieces for painting; etc. - actually came to fruition rather than fail horribly. This then is my take of the Bandai 1/100 scale Master Grade MS-09R Rick Dom model kit.

Bandai 1/100 scale Master Grade Zeon Mobile Suit: MS-09R Rick Dom [Completed]

 Although the Rick Dom isn't fully-painted in the sense that some of its parts were top-coated with a clear matte coat in lieu of being airbrushed with colored paints, the end results still looks like a fully-painted scale model kit. At least it does to me. Shown below is the Rick Dom posed against an azure background, mimicking the mobile suit when it's being deployed planetside as opposed to in space.

MS-09R Rick Dom placed here against an azure background made out of two cutting mats (front view)

Because its fingers can be individually manipulated, the Rick Dom is able to make a hand-horns or 'rock-on' gesture ...

... although admittedly the hand itself should've been facing the other way for the gesture to be correct.

On the Rick Dom's back is a yellow heat sabre attached to its rear rocket vernier thrusters

 However as you can see, the Rick Dom together with the heat sabre on its back is too big for my azure background material which consists of just the bottom sections of two mid-sized azure cutting mats. Nonetheless the azure background does cover the Rick Dom itself reasonably well to give a good view of the Zeon mobile suit's color scheme when contrasted against an azure background.

Back view of the MS-09R Rick Dom against an azure background

All the Rick Dom's grey and black armor plates of have been top-coated with a matte clear coat ...

... as has its heat sabre (both handle and blade) while the red as well as desaturated violet armor plates ...

... and all the metallic parts have been airbrushed with Mr.Hobby Mr.Color lacquer paints.

 One of the unique selling points of this particular Gundam scale model kit is the fact that it includes one of the largest weapons found in Gunpla. In terms of length/height, the Rick Dom itself measures about 18.3 cm, the 360mm GB05R Bazooka about 18.0 cm and the Beam Bazooka about 26.0 cm. In simple layman terms, the Rick Dom have a set of really huge fraking bazookas!

Here the Rick Dom is carrying the huge Beam Bazooka horizontally in both its hands ...

... while here the Zeon mobile suit is doing the same thing with the smaller 360mm GB05R Bazooka.

 To see how the Rick Dom would look in its other natural operating environment i.e. outer space, I had posed the mecha against a black background (see below). Although the Rick Dom has a muted color scheme of black, grey, and desaturated violet with small splashes of bright, vivid hues - like the reds on its head and the yellow insignia on its left shoulder - it still manages to stand out fairly well against the darker background. Admittedly, both the azure and black backgrounds are just lazy substitutes for a green background which would allow me to do some nifty "green screen video editing". Such editing would've enabled me to put in either a cloudy blue sky or star-filled space as a background.

MS-09R Rick Dom now against a dark background made entirely out of black cloth (front view)

Even against a black background, the Rick Dom still manages to retain contrast and stand out

One of my key goals when painting the Rick Dom was to ensure that its surfaces weren't too glossy 

A combination of a matte clear topcoat and semi-gloss paint resulted in the desired not too glossy look

Back view of the MS-09R Rick Dom against a black background

Having a solid, stout body with curved lines making up most of its outer armor ...

... the Rick Dom sports a very recognizable silhouette among fans of the Gundam universe

Without a doubt, the MS-09R Rick Dom is one of my favourite mobile suit designs

 Below then is the Rick Dom with its weapons against a black background. There is a slight difference from when it posed against an azure background in that the weapons were arranged vertically here to show a better sense of scale. You can see the huge Beam Bazooka tower over the mecha.

MS-09R Rick Dom with its complement of weapons from a heat sabre to bazookas

Beam Bazooka towers over the Rick Dom while the 360mm GB05R Bazooka is nearly the same height

 So the 1/100 scale Master Grade Zeon Mobile Suit known as MS-09R Rick Dom has the honour of being my first scale model kit project to be completed this year. I certainly didn't foresee my first finished piece to surface so late, nearly a quarter of the way into 2023. Barring further mishaps, I hope to pick up the pace to compensate for all that lost time. Because I also hope to resume drawing seriously again, I had better get cracking if I want to make a dent on my significantly longer hobby-related to-do-list. As someone wise but unknown once said ... There’s no such thing as being too busy. If you really want something, you’ll make time for it. And that's just what I'm going to do.