A Look Back at 2020

 It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. And so the new year begins with an oft quoted classical novel line that aptly describes what happened to me last year. Worst due to the ongoing pandemic, enough said. Best because I got to spend (and actually still am spending) more time with the missus due to general work-from-home orders. Meanwhile, hobby-wise I didn't get much done apart from mostly finishing projects that were already near-complete towards the tail end of 2019. These then are the scale models and miniature figurine that I painted in 2020.  

Scale Model and Miniature Figurine projects completed in 2020

 First past the post last year was my very first Gundam project i.e. the Bandai Master Grade 1/100 scale RX-78-2 Gundam Version 3.0 model kit (see below). Grandpa Gundam was an extremely time consuming project that involved the painting of a multitude of tiny parts prior to assembly. But I believe the end result of painting the kit is so much better than an out-of-the-box build. Without a shadow of doubt, the RX-78-2 Gundam has been one of my most satisfying painted builds in a long while.

RX-78-2 Gundam holding its pilot Amuro Ray in its hand

Also known as Grandpa Gundam, the RX-78-2 shown here in various poses

Equally impressive were the weapon accessories (also painted) accompanying the RX-78-2

 After working with the hard edges of an inorganic entity that is the RX-78-2 Gundam, I turned my attention to finally completing a miniature figurine in the last calendar year. This came in the form of the atelier iT 1/12 scale Race Queen figurine (see below). It was the first time I had ever used an airbrush to paint skin tones (in addition to the traditional hand painted methods). Going forward, this airbrush-handbrush combo will be my technique of choice in painting skin tones on figurines.  

Race Queen is a 1/12 scale miniature figurine; she's another 2020 project

Here the Race Queen is posing against a dark (black) background ...

... versus a light (azure) background; both had a slightly different effect on skin tone

 Another project that took a long time to complete was the Bandai 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon model kit that was modeled after the one in The Force Awakens (see below). In fact, 'a long time' is a serious understatement. Begun way back in January 2016, this Star Wars project was shelved in the middle of that same year before finally resuming in October 2019 and then finished in May 2020. But finished it is. And while the Millennium Falcon's colored panels consist of applied water decals, the ship still looks good as the rest of it is indeed fully painted and weathered.      

Bandai Star Wars 1/12 scale Millennium Falcon from The Force Awakens

Millennium Falcon is fully painted with the exception of its colored panels, which are decals

Closeup of the detailed exterior of the 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon

 Nice as it is to bask in the satisfied glow of completed projects, it's better still to look forward to ones that are ongoing or yet to be started. Personally, I've always felt it important to plan for the year ahead while conceding that there will be the occasional unforeseen miniature figurine or scale model kit project that takes my fancy. More often than not, a failure to plan will result in many half-worked-on projects that eventually sit on shelves gathering dust. In other words, not good. So the coming few days will determine which projects will start, which will continue and which will shelved indefinitely. For now, here's wishing you and yours a better (and safer) year ahead. 

Star Wars Millennium Falcon (The Force Awakens) - Bandai 1/144 Scale Plastic Model Kit [Completed]

And so another journey ends. Having begun more than four years ago, the project initially gathered momentum; then faltered; inevitably got shelved; and like a shy phoenix it was tentatively resurrected before the current stay-at-home exile saw the 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon finally completed. A replica of the iconic spaceship as seen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Bandai plastic model kit is chock-full of movie accurate details fantastically rendered even at this scale. Let's have a look then my take on the Falcon with its water decals, paint job, panel lining, and weathering effects.      

Bandai 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon from Star Wars: The Force Awakens [completed, top view]

Bandai 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon from Star Wars: The Force Awakens [completed, bottom view]

Although I had painted the entire cast of 1/144 scale figures, in the end I only used Rey, BB-8 and Finn for the final photo shoot. Even then, only Rey is visible as BB-8 is mostly hidden in the cockpit while Finn sits obscured behind the Lower Hull Turret. I'm saving the Han Solo and Chewbacca miniature figures for a landed version of the Falcon which I hope to work on eventually. My plan for this future version is expected to involve a different basecoat hue, an installed LED lighting system as well as airbrushed paints instead of water decals for the colored panels. That's the plan anyway. 

At this angle, Rey can be seen through the cockpit while BB-8 is hidden from view

From the get-go I had had my reservations about the small size of the Desert Display Base provided by Bandai. To me, the base does nothing to suspend disbelief and increase realism in the Millennium Falcon vignette piece. In fact, it does the exact opposite and makes the entire vignette look toy-like. The base feels like an afterthought. Both incomplete and underwhelming. That's one of the reasons motivating me to work on another version to make it into a more realistic diorama.  

Bandai Star Wars 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon and its Desert Base Display

A key gripe for me is that the Desert Base Display is smaller than the Millennium Falcon

Millennium Falcon 'floats' above its Desert Base Display courtesy of a rigid stand (hidden)

Being the "unlighted Sublight Drive Engine" yet "in mid-flight" version of the Millennium Falcon, this particular representation of the iconic ship was intended to mimic a scene in The Force Awakens in which Rey shuts down the Falcon's engines and let it free fall in order to evade a First Order TIE Fighter. At the same time, Finn is seated behind a Quad Laser Cannon in the Lower Hull, fingers poised at the trigger, ready to blast the TIE Fighter to smithereens. If only I had a 1/144 scale TIE Fighter, this vignette would've been complete. Alas I do not, so just imagine it ... pew pew pew.

Angled side view (port side) of the Bandai Star Wars 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon

Weathering effects were done using Tamiya Weathering Master pastel-like applicator sets

Rear Exhaust Vents had long streaks of soot trailing towards the Sublight Drive Exhaust

Weathering effects were kept as subtle as possible to prevent it from overwhelming painted details

Angled side view (starboard side) of the Bandai Star Wars 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon

Apart from the overly small size of the rectangular base, I also had issues with the display stand that supported the Millennium Falcon in its 'flying' pose. It's understandable that Bandai made the girth of the stand thick in order to support the weight of the Falcon. However, the least they could've done was supply a clear display stand to give viewers the illusion of a ship in mid-flight.   

Starboard side of the Millennium Falcon, which rests atop the Desert Display Base

Most prominent structure on the rear of the Millennium Falcon is its Sublight Drive Exhaust

Sublight Drive Engines within the exhaust is not lighted up as there isn't any LED system installed

Port side of the Millennium Falcon, which rests atop the Desert Display Base

Thickness and solidity of the Display Stand takes away from the illusion of a spaceship in mid-flight

Front end of the Millennium Falcon as seen in a head-on closeup view

While I was tempted to include a video to showcase a wider gamut of angles of the fully completed Millennium Falcon kit, I decided to hold off for now. I feel that I still need more time with the Vegas Pro 15 Edit video production software before I can make a video about this Star Wars project that isn't a complete snooze-fest. Until then, these set of photos you see here will have to suffice.

Forward Mandibles and Nose Section (containing concussion missles) of the Millennium Falcon

Square Radar Dish marks this Millennium Falcon as a the one from The Force Awakens

Rear Exhaust Vents had long streaks of soot trailing towards the Sublight Drive Exhaust

Closeup view of the Starboard Escape Pod (round structure)

Cockpit section of the Millennium Falcon, with Rey and BB-8 seated inside

That's yet another tick off my hobby checklist. It feels good. Really good. And thankfully there isn't any sign of a hobby burnout despite the longer than usual hours spend on the hobby during this past few weeks. Surprisingly I actually feel more invigorated to tackle more projects, both new and old. With the Falcon now finished, my focus will shift onto the other Sci-Fi ship project on my worktable. It's a somewhat less neglected project but one that has yet to really take off. I'm speaking of the Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (Cosmo Reverse Version). Assembly on the Yamato should start soon. 

As always it seems I will end my blog post with yet another quote. As we live in such surreal times whereby the whole world seems to have come to a standstill, I find this recurring quote in the TV series Westworld most apt ... Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality? Well have you?

Star Wars 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon [WIP - Base]

Above the desert sands of Jakku, a planet in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Millennium Falcon finally made its big screen return after its original debut more than forty years ago in A New Hope. This fictional planet is actually based on the sand desert of Rub' al Khali in the Arabian Peninsula, whose almost silky smooth sand dunes are recreated in base provided by Bandai.    

Bandai Star Wars 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon - Desert Base [Completed]

Materials used to spruce up the Desert Base consisted of the Tamiya Weathering Master (Set B) specifically its Rust hue for the dune shadows and an application of the Mr.Hobby Mr.Super Smooth Clear matt topcoat over the weathered base in order to protect and seal in the weathering effect.

Materials used on Desert Base: Mr.Super Smooth Clear and Tamiya Weathering Master Set B

In terms of accuracy, the color that the base came molded in was actually too yellow for my taste. That usually would've been enough of a reason for me to repaint the base. But this time is was not. There was an overriding issue that made me decide to put in as little effort as I could get away with and yet still make the base look reasonably good. What was the issue? It's size. The desert base is way too small. In fact, it's smaller than the Millennium Falcon kit that it will eventually support. This is an unforgivable act by Bandai. If they were going to do things halfheartedly, why even bother?

Silky smooth sand texture is similar to the actual desert that Jakku is based on i.e. Rub 'al Khali

First, darker hues were applied onto the recessed areas to create shadows thus a sense of depth

Second, a clear matt topcoat was sprayed over the base in order to seal in the weathering effects

Key issue I had with the base was its size, which was way smaller than the Millennium Falcon

At the tip of the display stand there are three possible posing positions, each located on two separate axes, which are at right angles to each other. This should allow for a total of nine different posing positions for the Millennium Falcon atop its Desert Base. That's sufficient poses if you ask me. 

There are three possible posing positions each on two separate axes at right angles to one another

At the display stand's top are three cylindrical studs, which are used to fix onto the Millennium Falcon  

Finally, it's time for the cherry on top. Soon the Millennium Falcon will soar above the desert sands of Jakku ... in the next post. All it took was an enforced stay-at-home period to push this project across the finish line. A global pandemic no less. Speaking of which, Malaysia has restarted its economy as new cases continue to flatline in the low double-digits. While new viral clusters are still emerging, unemployment is also soaring and financial hardships piling-up. Amidst the risk of a second wave, the middle-class and poor find themsleves between a rock and a hard place. As Dolores Abernathy put it in Westworld Season 2 ... Strange new light can be just as frightening as the dark.

Star Wars 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon [WIP - Upper Fully Assembled and Snap-fitted onto the Lower Hull]

With all its separate pieces and sub-assemblies fully painted and accounted for, the Millennium Falcon was finally ready to be put together. After years in this hobby, I seem to have settled upon a modus operandi that involves painting a miniature figurine or scale model kit's parts first before assembling them. Most, if not all, of my projects have been carried out in this manner. Doing so has its pros and cons. The former being the ability to paint parts to a high degree of detail while the latter sometimes negated the former by causing damage to the paint during assembly. With that in mind, lets see how the final assembly process for the Millennium Falcon itself turned out.  

1/144 scale Millennium Falcon Work-in-Progress: Upper Hull snap-fitted onto the Lower Hull

Steps can be taken to prevent paint chipping and decal damage when piecing together the separately painted pieces. Apart from the obvious step of being extra careful when handling the parts, one could also spray a protective clear topcoat onto the final layer of paint and decals. While all the care in the world isn't necessarily foolproof against damage to paint and decal, it can at the least minimizes it.  

Forward Mandibles of the Millennium Falcon (closeup view)

Forward Mandibles, prior to being attached to the inner edge of the Lower Hull

Forward Mandibles, after they were attached to the inner edge of the Lower Hull

Once the Upper Hull (not shown) is snap-fitted onto the Mandibles, the attachment becomes more secure

Both Forward Mandibles are first attached via Lego-like connecting studs onto holes on the inner edge of the Lower Hull (see above). At this stage the Mandibles weren't yet securely attached in that they could easily be shaken loose from the Lower Hull. A secure fit could only be achieved by fixing the Upper Hull onto Mandibles and Lower Hull also via similar Lego-like connecting studs and holes. This would then place the Mandibles firmly in between both hulls (see final third of photos).  

Underside of the Millennium Falcon Forward Mandibles, which attach to the Lower Hull

Lower Hull (compared with Upper Hull) takes on a greater yellowish tint due to sand weathering effects

My main concern about the Upper Laser Turret was whether it could blend inconspicuously into the Upper Hull. This worry arose because I did a less than stellar job on the Laser Turret's weathering effects. In the end, I guess everything turned out okay. Not great but okay. Unconsciously, I may just be trying to reassure myself that I didn't mess things up. Still, I intend to leave things well alone.

Upper Laser Turret prior to be fixed into the Millennium Falcon's Upper Hull

Upper Laser Turret snap-fits securely onto the Millennium Falcon's Upper Hull

Closeup view of the Upper Laser Turret once it has been attached to the Upper Hull

And just like that the two halves were ready to be snap-fitted together. At this late point, you may have noticed that the Cockpit section still hadn't been attached to the Upper Hull. As per the instructions, both halves had to be fixed together first before the Cockpit section was inserted. I believe this method was suggested to prevent clumsy hands from somehow pressing too hard on the Cockpit and breaking it. Sans the cockpit, I actually had more surface area in which to apply force with my fingers in order to ensure both halves of the hull had indeed snap-fitted securely into place. 

Bandai Star Wars 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon - Upper Hull and Lower Hull prior to being snap-fitted together

Due to the flimsiness and fragility of certain sections of the Upper Hull, e.g. the Exposed Innards, Quad Laser Cannons and Radar Dish, I still had to be extremely careful not to accidentally press onto them and break them. But as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, there was enough unobstructed surface area for my fingers to rest on thus ensuring sufficient force was used to assemble both hulls.

Millennium Falcon's Upper Hull snap-fits so securely onto the Lower Hull ...

... that there is absolutely no need for any glue to be used in the assembly process

At this stage, all that was left for me to do was insert the Cockpit into its rightful place. Similar to what has worked so well thus far, the Cockpit contained Lego-like connecting studs which allowed it to be fixed securely into the corresponding holes on the Upper Hull (see below).

Similar to the other parts, the Cockpit section has Lego-like connecting studs ...

... which help it attach securely onto the Upper Hull via just a snap-fitting process

Cockpit of the Millennium Falcon after it has been attached onto the ship's Upper Hull

It's a great testament to Bandai's snap-fit design that absolutely no glue was needed during this final stage of assembly. If only the past me - more than four years ago - had realized this and had not glued shut the armor panel which allowed access to the on/off switch of an LED lighting system. 

1/144 scale Millennium Falcon completed and ready to be attached to its display stand/base

Before I proceed to showcase the Millennium Falcon into its final form, there is the issue of its base to tackle. I expect this next step to be a quick one as I intend to put as little effort as I can get away with in order to make it work. There are reasons for putting minimal effort into the desert base which I'll make clear in the next post. For now it's time for - you guessed it - yet another quote to end my weekly (sometimes biweekly, sometimes semiweekly) blog posts. This one is from William aka Man in Black from the HBO series Westworld ... "When you're suffering, that's when you're most real".