My First Ichiban Kuji Pull ..... a Failure?

 After finishing a rather time-consuming project (i.e a scale model kit of the Going Merry pirate ship), I have been guilty of taking it easy these past two weeks. Apart from checking out some budget-friendly pre-painted figurines to add to my collection, I didn't really do anything much on the hobby front. Usually I'll source both pre-owned as well as brand new pre-painted figurines from online shops based either in Japan or Malaysia. But occasionally I do visit local hobby shops if they're having promotions, and get such figurines from a bricks-and-mortar store. And it was in one of these rare visits that I decided to try my hand at an Ichiban Kuji pull to see if I could win a prize figurine.

 Above is a short video of my very first Ichiban Kuji pull. You might wonder what on earth is an Ichiban Kuji? Well, it's a lottery prize game operated by Banpresto, a Japanese toy company under the Namco Bandai Holdings umbrella. How it works is that you purchase a ticket, and then check what prize you have won with said ticket. Obviously Ichiban Kuji is not as widespread in Malaysia as it is in Japan. But if you look hard enough, you can still find them in local specialty hobby shops. Anyway, I should be getting back to the hobby worktable soon after this extended rest. All that's left to do is decide what exactly I want to work on as my next project. That'll be in my next post. For now, I thank you for taking the time to visit my humble blog, and wish that you be well and happy.

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!

A Look Back at 2022

 Well, it seems bad news is the order of the day, even so early in the new year. As per my previous post, the family car was wrecked in an unfortunate accident at the tail-end of last year. No one was hurt, which is the best news possible. But everything else is downhill from there, pun unintended. Sadly a preliminary assessment of the car may see it being written off as a total loss. So we might be down a car with no means of obtaining a new one. So on to better news then, for 2022 was one of my more productive years in the hobby. I actually finished more than the five projects shown below, but I only had time to post details of the five below, so let's move on to a belated look back ...    

Scale Model and Miniature Figurine projects completed in 2022

 First project to be completed last year was the Bandai 1/12 scale Aratech 74-Z Military Speeder Bike. Part of a two-in-one kind of kit, the bike (see below) was included together with a 1/12 scale Scout Trooper figurine. The latter was completed way back in October 2020.

Bandai Star Wars 1/12 scale Aratech 74-Z Military Speeder Bike

 Second off the to-do-list was a custom paint job for an old non-scale Evangelion kit (see below), specifically the Bandai Limited High Grade (LM-HG) Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type. This project saw me attempting my first ever candy metallic finish on a mecha model kit.

Bandai non-scale Limited High Grade Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type

 Third to end up in the finished pile was another Evangelion kit, this time the smaller non-scale Bandai Real Grade Evangelion Unit-00 (see below). It was one of the few kits that I did minimal work on seeing that it looked good as a straight-out-of-the-box build. So I only applied some stickers and decals, plus added some panel lining. But no painting was done on it.

Bandai non-scale Real Grade Evangelion Unit-00

 Fourth to be completed was one half of the iconic Toy Story duo namely Buzz Lightyear (see below). It was a unique kit because Bandai ever made two in their Cinema Rise Standard line, and both were based on Toy Story 4 characters. Details of the non-scale Bandai Buzz Lightyear figurine model kit were uploaded on my blog sometime ago: for videos (click here) and for photos (click here).

Bandai non-scale Cinema Rise Standard Toy Story 4:Buzz Lightyear plastic scale model kit

 Woody, the other half of the iconic Toy Story duo was completed soon after (see below). Details of the non-scale Bandai Toy Story 4: Woody figurine model kit were also uploaded on my blog sometime ago: for videos (click here) and for photos (click here).

Bandai non-scale Cinema Rise Standard Toy Story 4:Woody plastic scale model kit

 Meanwhile, even in this productive period I still had projects when I just couldn't push over the finishing line. These slow going projects (see below) were the Hasegawa 1/12 scale Girls Rider female figurine resin kit and a Bandai 1/1000 scale Space Battleship Yamato (Cosmo Reverse Version). Hopefully 2023 is the year when both these get done once and for all.

Last thing I worked on for the Girls Rider resin figurine was to repair its damaged jeans color ...

... while for the Space Battleship Yamato it was to install the First Bridge & Missile Launch Tower.

 So 2022 was a promising sign of the 'hobby train' gathering momentum. Despite the aforementioned car setback, it is my hope that the ongoing work I generated for my hobby projects continues to gather pace rather than slow down. While it sucks to take such a major financial hit just as the year begins, I'll repeat ad nauseam that the most important thing is this year begins with everyone I love in good health. On that note, may you and your loved ones be well and happy as we begin 2023!

Enforced Hobby Downtime

 It was fairly inevitable that the unfailingly steady progress of my hobby projects would eventually grind to a halt again for one reason or another. It's just that I didn't expect the party pooper to be the dreaded Covid virus. My missus contracted the virus first, followed quickly by me, then my son. Despite our best efforts in isolating non-infected members of the family, the incredible rate of infection of this now multi-mutated virus meant once anyone in the family showed any symptoms, chances were high another family member was already infected without being aware of it.

Image source: https://coronavirus.onu.org.mx

 It's now Day 5 after symptoms began showing for me. Infected about two days earlier, the missus has almost fully recovered while I am feeling much better myself. We were both lucky in that we were infected two weeks into our second Comirnaty Pfizer booster shot (our first two shots were Sinovac). Hooray for science, I guess. (If I don't update my blog soon after this then I guess my recovery predictions were a tad too optimistic ... ptui, don't jinx it, says me to myself.)

 However there are so many variants of this virus that getting infected no longer assures immunity against reinfection. So no hoorays then? No darn it ... here's a hurrah to small blessings of mild symptoms. And as for you, my dear reader ... stay safe and be well ... and see you next week with more updates to my hobby projects ... I hope ... (drama queen much?)

Testing out Auto Paints & Primers on PP and PS plastic

 Sometimes a seemingly inconsequential circumstance (the case in point being my inability to find a specific hobby paint color i.e. Tamiya Mica Blue for some recently acquired car scale model kits) will kick off my inane hobby OCD behaviour. With so many miniature projects pending you might think I would just put sourcing the out-of-stock paint on the back burner and concentrate on the huge pile of ongoing projects. But no. Cue a search online for an alternative, resulting in a significantly cheaper yet not necessarily wholly ideal solution. Let me explain ...  

Spray Man (Subaru WRX OC2 Blue) automotive grade paint on a polystyrene spoon

 My quest for an alternative paint began with a search for an extremely specific hue i.e. the dark blue metallic hue that's iconic to the Subaru Impreza WRX STI. So my primary concern wasn't the type of paint available but more towards the color of the paint. Any worry of whether the paint is suitable for scale model kits became secondary to color accuracy. Subsequent research paid off in the way of automotive grade primers/paints as an alternative to the plastic-friendly hobby lacquer primers/paints. These are the Spray Man Automotive Grade Paints and Primers you see below.  

Spray Man Automotive Primers, Paint, and Clear Coat

 It has been quite a while since I used aerosol spray paint cans, and I was quickly reminded about how messy things could get while using a spray paint can. Naturally, I made a right mess of things and the cement floor at the front of the house now has Subaru WRX STI blue paint on it. Oops! Meanwhile, a unique feature of this particular brand of automotive spray can is that it comes with two different types of interchangeable nozzle. One sprays out a flat horizontally-shaped layer of paint while the other sprays out a circular-shaped layer of paint. The latter is what you would normally find on hobby spray paint cans. In this test, I used the flat-horizontal spray nozzle.  

Applying automotive grade paint via a spray can onto a primed plastic spoon

Cardboard boxes and pieces used to prevent paint over-spray from damaging the house ...  

... but unfortunately the missus won't be best pleased with the results of my overzealous testing

 On what surface were the automotive grade paints/primers tested on? Well for the tests to be effective and useful, the paints had to be sprayed onto plastic that were as close as possible to the types found in scale model kits. Unless you're using spare plastic sprues or parts from the model kit in question, it is almost impossible to 100% match the type plastic found in my test plastic spoons. For example, even though most model kits use Polystyrene (PS) molded parts, the characteristics of said parts differ from brand to brand e.g. some brands have softer PS parts than others.  

Plastic Recycling Symbols for Polypropylene (PP) and Polystyrene (PS)

 In my case, I have scale model kits of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI from two brands, namely Tamiya and Aoshima. As I understand it based on a perusal of plastic symbols found in the Japanese language box art and instructions, Tamiya uses mainly PS plastic while Aoshima uses PP plastic. For the closest comparison I could muster, I used PS and PP plastic spoons to mimic Tamiya and Aoshima molded parts respectively. [Caveat: While the spoons and molded parts may comprise similar types of plastic, their specific characteristics may differ slightly from one another.]   

Polypropylene and polystyrene plastic spoons I had saved from takeouts and visits to eateries

 Prior to achieving a successful outcome of sorts, there were plenty of failures along the way. The one common theme of said failures is the ineffectiveness of lacquer-based hobby primers be it Mr.Hobby Mr.Surfacer/Mr.Fine Surfacer or Tamiya Fine Surface Primer in withstanding the application of either an automotive grade filler primer or paint, when used in conjunction with PS plastic spoons. For automotive grade paints to work on PS plastic spoons, first an automotive plastic primer needs to be applied on the spoon, followed by an automotive filler primer. Once both primers have been applied, the automotive paints will adhere to the PS plastic spoon fairly smoothly.  

Experimenting with Hobby Primer and/or Auto Filler Primer/Plastic Primer on polystyrene spoons

Testing Auto Paints on Mr.Surfacer 1200, Tamiya Fine Surface Primer, and Auto Filler Primer

 Using the two-step priming process (i.e. automotive plastic primer followed by filler primer), the application of automotive grade paints also work when used in conjunction with PP plastic spoons. But there is a significant advantage to using PP plastic. As you can see (in the photos immediately above and below this paragraph) PS plastic spoons primed directly with automotive filler primers do not exhibit the necessary surface texture that allows the automotive grade paint to adhere properly.

However, when PP plastic spoons are sprayed with only hobby-grade primers or directly with automotive filler primers (sans plastic primer), they exhibit the required surface texture that allows the automotive grade paints to adhere perfectly to the PP plastic. I do not know the science behind this, but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say that the PP plastic is strong enough to withstand the corrosive nature of the solvents that exist in an automotive grade paint/filler primer.  

Testing Auto Paints on Mr.Fine Surfacer 1500, and Auto Filler Primer/Auto Plastic Primer

 Even with the eventual success I achieved when using automotive grade paints on PS plastic, it does come with two important caveats though. First, the use of a plastic primer followed by an auto filler primer creates a surface that is sometimes not 100% smooth to the naked eye. I've yet to consistently and easily create smoothly primed surfaces using this two-step process. Maybe I'll perfect the technique in the future, at least I hope so. Second, having to first apply a plastic primer before a filler primer creates unnecessary thickness to the final paint coat. More so when you consider that a final clear coat will need to be applied for optimal results.   

Success with auto paints on polystyrene plastic spoons requires specific steps

Success with auto paints on polypropylene plastic spoons requires less stringent steps

 So at the end of it all, the choice of whether to use auto paints and primers on scale model kit plastic boils down to one thing. Is color accuracy paramount in your hobby project? If the answer is yes, then go for it. I believe it's a risk worth taking. If not, then I say you're better off with using hobby primers and paints, which are more benign on plastic parts. Then again, PP plastic seems to work well with automotive grade paints and primers. But very few scale model kits I know of actually use PP plastic for its molded parts. Even for Aoshima kits, I'm not entirely sure if all or just some parts are PP plastic. I'll know for sure only when I use the automotive grade primers and paints on the parts itself. That's a challenge for the future. As for now, it's time to end this post. Stay safe, and be well! 

First scale model kits bought in nearly a year

 If there is one thing the pandemic has taught me, well not so much taught as giving me a timely reminder that most miniature painters and scale modellers - yours truly included - have way more kits than time in which to complete them. Add economic concerns during the pandemic, and it was easy for me to take a step back from the acquisition side of the hobby to stay focused on working with what I already possess. But temptation to add to my collection has never truly left me. So with nearly a year into my self-imposed abstention, my will wavered and three scale model kits were acquired.      

My first new model kits in nearly a year - all of them are 1/24 scale Tamiya car kits

 One factor contributing to the new purchases was the 10% sale my local hobby store was offering. While it wasn't much, every little bit off helps in this wallet straining pandemic era. As you can see by now, the scale model car kits that caught my eye were Tamiya 1/24 scale versions of the Subaru BRZ, the Ford GT, and the Subaru Impreza used at the WRC (World Rally Championship) Rallye Monte Carlo 2005. You may have also noticed the trio of Tamiya scale model kits are in an iconic metallic blue. In fact, Tamiya recommends the LP-41 Mica Blue lacquer paint, which is a vibrant and deep shade of metallic blue. As luck would have it, I can't find any local hobby store with this color in stock. So none of the cars can be worked on anytime soon unless I find an alternative!  

Side box art showcasing all three Tamiya scale model kits namely ...

 For me, what makes a car brand attractive is that it has to have either a Rally, Formula One, and/or Endurance racing heritage. And of all of them, I feel that rallying is the most relatable motorsport seeing that rally cars are road legal cars based on mass production models affordable to the mass market. As such, it should be no surprise my all-time favorite cars are the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and the Subaru Impreza WRX STI, of which the former is sadly no longer in production. In real-life I drive a rebadged Mitsubishi Lancer (rebadged due to the country's car industry being protected from imports). And after more than 10 years, the family is contemplating getting a new car - specifically a subcompact crossover called the Subaru XV, which is technically a lifted Impreza hatchback. Like my cars, I tend to see people based on substance rather than style!   

... (from top to bottom) the Subaru BRZ, Ford GT, and Subaru Impreza WRC 2005

 First up in my latest scale model kit acquisition is the second generation Subaru BRZ coupe. It's powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder boxer engine that generates roughly 228 horsepower and a top speed of about 226 km/h. As Subaru's first rear-wheel drive sports car, the BRZ is a unique vehicle in Subaru's otherwise all-wheel-drive lineup that the Japanese company is famous for.   

Tamiya 1/24 scale Subaru BRZ (ZD8) car model kit

 Then there is the Ford GT, whose name is derived from the legendary Ford GT40. The latter is none other than the victor in a titanic battle between Ford and Ferrari during the 1966 24-hours of Le Mans. Based around a carbon fiber monocoque, the Ford GT can achieve a top speed of about 347 km/h on the back of its 647 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine. It's a supercar though, not a mass market one.

Tamiya 1/24 scale Ford GT car model kit

 Last but not least is yet another car from Subaru, this time it's a traditional all-wheel drive vehicle the company is more famous for. Fun Fact: the only other car company to use a boxer engine in this day and age is Porsche. Powered by a flat four-cylinder turbocharged 2-liter boxer engine, the Subaru Impreza WRC 2005 can achieve speeds of up to 257 km/h and generate up to 300 horsepower. It was the rally car driven by Petter Solberg in the Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 2005.

Tamiya 1/24 scale Subaru Impreza WRC Monte Carlo 2005 car model kit

 All these vehicles will be build up and painted in the future either for my own collection (aka display pieces to promote commission work), or be put up for sale as fully completed projects. At the moment, I'm unable to source the iconic metallic blue lacquer paint from nearby local hobby shops. So what I'm going to do is try out automotive spray paints instead. If I can get my hands on these alternative paints then I'll be sure test them out and let you know the results in an upcoming post. On that note, I shall leave you with the words of James May ... peace and love, brothers and sisters!

No looking back, just ahead

 Usually around this time I would be looking back on the year just past, to determine what projects have been completed so as to showcase images of finished artwork. But with 2021 being what it is, I won't be doing anything of the sort. It'll all be about looking ahead aka my hobby resolutions for 2022. With the wise words of a six-year-old boy (see below) ringing in my head, here's then is my 'plan' ...

 Most importantly, my photography workflow needs an urgent revamp. Another wise but much older person once said, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Widely attributed to Einstein, this oft quoted witticism applies itself readily to my attempts at capturing good photos of my work-in-progress and finished miniature/scale model kit projects. Long story short, for years I had inadvertently posted photos with white balance as well as color issues - the worse saw images marred with an ugly green tint. While I had somewhat mitigated this over the past two years, photo quality suffered greatly. The use of software that can process RAW image formats (vs just JPEG) should give me greater white balance and color control without sacrificing image quality. 

 So going forward, I plan to shoot future projects as well as retake photos of past projects - both in the RAW format - and rectify white balance/color issues using Adobe Lightroom (Lr) and Photoshop (Ps). I do so in the hope of properly showcasing the projects as close as to how I see them in real life. Couched in a pseudo-hobby resolution, this means future blog content will alternate between new projects and the re-posting of older ones but this time with more color-accurate images. I'll be using Lr and Ps partly because of their ability to properly interpret the Apple iPhone ProRAW format, partly for the cloud ecosystem they both operate in, and partly for Lr's database management system. 

 And then there are movies of projects that I would like to incorporate as additional blog content. This I plan to do using the Corel video editing software (see above) I had gotten in an online charity bundle. While I would love to use Adobe Premiere Pro instead, adding it to my basic Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan increases the monthly subscription fee significantly. As it is, it had taken close to nine years of hesitation before I finally took the plunge into Adobe's subscription-based model. Baby steps is all I'm willing to take for now as I can't quite justify the extra monthly expense, not yet.   

 As mentioned in an earlier post, my go-to video and photography tools are my old-and-trusted Canon EOS650D and the fairly new iPhone 13 Pro Max. The former will mainly be used for photography and the latter for recording video. But both equipment will switch roles if need be. So the die is cast, and the path ahead is clear. My creative mojo is back and I can't wait to resume painting soon. So I hope to start adding creative content soon. Until next time, dear reader, stay safe and be well.