I top coat my top coat, top coat that top coat, top coat that top coat, top coat that top coat, top coat that top coat, and top coat that top coat. My kit then turns milky white because of all the protection and I am comfortable with leaving it on my shelf. It doesn't move because of all the protection and I never have problems with a joint dropping down because of gravity. I just hate it when I want a different weapon and or different pose because then I have to buy another kit and do it all over again. The kit ends up costing $500 and most of the cost is top coat. Lol. Don't be like me, enjoy your possibility. The reason why I know some of this stuff, I put 4 coats on a figure as a kid and it's still a statue, next to my TV and it's a funny conversation starter. It's special to me and I wanted to protect it and it's still special to me but it's not a figure anymore and I learned to put on very lite coats and I usually only do 2 coats now. For metallic, I use gloss and I sometimes add a 3rd coat but buff wax with a Dremel pad. Then I get the song shinny in my head from the movie Moana and look at my reflection in the paint. Chrome I do the same thing but I only did it to 3 kits for the gloss and everything else is flat top coat and easy. I don't recommend the shiny process but I like it on my 1/100th Kampfer and my Iron Man custom Bearrguy and Pikachu custom Petit right next to each other. Car wax seems to be working for tightening joints but I only tried it a month ago and I always have car wax around, that's why I tried it.
As a guy who's attempting to paint his first kit, this is greatly appreciated. Even though it's just a $10-12 HG, I still get all nervous at certain steps that I'll mess it up. Good stuff, my man.
Very useful video. Not sure if you've used lacquer paint before, but I can confirm from at least two kits worth of experience that enamel thinner doesn't affect lacquer paint at all. Neither does acrylic thinner. Enamel thinner on bare plastic is also highly destructive, so don't ever use it to panel line a straight-built kit. When in doubt, try something on a piece of spare runner or the back of a plastic spoon.
Thank you Nunya Bidness, this is really useful information. I would like to add that the type of plastic (PE, PS, ABS) is also reported in the instruction books that come with every Bandai kit. However, I have a question: where did you get the information that Enamel thinner is fine on polystyrene (PS) plastic? Is it by experience or you have also other sources? I am asking because in other forums there are people that say that this thinner is bad on all plastics.
I know I’m a bit late for this, I’ve been building for three years now and I’m going to paint a custom I made, this is my first time painting and this video really does help, thank you!
This is an awesome video, basically an essential springboard on painting. I haven't painted a kit yet, but have been doing random bits of research that hasn't really formulated a concrete "ok I can do this" thought in my mind until I got to this video.
For any model, prep is the most tedious (but most important) part. sanding, dry fitting, priming, and then repeating necessary fixes. Everything that can be done before painting is better than after a piece is painted!!!
@@Netrole I think it would be optional. Basically the top coat will dull the metallic look that you're trying to achieve, so I think that's why he's saying to do the scratching last.
Thanks for your amazing guide! It was really helpful and I was able to paint my GM sniper 2 orange. It came out really well and I this guide cleared up all of my questions
Thanks for the video and thanks to all the others that gave their recommendations too. Read quite a bit of them and I took notes for myself and my 2 kids and my brother and his 2 kids that we got into Gundam model kits. This made it so much easier to explain to them that range in age from 8 to 17 years old. With this whole pandemic it’s been difficult to keep them & ourselves busy with things to do at home besides video games & surfing the net. It also gave us all a creative outlet to do together. 😁
Awesome video. Some additional notes below: -After the initial snap assembly you can remove seam lines, do a bit of scratch building, pla-plating, and customization. -After priming, you can do some pre-shading using an air brush prior to laying down your base paint. It will add depth to your finished kit.
yep yep! Since those were kind of extra stuff I omitted those steps, just to keep it to the basics. Like I said, the main point was for folks to understand the reason for different steps, then I think they can figure the rest out!
Thank you for posting this video. I found the Primer part particularly helpful as i'm about to start an attempt at my first painted kit. I appreciate the insight and detail you put in, thank you!
I wished you made a video about the types of topcoat..i am in 4 videos and its still confusing as hell and reddit is not really helping much....like Mr super clear and mr top coat and its applications....please do that video to sort it out once and for all
I just started getting into painting my gunpla kits. This video helped clear up a ton with the order of the layers. I've been hand painting + spray can painting currently. I might look into a nice airbrush someday. Thanks for this video though. Very helpful.
John Smithens ehh, no. I am planning on doing the over all color with tamiya spray paint and then the finer details will be done with hand painted details and gundam water slides.
I'm a beginner builder, just learning to use the airbrush. Painting was an anxiety-inducing activity for me at first because there's so much going on in my head about getting even coats, spidery-runny splotches, correct air pressure, how much to thin etcetera etcetera... All that pressure is gone once I found out I could easily strip unsatisfactory paint results with isopropyl alcohol.
Tamiya spray can as base paint, Tamiya spray can top coat, and then Tamiya Panel Line wash, would it have any combo with the following paint used? In especially to cleaning up the panel lining process, thanks!
Since I panel line white parts with mechanical pencil, I make sure I do that before my gloss top coat, because it won't stick to the gloss. Then I do wet-look top coat lacquer. Then I do the rest of the panel lines with lighter fluid and enamel and then I do flat top coat. More people need to try mechanical pencil for white panel lines, it honestly is so easy!!!
Hi @ZakuAurelius, I just went back to the hobby and most of your kit reviews and guides help me a lot. I am new to painting and now I am on a binder. I am now on the steps of panel lining but I use Mr.Hobby AQUEOUS HOBBY COLOR for my base coat which is an Acrylic based paint. I am also using AQUEOUS HOBBY COLOR gloss topcoat (which is acrylic as well) with my airbrush to top coat. Will this top coat helps protect my base coat from Tamiya Accent Panel lining which is an enamel base wash? Most I read online say enamel cannot go on top of acrylic paints. The pledge you mentioned is not available in the country I am in, and only find Pledge Revive it which I believe is acrylic based as well. I hope you can help me with this situation. Thank you.
I've never painted a kit before and I finally got the courage to try using Tamiya spray paints. I wanna matte coat the kit for its final finish. Should I still semi gloss and the panel line before the matte top coat?
Stryderprime would probably say it's stupid to build the kit and disassemble the kit for painting. I already know the basic but I still watching this to remind myself about all this, thanks for the video BTW!
Not that anyone will listen but a tip for super clean masking lines.....after painting wait 10-15mins before its completely dry and pull towards ur line. This is only with lacquer i.e.:Gaia/mr.color.
How long between coats do you recommend we should wait before applying another coat. Example: primer with 1 coat of blue, how long should I wait before adding more blue?
Guess what’s ironic in my Recommended- It’s “Mechagaikotsu’s 10 Cheap and Lazy Gunpla hacks.” Naw fam I want my kits to look like they had love put into them
Awesome video, really helpful. I do have one question though... for the weathering stage, is it ok to weather the model fully assembled, and then spray topcoat while fully assembled? will it not make parts stick together or affect joints?
Yep you can do that! Just keep in mind whether you plan on moving any parts later. If you weather and topcoat while it’s fully assembled I would plan to leave it in one pose
Would you be able to maybe make a video about pre-shading. I've never found a really good tutorial on it and I really liked how your kits have turned out
after all those layers of painting and coating, aren't the gunpla movement gonna be more limited? such as armor parts and joints, gonna end up scraping the paint?
Question... I'm planning on painting my gunpla with acrylics, should I still use lacquer gloss coats ( or whatever finish I choose ) or would it be fine to use acrylic based coats to protect the paint job? I'm asking because I plan to panel line my painted pieces and was curious if I could still clean up the panel lines without damaging the paint underneath. Hope this makes sense and thanks for the great content.
I don't know if you've done a video on this yet, but what about setup and cleanup for when you are painting. For both airbrush and drybrush. I've been kind of making a mess of things.
haha, I haven't done such a video. But it's basically just about keeping organized and clean up with thinner usually. Depends on the paint you're using.
How much bulk do all those layers add to the kit? What steps should I take to protect peg holes? I can just put masking tape on pegs but how do I protect the inside of peg holes? Do I just scape out the layers after I'm done?
if you're airbrushing, the added thickness is miniscule. and yes, masking tape over pegs if you're worried they'll get too tight. But sometimes the paint works well to keep the joints stiff. Sometimes that's better for stability!
only thing I didn't get is how to think and decide on matt or glossy topcoat. seems like you only talked about glossy on all steps but I usually see people using matt. I know the difference is literal but not sure how to think about it i dont wanna do something and then realize i should have done something else
I still can't figure out how to get the painting process right. What kind of top coat can I put on this? Is spray paint (I know not the best) able to be topped and the panel lining done after that?
When you are taking the kit apart after the snap fit, how much do you take it apart? Do you take it apart completely back to the way it started, or just like, take the arm off? Also, if you take it apart, how do you know how to put it back together? Now that it is off the sprue you don’t know what number the piece is anymore, especially if you painted it and the color is now hidden.
take apart whatever you need to in order to paint it properly. and trust me, after building the kit and then taking it apart, you'll be familiar enough with the parts enough to be able to put it together again
Hey there awesome videos and love your channel. Quick question as, I would like to start painting my kits and have decided that I’ll be hand brushing with enamel paints (lack of an airbrush). Now, when it comes to panel lining with an enamel wash... what sort of top coat should I use to prevent the the original enamel paint job from being effected when cleaning up the panel lining process?
I'm new to painting and this was pretty helpful. Because of how expensive airbrushing is, I usually just do spray cans, but my issue is getting into top-coating. Seems like no matter how I do it, it ends up rough. is spray can top-coat just inconsistent, or am I just doing something wrong?
Hi there! I did find this video somewhat very helpful! But I still have questions that have trouble getting the answers to. Like for example; I have Tamiya Clear Coat, or basically clear topcoat from Tamiya---will that protect the paint or is it more for the finish look of the build? Like---sometimes I get stressed the f**k out cause I been a fan of Gundam & Gunpla for about 3 or so years now. And I been starting to get more into customising my builds, which would also mean doing painting. Anyways; I been planning out this nice HG, Gundam Barbatos Lupus/Lupus Rex, kitbash custom that I been also wanting to paint in custom colors---right now; it would be my 3rd time working on the same damn build, and for each different time I had to restart with a fresh brand new kit(s), cause of the fact that I just kept messing up. So knowing this is my 3rd time doing my build, I wanna be EXTRA CAREFUL if you know what I mean. Anyways! If you read this comment; than thank you very much for doing so. I do have a RUclips channel called "Gundam Fandom". And I also have a Instagram & Facebook just for Gundam & Gunpla related stuff. If you can give some more tips than I would greatly appreciate it!
Question: I've never tried this but will putting gloss coat before a matte coat effect the matte effect? Because I usually just use one layer of matte coat at the end.
I haven't done anything besides snapping up my kits yet and i'm not quite ready to fully paint, i just want to panel line. Is it legit to panel line while snapping up? I feel like i notice a lot of details while snapping up that i probably wont notice anymore once the kit is complete
On the runner you mean? Or you mean cut the parts and the prime before cleaning up the nubs? Either of those would be a no-no. Cut the parts, sand/clean up nubs, wash, then prime
Question! I got some Tamiya Flat Clear coat and it says on the cap "Do not spray on decals and stickers" should i take that into consideration? everyone says to top coat over your decals buuuut :/
@@ZakuAurelius Ive got some extra parts on a runner, ill test it out on one of those anyways. Im just getting into building gunpla again(havent built a kit in 20 years) and learning the do's and dont's of paints so i just thought id ask :D Thanks!
Heya great in-depth explanation. My only concern is what if I made a mistake in-between one of the steps? For example, I don't like how my weathering turn out after I top coated it again. I want to say load a point where I haven't put weathering effects on my kit. So I can save time and the hassle. Should I do over from step one or is there a way to clean it up without damaging some details?
Well firstly, it depends on what kind of paint you're using for all of these steps. Usually, once you clear coat after a step, that step is done. You may have to strip it and start over at the primer stage. If you do end up having to strip a part to start over, I recommend using isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). It removes most kinds of paint, but doesn't hurt plastic at all.
If I'm using the Gundam Marker panel lining pens on top of a clear coat, would using Tamiya thinner to erase mistakes destroy that and the paint underneath??
My process tends to be like this for weathering. Prime > Shading* > Paint > Shading* > Decal* (waterslide or dry transfer) > Gloss Coat > Decals* > Weather using pigments and/or ACRYLIC paint > Sticker Decals (almost never) > Matte Coat. (Steps with * are ones that are interchangeable and if I feel like doing it. Sometimes I'm too lazy to do it) I use acrylic paint because it's easily accessible, cheaper, and easier to clean up than the other two types of paints. Once a clear coat is applied onto the paint color you desire and is dried it's harder to strip using plain water (unless you have one hell of a wrist), so when you are weathering you can clean off the weathering without ruining the paint underneath ( however it may ruin the decal if you applied the decal after the gloss coat). To clean off the weathering simply dampen (not wet) a paper towel (hopefully a decent one) or a makeup sponge and gently rub or dab off the weathering. Hopefully this helps.
I don't know which Tamiya thinner you're talking about and I don't know if your clear coat shell is strong enough (IDK your paint) but I used to clean off marker pen run off with an eraser or q-tip and isopropyl alcohol. Panel line marker is water based (last time I remembered using it) so a q tip with isopropyl alcohol will clean it off pretty well after drying. There is also gundam marker remover which works the same as q tip + alcohol if you want to use that.
I have a question. I have a HG Destiny Gundam (Orange version) whose Wings of Light I want to use in a custom build, now the wings effect parts are clear orange plastic, but I want them to be clear yellow. Would I be able to achieve that by simply spraying layers of Clear Yellow paint over the parts?
hello. thanks for the video. it is a god guide. i hace a question about Klear and the airbrush. What do you use to clean your airbrush after painting with Klear? Thanks.
Can I do weathering after putting the decals before topcoating? Or do you top coat after decals because of being able to redo any mistakes on weathering?
This is a reply I answered from another comment: My process tends to be like this for weathering. Prime > Shading* > Paint > Shading* > Decal* (waterslide or dry transfer) > Gloss Coat > Decals* > Weather using pigments and/or ACRYLIC paint > Sticker Decals (almost never) > Matte Coat. (Steps with * are ones that are interchangeable and if I feel like doing it. Sometimes I'm too lazy to do it) If you are weathering and afraid of weathering mistakes topcoat after decals and proceed to weathering.
Pledge is Acrylic/water but I don't see a problem if you're using enamel for panel washing on a dried clear surface. And yes Mr. Hobby gloss coat should work just fine but it is costly. If you want a flatter finish with Pledge, mix it with some Tamiya Flat base and you're good to go ( a bottle of Pledge can go a long way).
If you put all those layers upon layers of paints and coats, isn't it possible you screw up the very shape of your parts like filling up the panel lines with paint before you even get to panel line them?? I've never done this before
Matte coat is pretty much just a clear coat with duller (flat base) added to it. Top coats, whether it is gloss, semi gloss, matte, or flat, are pretty much universally added after everything is done once you are finished with your work to protect it.
This is if you just want to paint the kit with a plain finish (no shading or weather). Wash (recommended) > Sand (800 grit - 1200 depending on the plastic) > Wash > Primer > Paint > Gloss coat > Panel line > Decal > Top coat. Its pretty much the same basic steps for polystyrene plastic.
In short yes. Top coats whether it is gloss or flat is meant to protect whatever is underneath (decals, panel lines, paint) while giving the desired finish for the kit.
hey zaku. In your previous tutorial video you showed the runners being washed before assembly but other people say that washing the kit after building is more preferable. any thoughts on that? TBH id rather forgo washing all together but I guess you cant skip that part if you're topcoating the kit.
It really is personal preference. Some people prefer to test fit their parts to see if they fit well before washing. There is no real difference in the two processes just that one takes a bit more time.
DankLord Popim If ur doing a proper paint job you should be sanding entire kit 600-800 grit.... So common sense says you would wash after sanding. Don't do double work bro! U will see a ton of people claiming u don't have to sand but the work shows
Have you/do you use Mr Color Flat Base Standard or Flat Base Rough? I just spoon-tested both tonight and I'm highly impressed, but I'm surprised more people don't seem to use/know about it.
You can run it straight from the bottle into an airbrush.. but if you don’t have an airbrush, you can brush by hand and it does self level pretty dang well so most brush strokes will settle out. You’ll just want to be careful to not drown panel lines.
remember to top coat your top coat to protect your top coat.
I'm always scratching my kits by accident, so that's good advice for me!
I top coat my top coat, top coat that top coat, top coat that top coat, top coat that top coat, top coat that top coat, and top coat that top coat. My kit then turns milky white because of all the protection and I am comfortable with leaving it on my shelf. It doesn't move because of all the protection and I never have problems with a joint dropping down because of gravity. I just hate it when I want a different weapon and or different pose because then I have to buy another kit and do it all over again. The kit ends up costing $500 and most of the cost is top coat. Lol. Don't be like me, enjoy your possibility. The reason why I know some of this stuff, I put 4 coats on a figure as a kid and it's still a statue, next to my TV and it's a funny conversation starter. It's special to me and I wanted to protect it and it's still special to me but it's not a figure anymore and I learned to put on very lite coats and I usually only do 2 coats now. For metallic, I use gloss and I sometimes add a 3rd coat but buff wax with a Dremel pad. Then I get the song shinny in my head from the movie Moana and look at my reflection in the paint. Chrome I do the same thing but I only did it to 3 kits for the gloss and everything else is flat top coat and easy. I don't recommend the shiny process but I like it on my 1/100th Kampfer and my Iron Man custom Bearrguy and Pikachu custom Petit right next to each other. Car wax seems to be working for tightening joints but I only tried it a month ago and I always have car wax around, that's why I tried it.
If you topcoat your kit too much
BURN IT
@@ihavethehighground8697 Mecha approved!
With primer?
As a guy who's attempting to paint his first kit, this is greatly appreciated. Even though it's just a $10-12 HG, I still get all nervous at certain steps that I'll mess it up. Good stuff, my man.
Been building my first kit too. Some parts are very nerve wracking.
Its been 3 years, so how'd your first project go!
99% of people are just using HGs. Or at least Japan for that matter considering most kits they make favor HG.
I'm just starting out with Gundam. And you my friend probably just saved me a load of time and screw ups! Thank you sir!
Gamer Vince that pfp made me hit my IPad
@@fused481 I guess that his plan worked.
Very useful video. Not sure if you've used lacquer paint before, but I can confirm from at least two kits worth of experience that enamel thinner doesn't affect lacquer paint at all. Neither does acrylic thinner. Enamel thinner on bare plastic is also highly destructive, so don't ever use it to panel line a straight-built kit. When in doubt, try something on a piece of spare runner or the back of a plastic spoon.
yeah I use lacquers for painting all my kits.
Jeran Korak you can try isotropc alcohol (rubbing alcohol) less than 90% . It will thin the paint with out damaging the plastic
Thank you Nunya Bidness, this is really useful information.
I would like to add that the type of plastic (PE, PS, ABS) is also reported in the instruction books that come with every Bandai kit.
However, I have a question: where did you get the information that Enamel thinner is fine on polystyrene (PS) plastic? Is it by experience or you have also other sources? I am asking because in other forums there are people that say that this thinner is bad on all plastics.
I know I’m a bit late for this, I’ve been building for three years now and I’m going to paint a custom I made, this is my first time painting and this video really does help, thank you!
Your tips are helpful for painting any hobby, military, airplanes, trains, cars, etc. Very good video!
Thanks!
I have to say your tutorials are amazing for beginners. Thank you for all the good information you provide.
I would squeeze in sanding down nubs, gluing and seam removal parts together between step 1 and 2, otherwise a good breakdown of the process.
This is an awesome video, basically an essential springboard on painting. I haven't painted a kit yet, but have been doing random bits of research that hasn't really formulated a concrete "ok I can do this" thought in my mind until I got to this video.
Glad it was helpful!
As a newb to Gunpla, I say thank you sir.
Great video. This actually helps a lot for my new projects.
For any model, prep is the most tedious (but most important) part. sanding, dry fitting, priming, and then repeating necessary fixes. Everything that can be done before painting is better than after a piece is painted!!!
Thanks man! You really broke the process down well. This is about what I was expecting too.
Extra note: if you are using metallics for scratching effects that should be the last thing you should do after the final topcoat.
Is another topcoat then required though?
@@Netrole I think it would be optional. Basically the top coat will dull the metallic look that you're trying to achieve, so I think that's why he's saying to do the scratching last.
Thanks for your amazing guide! It was really helpful and I was able to paint my GM sniper 2 orange. It came out really well and I this guide cleared up all of my questions
Thanks for the video and thanks to all the others that gave their recommendations too. Read quite a bit of them and I took notes for myself and my 2 kids and my brother and his 2 kids that we got into Gundam model kits. This made it so much easier to explain to them that range in age from 8 to 17 years old. With this whole pandemic it’s been difficult to keep them & ourselves busy with things to do at home besides video games & surfing the net. It also gave us all a creative outlet to do together. 😁
Awesome video. Some additional notes below:
-After the initial snap assembly you can remove seam lines, do a bit of scratch building, pla-plating, and customization.
-After priming, you can do some pre-shading using an air brush prior to laying down your base paint. It will add depth to your finished kit.
yep yep! Since those were kind of extra stuff I omitted those steps, just to keep it to the basics. Like I said, the main point was for folks to understand the reason for different steps, then I think they can figure the rest out!
Can you do a vid on the pledge clear coat?
Good video - it'd be cool to have pictures for the steps.
Thank you for posting this video. I found the Primer part particularly helpful as i'm about to start an attempt at my first painted kit. I appreciate the insight and detail you put in, thank you!
I wished you made a video about the types of topcoat..i am in 4 videos and its still confusing as hell and reddit is not really helping much....like Mr super clear and mr top coat and its applications....please do that video to sort it out once and for all
I just started getting into painting my gunpla kits. This video helped clear up a ton with the order of the layers. I've been hand painting + spray can painting currently. I might look into a nice airbrush someday. Thanks for this video though. Very helpful.
I am glad you uploaded this, I have been thinking of doing a custom paint job on a MG Kampfer.
Melvindog 8
Doooooooo ittttttt! Do u have an airbrush set up already?
John Smithens ehh, no. I am planning on doing the over all color with tamiya spray paint and then the finer details will be done with hand painted details and gundam water slides.
John Smithens oh oops, that might have come off wrong. I will do the custom but I don't have a airbrush kit.
I'm a beginner builder, just learning to use the airbrush. Painting was an anxiety-inducing activity for me at first because there's so much going on in my head about getting even coats, spidery-runny splotches, correct air pressure, how much to thin etcetera etcetera...
All that pressure is gone once I found out I could easily strip unsatisfactory paint results with isopropyl alcohol.
Tamiya spray can as base paint, Tamiya spray can top coat, and then Tamiya Panel Line wash, would it have any combo with the following paint used? In especially to cleaning up the panel lining process, thanks!
Is acrylic gloss coat good before using tamiya panel wash(enamel)?
What to do on situations where you need to remove a seem line but that par needs to be disassembled for painting?
There are good tutorials on this, but a lot of times they cut an inner part and glue it together
Since I panel line white parts with mechanical pencil, I make sure I do that before my gloss top coat, because it won't stick to the gloss. Then I do wet-look top coat lacquer. Then I do the rest of the panel lines with lighter fluid and enamel and then I do flat top coat. More people need to try mechanical pencil for white panel lines, it honestly is so easy!!!
How many coats of primer?
Great Video. what order would i do my painting in? panel line before base coat?
Nice breakdown on painting kits.
One good tip is to use clear transparent primer as it will still show you the colour you need afterwards.
That’s helpful thank you. I was worried about getting my pieces mixed up. Organization would’ve fixed that, but I’m not too organized
Hi there! Can i use acrylic top coat to a laquer base paint
Man I have been looking for this information for sometime now thank you man
Hi @ZakuAurelius, I just went back to the hobby and most of your kit reviews and guides help me a lot. I am new to painting and now I am on a binder. I am now on the steps of panel lining but I use Mr.Hobby AQUEOUS HOBBY COLOR for my base coat which is an Acrylic based paint. I am also using AQUEOUS HOBBY COLOR gloss topcoat (which is acrylic as well) with my airbrush to top coat. Will this top coat helps protect my base coat from Tamiya Accent Panel lining which is an enamel base wash? Most I read online say enamel cannot go on top of acrylic paints. The pledge you mentioned is not available in the country I am in, and only find Pledge Revive it which I believe is acrylic based as well. I hope you can help me with this situation. Thank you.
5:42 voila! Unintentional RG-style paint job accomplished 😂😂
not really... because it still looks super ugly when it is asymmetrical
I've never painted a kit before and I finally got the courage to try using Tamiya spray paints. I wanna matte coat the kit for its final finish. Should I still semi gloss and the panel line before the matte top coat?
Yeah, matte is basically the finishing coat, so just gloss and do everything you wanna do before you top coat it
@@IxXGoldXxI okay thanks! I'm would a semi gloss work? I've got that on hand and the matte top coat but not pure gloss
@@nicksteeves3652 i believe in the video he said it would work, just rewatch to confirm if it's ok.
I needed this in my life
Stryderprime would probably say it's stupid to build the kit and disassemble the kit for painting.
I already know the basic but I still watching this to remind myself about all this, thanks for the video BTW!
lol, you're welcome!
When do I do seam line removal and gluing? Great tips btw I’m just curious when I should do that
Before primer
Thank you so much I appreciate it :)
When airbrushing Tamiya Acrylic paints how long should I wait between base coats?
Also remember that to remove all the clear parts if necessary
Should i remove the seam line first or paint first ??
gonna wanna remove that seam line first!
Not that anyone will listen but a tip for super clean masking lines.....after painting wait 10-15mins before its completely dry and pull towards ur line. This is only with lacquer i.e.:Gaia/mr.color.
How long between coats do you recommend we should wait before applying another coat.
Example: primer with 1 coat of blue, how long should I wait before adding more blue?
Guess what’s ironic in my Recommended-
It’s “Mechagaikotsu’s 10 Cheap and Lazy Gunpla hacks.”
Naw fam I want my kits to look like they had love put into them
I've watched it before it's not really for painting its making some things easier or fixing things like loose parts easily
That's not a bad video at all. It has some pretty good tricks.
Question: if you have a dry matt coat (in this case Vallejo acrylic), can you put a second coat on top of that or will it risk the frosting effect?
I think three layers of top coat is the same as anti beam coating right?
Awesome video, really helpful. I do have one question though... for the weathering stage, is it ok to weather the model fully assembled, and then spray topcoat while fully assembled? will it not make parts stick together or affect joints?
Yep you can do that! Just keep in mind whether you plan on moving any parts later. If you weather and topcoat while it’s fully assembled I would plan to leave it in one pose
Should you reassemble before you top coat?
Personal preference! It certainly makes your life easier, but depending on what you’re going for it may not be possible
so at which stage do we start to work on the assembled kit ? the first layer of top coat ?
Is there a video with you using the Pledge Cleaner as a topcoat?
Would you be able to maybe make a video about pre-shading. I've never found a really good tutorial on it and I really liked how your kits have turned out
after all those layers of painting and coating, aren't the gunpla movement gonna be more limited? such as armor parts and joints, gonna end up scraping the paint?
Question... I'm planning on painting my gunpla with acrylics, should I still use lacquer gloss coats ( or whatever finish I choose ) or would it be fine to use acrylic based coats to protect the paint job? I'm asking because I plan to panel line my painted pieces and was curious if I could still clean up the panel lines without damaging the paint underneath. Hope this makes sense and thanks for the great content.
I don't know if you've done a video on this yet, but what about setup and cleanup for when you are painting. For both airbrush and drybrush. I've been kind of making a mess of things.
haha, I haven't done such a video. But it's basically just about keeping organized and clean up with thinner usually. Depends on the paint you're using.
Varnish is the same as a top coat, right?
How much bulk do all those layers add to the kit? What steps should I take to protect peg holes? I can just put masking tape on pegs but how do I protect the inside of peg holes? Do I just scape out the layers after I'm done?
if you're airbrushing, the added thickness is miniscule. and yes, masking tape over pegs if you're worried they'll get too tight. But sometimes the paint works well to keep the joints stiff. Sometimes that's better for stability!
I have a kamiki burning Gundam and I want to paint the flames that looks like real fire what kind of paint do I need to get that look
only thing I didn't get is how to think and decide on matt or glossy topcoat. seems like you only talked about glossy on all steps but I usually see people using matt. I know the difference is literal but not sure how to think about it
i dont wanna do something and then realize i should have done something else
I still can't figure out how to get the painting process right. What kind of top coat can I put on this? Is spray paint (I know not the best) able to be topped and the panel lining done after that?
If I use enamel paints isn't it bad to use a lacquer topcoat? Won't the lacquer paint damage the enamel paint?
When you are taking the kit apart after the snap fit, how much do you take it apart? Do you take it apart completely back to the way it started, or just like, take the arm off?
Also, if you take it apart, how do you know how to put it back together? Now that it is off the sprue you don’t know what number the piece is anymore, especially if you painted it and the color is now hidden.
take apart whatever you need to in order to paint it properly. and trust me, after building the kit and then taking it apart, you'll be familiar enough with the parts enough to be able to put it together again
w8 my top coat is acrylic... am I using the wrong product?
Hey there awesome videos and love your channel. Quick question as, I would like to start painting my kits and have decided that I’ll be hand brushing with enamel paints (lack of an airbrush). Now, when it comes to panel lining with an enamel wash... what sort of top coat should I use to prevent the the original enamel paint job from being effected when cleaning up the panel lining process?
what is that wooden stick thing called
I'm new to painting and this was pretty helpful. Because of how expensive airbrushing is, I usually just do spray cans, but my issue is getting into top-coating. Seems like no matter how I do it, it ends up rough. is spray can top-coat just inconsistent, or am I just doing something wrong?
Hi there! I did find this video somewhat very helpful! But I still have questions that have trouble getting the answers to. Like for example; I have Tamiya Clear Coat, or basically clear topcoat from Tamiya---will that protect the paint or is it more for the finish look of the build? Like---sometimes I get stressed the f**k out cause I been a fan of Gundam & Gunpla for about 3 or so years now. And I been starting to get more into customising my builds, which would also mean doing painting. Anyways; I been planning out this nice HG, Gundam Barbatos Lupus/Lupus Rex, kitbash custom that I been also wanting to paint in custom colors---right now; it would be my 3rd time working on the same damn build, and for each different time I had to restart with a fresh brand new kit(s), cause of the fact that I just kept messing up. So knowing this is my 3rd time doing my build, I wanna be EXTRA CAREFUL if you know what I mean. Anyways! If you read this comment; than thank you very much for doing so. I do have a RUclips channel called "Gundam Fandom". And I also have a Instagram & Facebook just for Gundam & Gunpla related stuff. If you can give some more tips than I would greatly appreciate it!
im currently planning to custom paint an entire model, can i just use a primer(First) along with just some model paint(last)?
is there any specify color i need to get for the sealer , top coat & primer ? im afraid if i choose the wrong color it will affect the progress
Question: I've never tried this but will putting gloss coat before a matte coat effect the matte effect? Because I usually just use one layer of matte coat at the end.
I haven't done anything besides snapping up my kits yet and i'm not quite ready to fully paint, i just want to panel line. Is it legit to panel line while snapping up? I feel like i notice a lot of details while snapping up that i probably wont notice anymore once the kit is complete
Hi there! Late to this video, and new to customizing gunpla! I have one question: when priming, do you recommend doing it straight off the runner?
On the runner you mean? Or you mean cut the parts and the prime before cleaning up the nubs? Either of those would be a no-no. Cut the parts, sand/clean up nubs, wash, then prime
ZakuAurelius yes that’s what I meant 😅 thank you for the response! I’ll make sure not to do that!
Thank you for all your videos you are amazing with gunpla
Thanks for watching!
Very informative and interesting video. Unfortunately I'm so uncoordinated I'll never be able to paint...
Question! I got some Tamiya Flat Clear coat and it says on the cap "Do not spray on decals and stickers" should i take that into consideration? everyone says to top coat over your decals buuuut :/
Hmm never had any issues doing that before
@@ZakuAurelius Ive got some extra parts on a runner, ill test it out on one of those anyways. Im just getting into building gunpla again(havent built a kit in 20 years) and learning the do's and dont's of paints so i just thought id ask :D Thanks!
Heya great in-depth explanation.
My only concern is what if I made a mistake in-between one of the steps?
For example, I don't like how my weathering turn out after I top coated it again.
I want to say load a point where I haven't put weathering effects on my kit. So I can save time and the hassle.
Should I do over from step one or is there a way to clean it up without damaging some details?
Well firstly, it depends on what kind of paint you're using for all of these steps. Usually, once you clear coat after a step, that step is done. You may have to strip it and start over at the primer stage. If you do end up having to strip a part to start over, I recommend using isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). It removes most kinds of paint, but doesn't hurt plastic at all.
If I'm using the Gundam Marker panel lining pens on top of a clear coat, would using Tamiya thinner to erase mistakes destroy that and the paint underneath??
Thanks man. I'll keep that in mind. :3
My process tends to be like this for weathering. Prime > Shading* > Paint > Shading* > Decal* (waterslide or dry transfer) > Gloss Coat > Decals* > Weather using pigments and/or ACRYLIC paint > Sticker Decals (almost never) > Matte Coat. (Steps with * are ones that are interchangeable and if I feel like doing it. Sometimes I'm too lazy to do it)
I use acrylic paint because it's easily accessible, cheaper, and easier to clean up than the other two types of paints. Once a clear coat is applied onto the paint color you desire and is dried it's harder to strip using plain water (unless you have one hell of a wrist), so when you are weathering you can clean off the weathering without ruining the paint underneath ( however it may ruin the decal if you applied the decal after the gloss coat). To clean off the weathering simply dampen (not wet) a paper towel (hopefully a decent one) or a makeup sponge and gently rub or dab off the weathering. Hopefully this helps.
I don't know which Tamiya thinner you're talking about and I don't know if your clear coat shell is strong enough (IDK your paint) but I used to clean off marker pen run off with an eraser or q-tip and isopropyl alcohol. Panel line marker is water based (last time I remembered using it) so a q tip with isopropyl alcohol will clean it off pretty well after drying. There is also gundam marker remover which works the same as q tip + alcohol if you want to use that.
I like to know if you clean the runner
I have a question.
I have a HG Destiny Gundam (Orange version) whose Wings of Light I want to use in a custom build, now the wings effect parts are clear orange plastic, but I want them to be clear yellow.
Would I be able to achieve that by simply spraying layers of Clear Yellow paint over the parts?
hello. thanks for the video. it is a god guide. i hace a question about Klear and the airbrush. What do you use to clean your airbrush after painting with Klear? Thanks.
lacquer thinner!
With glueing to remove seam lines, where does that fit in with painting. Or is there a better technique to use for that
Quentin L removing seams involves sanding so obviously any time before you wash in prep for priming
ZakuAurelius awesome. What if there are internal parts, like a frame that will be locked inside an armour. I'm guessing I do those first
wow. i already know some basic steps or customising model kits. but man im so glad to learn and discover more. thanks a lot hehehe
How would I paint a clear GM visor? I wanna use a clear green for the visor and chrome silver for the part behind the visor
I have a question
What happens if i only use primer to paint and top coat it
Im interested
Nothing will “happen” but why? You want it to just be grey?
@@ZakuAurelius nah because I never done this so I was just wondering 😅
Can I do weathering after putting the decals before topcoating? Or do you top coat after decals because of being able to redo any mistakes on weathering?
This is a reply I answered from another comment:
My process tends to be like this for weathering. Prime > Shading* > Paint > Shading* > Decal* (waterslide or dry transfer) > Gloss Coat > Decals* > Weather using pigments and/or ACRYLIC paint > Sticker Decals (almost never) > Matte Coat. (Steps with * are ones that are interchangeable and if I feel like doing it. Sometimes I'm too lazy to do it)
If you are weathering and afraid of weathering mistakes topcoat after decals and proceed to weathering.
I use top coat on Gundam markers and it just washes the paint off; WHEN THE PAINT IS DRY! What am I doing wrong?
So will the pledge protect the paint from enamel thinner? Or will my mr hobby gloss coat work just as well?
Pledge is Acrylic/water but I don't see a problem if you're using enamel for panel washing on a dried clear surface. And yes Mr. Hobby gloss coat should work just fine but it is costly. If you want a flatter finish with Pledge, mix it with some Tamiya Flat base and you're good to go ( a bottle of Pledge can go a long way).
If you put all those layers upon layers of paints and coats, isn't it possible you screw up the very shape of your parts like filling up the panel lines with paint before you even get to panel line them?? I've never done this before
What other coloring brands can be used?
instead of clear coat, can matte coating work the same? or I need to do everything at one shot, painting n panel lining, before using matt coating.
Matte coat is pretty much just a clear coat with duller (flat base) added to it. Top coats, whether it is gloss, semi gloss, matte, or flat, are pretty much universally added after everything is done once you are finished with your work to protect it.
So is Tamiya clear not protective
.
Any recommendation on painting ABS plastic? Thx.
This is if you just want to paint the kit with a plain finish (no shading or weather).
Wash (recommended) > Sand (800 grit - 1200 depending on the plastic) > Wash > Primer > Paint > Gloss coat > Panel line > Decal > Top coat. Its pretty much the same basic steps for polystyrene plastic.
Great lesson! What was the product you use from U.S. for coating??
i used mr.hobby mr.super clear matt, does this protect the paint?
In short yes. Top coats whether it is gloss or flat is meant to protect whatever is underneath (decals, panel lines, paint) while giving the desired finish for the kit.
yep yep, that line of super clear topcoat is more protective than simple clear paint.
Spannertech can i use a flat topcoat to protect then do panel lines or do i need to use the gloss ones before a flatcoat?
What's the music in the background? Sounds mellow and soothing. ☺
Anyone got a timestamp for when he talks about primer? I just want to know what I need.
hey zaku. In your previous tutorial video you showed the runners being washed before assembly but other people say that washing the kit after building is more preferable. any thoughts on that? TBH id rather forgo washing all together but I guess you cant skip that part if you're topcoating the kit.
It really is personal preference. Some people prefer to test fit their parts to see if they fit well before washing. There is no real difference in the two processes just that one takes a bit more time.
DankLord Popim
If ur doing a proper paint job you should be sanding entire kit 600-800 grit.... So common sense says you would wash after sanding. Don't do double work bro!
U will see a ton of people claiming u don't have to sand but the work shows
What kind of primer does it work with mr color metallic gx
Yes
Have you/do you use Mr Color Flat Base Standard or Flat Base Rough? I just spoon-tested both tonight and I'm highly impressed, but I'm surprised more people don't seem to use/know about it.
question, I've seen some powder dust(in color of dirt or sand or concrete) which step does that fall into?
Weathering.
Is it reAlly a bad habit to paint on the runners?
Yes
ZakuAurelius how about priming from the runners?
A day with Mil it’s just not a good idea. To get the best results you’ve gotta properly prepare the parts: nub removal, sanding, washing parts.
How do you use the floor polish? I'm only finding it in bottle form.
You can run it straight from the bottle into an airbrush.. but if you don’t have an airbrush, you can brush by hand and it does self level pretty dang well so most brush strokes will settle out. You’ll just want to be careful to not drown panel lines.