The Gallery of Shadows and Dust

[ShadowsAndDust]

Greetings my fellow purveyors of the plastic persuasion, I'd like to share my most recent Gunpla works with you all, my fellow modelers. I'd like to give a little back story first though. I've been dealing with a pretty severe chronic illness since 2013 and am disabled because of it. As a longtime fan of Gundam and having copious amounts of free time on my hands, I dove head first into the Gunpla hobby and have been hooked ever since. I've really stepped up my game lately, as I hope to be able to branch out into Warhammer models and make some money off of commissions some day.

And with that, I present to you my latest WIP:
HGUC Zeta Gundam (Gunpla Evolution Project)

[Squee]

What are you using to take your pictures? It seems to have focused in on the cups behind the kit moreso than the kit.

[ShadowsAndDust]

What are you using to take your pictures? It seems to have focused in on the cups behind the kit moreso than the kit.

I'm using a shitty Nikon with an uncooperative autofocus I bought back in 2007. I'll be getting a new camera next month made by Canon.
The stars must have been in alignment as my camera's autofocus actually focused on the model in this WIP photo from a few days ago.

[gundammonkey]

Which Nikon?? Sometimes it is the setting. Granted Nikon can be a bit touchy with these things, but I do love mine. My Dad has a Canon, and I have used the Nikon D90 for so long I was completely lost on the Canon.

Sorry about you situation, I know kind of how you feel, at times. I do one small thing wrong and I'm laid up for a couple days,my back is all kinds of twisted up, and then on top of that my nerve damage does not help. Thank God for Gunpla right!

You are going to love that kit. It is a Zeta after all. For a HG it is really a nice kit and for a Zeta very sturdy as well. I was surprised at how sturdy it is. Zeta has a bad reputation of kind of falling apart or being flimsy.
Are you going to do a color change or stay with the colors he is? (Slowly and quietly chanting, change it up, change it up change it up)

- - - Updated - - -

I'm using a shitty Nikon with an uncooperative autofocus

He spoke evil of our beloved Nikon!!! "BLASPHEMY!! SHUN THE UNBELIEVER!! BURN THE EVIL FROM OUR PRESENTS!!! " lol I kind of have a thing for Nikon, but to be honest most cameras are just as good as each other. Sometimes it just gets to the point of what name do you want on the case.

[Mark]

I need to get out my lights and try take some decent pics, I have got very lazy and just use my Samsung Tab so it saves uploading from the camera, but there is no depth.

Sorry to hear of your health issues Shadows and good to see you keeping busy with the Gunpla. I do modelling as a distraction from the grind and other issues. Some tell me it's time wasting, but they simply don't get it. Anything that keeps you active mentally is a good thing.

Mark

[ShadowsAndDust]

Are you going to do a color change or stay with the colors he is? (Slowly and quietly chanting, change it up, change it up change it up)

I'm painting it in the standard color scheme, though I'm using a really light grey instead of white so that I can do edge highlighting. I generally prefer to paint each piece as I put it together rather than painting after assembly. I'm using primarily Citadel paints by Games Workshop, though for cameras and such I'm using Tamiya clear paints over Stormhost Silver by Citadel.

Sorry to hear of your health issues Shadows and good to see you keeping busy with the Gunpla. I do modelling as a distraction from the grind and other issues. Some tell me it's time wasting, but they simply don't get it. Anything that keeps you active mentally is a good thing.

I couldn't agree more.
Here are a few more pics of what I've finished so far:

[Mark]

Really nice work. I'm yet to attempt a HG, I struggle enough on the 1/100 lol. yeah I paint and assemble as I go as well.

Mark

[ShadowsAndDust]

Really nice work. I'm yet to attempt a HG, I struggle enough on the 1/100 lol. yeah I paint and assemble as I go as well.

Mark

Thanks Mark, and thank you to you too Squee for the encouragement.

Anyway, as far as detail painting goes, I've found the Warhammer TV Youtube channel to be very helpful. I bought a whole bunch of HD Builders Parts over the last month, including the 1/144 MS Figure, which should help me improve my detail painting even more. I don't think I'll ever be able to replicate the Vincent Van Gobot by Matome, though.

[Vile]

Nicely done. A little unique concept there.

[ShadowsAndDust]

Nicely done. A little unique concept there.

That God Gundam isn't mine. The Zeta above is though.

UPDATE:
Here are some photos of my Zaku Half-Cannon that I completed on May 31st. Full Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/oZuFlao

All that really well done and cool looking dirty and grimy weathering on it is actually the result of accidentally using too much wash. It was my first time applying a wash and I didn't know any better.

I did two mods. The first one was applying a Builders Parts MS Emblem Zeon Symbol to the shield.

The second mod I did was gluing a pink Builders Parts MS Lens onto the mono-eye track. I painted the back with Citadel Runefang Steel before gluing and went over it with Tamiya clear red to make the color a bit more saturated.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm almost finished with the Zeta. I just need to finish the shield and the Hyper Mega Launcher. I'm going for a two tone blue that's different from how I painted the Zeta, because it's a really boring looking weapon otherwise.

[Plamobot]

That Zeta looks really good. Is that all handbrushed paint?!

Also, I'm almost positive I've got a record called The Gallery of Shadows and Dust somewhere in my collection...

[ShadowsAndDust]

That Zeta looks really good. Is that all handbrushed paint?!

Also, I'm almost positive I've got a record called The Gallery of Shadows and Dust somewhere in my collection...

Thanks for the compliment. It's all hand brushed too. Shadows and Dust is an album by Kataklysm, as is my usual online alias of Serenity in Fire.

Anyway, the Zeta is finished. I just had the Hyper Mega Launcher and the Shield left to do. I'll post some photos in a few.

[Plamobot]

I knew it!

I need to get up to your level of handbrushing skill, that paint looks smooth. Are you going to topcoat the kit?

[ShadowsAndDust]

I knew it!

I need to get up to your level of handbrushing skill, that paint looks smooth. Are you going to topcoat the kit?

I top coated the red as pigment from Citadel red paints seems to get on my hands when I touch it and then get all of the place and ruin paint jobs when I touch anything else. Other than that, I don't usually top coat my kits.
When it comes to my level of skill, Warhammer TV's tutorials and "Tip of the Day" videos really help. It also helps that I've been drawing since I was two, which makes for 28 years experience. I was an art major college (graphic design), so I have lots of experience with drawing and color and design theory.

[Plamobot]

Welcome to the club. I've got a design degree, too.

Never tried Citadel paints on Gunpla, though. I usually stick with GSI Creos, Tamiya and Model Master, but I may have to give them a try.