After month of anticipation the 6 month long MAC forums mecha contest began. Since the GP01 diorama I purchased a large assortment of gunpla during black Friday as well as managed to slowly build up my supplies again. For my first entry I went with a OOB category model. I chose the Hyaku Shiki with the Mega launcher Bazooka, hoping that the large accessory of the bazooka would give me more to work with.
I am a fan of the gold hyaku but recently I have really been taken with the Gunpla Builders white hyaku shiki. I knew though just a ordinary pre shade wouldn’t be enough so I thought adding a pattern would make the model far more detailed without having to modify it.
For those interested in how I did it here is what I have mentioned on the MAC forums:
I used cardboard as a base and masking tape to tape a side of a strip of mesh to it. Blu tack was on the other side of the mesh strip and attached it to the alligator clip holding a piece (It was blu tack because using masking tape on both sides just wasn’t strong enough to grip the mesh well, also it made it easy to go from piece to piece like this). I sprayed then removed the tack and mesh and start blending the pattern in.
Since I use lacquer paints they dry fast so the mesh is reusable quickly after every use, but keep in mind that the paint is drying on the mesh every time so the mesh will eventually get clogged and the pattern will look different.
The hardest part of all this is to have the mesh not move about, since you are blowing air at it.
http://www.ghostofzeon.com/diy/painting/carbon_fibre_effects.html
and
http://mxgs.blogspot.com/2011/11/crunch-time.html
are some examples of other mesh pattern styles.
I’m sure there must be a better way than doing all that but if you want to get the pattern to look sharp it has to be completely still and steady (can’t be just held up to the piece), also unless you want overspray you can’t have the mesh directly touching the piece (sticking it directly to the piece).