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  • Optimus Prime

    YOLOPARK 12cm Optimus Prime — An Unexpected Tribute

    A model left unfinished

    This Optimus Prime had been sitting at roughly 70% completion for several months.

    It is the YOLOPARK 12cm Optimus Prime model kit, officially licensed by Hasbro. Unlike the conventional plastic model kits I normally work with, the parts did not come attached to runners. Instead, they came in moulded positive-negative trays.

    When I first started the project, I put on gloves, removed the parts from the mould trays and prepared them individually for painting.

    The painting

    The model was airbrushed using Mr. Hobby Mr. Color paints.

    As this project had been shelved for several months, I no longer remember the exact Mr. Color paint numbers I used. What I do remember is the approach: I first gave the parts a dark base coat, then built up the colours using blue, red or grey depending on the individual part.

    The darker base was allowed to contribute to the final appearance, creating a weathered effect rather than a completely clean finish.

    Once the airbrushing and weathering were completed, I left the parts to dry.

    And then the project was shelved.

    At roughly 70% completion.

    For months.

    An unexpected reason to finish

    Peter Cullen passed away on 26 August 2026.

    In the hours after work, while catching up with the news, I came across reports of his passing.

    The news hit differently.

    Peter Cullen was the voice of Optimus Prime, one of the most important roles in the Transformers franchise.

    Almost immediately, I found myself thinking about the unfinished Optimus sitting among my modelling projects.

    So I dug him out.

    This time, I decided to finish him.

    Completing Optimus

    The first step was to assemble the painted parts.

    After months of being left separately, the weathered pieces finally came together as a complete Optimus Prime.

    I then used gold and silver markers to highlight the remaining details on the model, particularly the mechanical and armour sections.

    There was no major repainting.

    I simply continued from where I had stopped months earlier.

    And with that, the Optimus Prime was finally completed.

    An unplanned tribute

    This was never intended to be a Peter Cullen memorial build.

    The model had already been started months before his passing.

    It was simply an unfinished project that happened to be sitting there when the news arrived.

    I did not buy the kit because of the news.

    I did not begin the painting because of the news.

    I already had an Optimus Prime waiting to be completed.

    But after learning that Peter Cullen had passed away, I decided that this particular Optimus should not remain unfinished.

    Remembering Peter Cullen

    For generations of Transformers fans, Peter Cullen’s name is inseparable from Optimus Prime.

    He voiced the character from the original Transformers era, including The Transformers: The Movie, and later returned as Optimus for the live-action Transformers films and other Transformers productions.

    His voice became an enduring part of Optimus Prime’s identity and the character’s legacy across generations.

    The completed Optimus

    This model had been waiting on the shelf for months.

    I had no idea that I would eventually finish it under these circumstances.

    Sometimes a model project acquires meaning that you never intended when you first opened the box.

    This one did.

    The YOLOPARK Optimus Prime is now complete.

    And it will remain, for me, as a small tribute to the man whose voice helped define Optimus Prime for generations.

  • RX-78-2 Gundam, Revival Ver.

    The Gundam in “Listen to Mum”: My RX-78-2 Revival Build

    There are times when a plastic model is more than just a plastic model.

    Recently, while watching Jay Chou’s music video for “Listen to Mum” (聽媽媽的話), I noticed something I had never really paid attention to before: an RX-78-2 Gundam standing on the right-hand side of the screen in the opening frame.

    Right at the beginning of the music video, the Gundam is prominently visible. It does not simply disappear after that first second. It remains part of the background in subsequent shots as Jay performs the song.

    It is never the subject of the music video, nor is its presence explained.

    It is simply there.

    And somehow, that small background detail became the reason I decided to build an RX-78-2 of my own.

    From the Music Video to the Workbench

    I was not trying to reproduce the particular Gundam prop seen in the music video exactly. Nor was I attempting to recreate its precise colours or finish.

    Instead, this is my own interpretation of that RX-78-2.

    For the project, I chose Bandai’s 2024 Best Mecha Collection 1/144 RX-78-2 Gundam (REVIVAL Ver.).

    The choice was deliberate. Unlike the more modern proportions of the HGUC RX-78-2 Revive, the 2024 Best Mecha Collection kit deliberately recalls the proportions and character of the original 1980 1/144 RX-78-2 Gundam.

    That old-school silhouette felt particularly appropriate for a project inspired by a music video from the mid-2000s, while still being a modern kit that I could build and customise in my own way.

    Painting the RX-78-2

    I began by base-coating the model with Mr. Color No. 13 Neutral Grey.

    From there, the armour parts received their respective colours and weathering.

    The red parts were painted with Mr. Hobby Gundam Color UG10 Char’s MS Pink. The yellow parts received Mr. Color No. 109 Character Yellow, while the white parts were painted with Mr. Color No. 107 Character White.

    The blue parts proved a little more troublesome.

    My initial plan was to weather Gundam Color UG02 MS Blue over the Neutral Grey base coat. However, the result did not quite work the way I wanted against the grey underneath.

    Rather than settle for it, I changed the approach.

    I painted the blue parts over with UG02 MS Blue as a new base coat, allowed it to dry, and then weathered over it using Mr. Color No. 323 Light Blue.

    The result gave me a finish that I was much happier with.

    The parts moulded in grey received a slightly different treatment. After the Mr. Color No. 13 Neutral Grey base coat, I airbrushed them with Mr. Color No. 8 Silver.

    Panel Lining and Assembly

    Once the paint had dried, I applied Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color Black to the parts.

    After allowing the panel-line wash to dry, I used Tamiya X-20 Thinner with cotton buds to clean up the excess from the surfaces.

    Only after the painting, weathering and panel lining were completed did I proceed to remove the parts from the runners and snap-fit the model together.

    It was a fairly straightforward build mechanically, but the painting process became a much bigger part of the project than simply assembling the kit straight out of the box.

    The finished RX-78-2 is therefore not a recreation of the Gundam seen in Jay Chou’s music video.

    It is my RX-78-2, inspired by the one I noticed there.

    The Song Behind the Build

    “Listen to Mum” was released as part of Jay Chou’s Still Fantasy (依然范特西), which was originally released on 5 September 2006.

    The song itself carries a message about listening to and appreciating one’s mother, and it remains one of the recognisable songs from that album.

    On 19 August 2026, Still Fantasy receives a new release in Super High Material Compact Disc (SHM-CD) format.

    That gave me a particularly good reason to finally turn the observation from the music video into something physical.

    I’ve been interested in both Jay Chou’s music and Gundam modelling for many years, and this project gave me an opportunity to bring those two interests together in a way I hadn’t previously considered.

    Twenty Years Later

    The interesting thing about this project is that the connection isn’t really about remembering a particular moment from 2006.

    It is about discovering something in a piece of media that is now nearly twenty years old, and deciding that this small detail is interesting enough to build something from it in 2026.

    For me, this RX-78-2 is a small physical marker of that connection.

    A Gundam that appeared quietly in the background of a Jay Chou music video nearly twenty years ago eventually became the inspiration for a modelling project of my own.

    It is funny how sometimes a small detail in an old piece of media can lead somewhere completely unexpected.

    Sometimes we notice the big things.

    Sometimes, we notice a Gundam standing quietly in the background while a song plays.

    And sometimes, years later, we build it.

    Jay Chou × Gundam. 2006 → 2026.

  • Archangel Catapult Launch Deck and Freedom Gundam (Phantaci edition)

    Building Log: MegaHouse Realistic Model Series 1/144 Archangel Catapult Deck & HGCE Freedom Gundam (Phantaci Edition)

    5 August 2026

    There are modelling projects that come together quickly, and then there are those that test one’s patience from beginning to end. The MegaHouse 1/144 Archangel Catapult Deck proved to be the latter.

    Although the display is largely pre-painted from the factory, I wanted to reinterpret it with a darker, more industrial appearance. A majority of the parts were airbrushed with Mr. Hobby Mr. Color Gloss Black (No. 2), requiring slightly more than three 10 ml bottles of paint. The original grey sections were then weathered with Mr. Hobby Mr. Color Gold, giving the launch deck a worn metallic finish while preserving the intricate moulded details.

    The distinctive 120-degree “L” runway markings received a different treatment. After allowing the gloss black base coat to cure, I carefully masked the surrounding areas before airbrushing Mr. Hobby Gundam Color Char’s MS Pink (UG10). Once partially dried, a light mist of diluted Mr. Hobby Mr. Color Wine Red (No. 100) was applied to tone down the pink and create a richer, weathered red that better suited the overall atmosphere of the display.

    One of the most time-consuming stages was the panel lining. Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color Grey was applied to the gloss black surfaces, while the gold and pink sections received black panel lining to enhance depth and definition. Cleaning the excess with X-20 thinner and cotton buds required patience, but it was this final stage that brought the surface details to life.

    For the side walls, I decided against airbrushing the grey-green moulded components. Instead, I used a gold permanent marker to add subtle metallic shading. This approach preserved the transparent light windows, allowing the integrated LED lighting to shine through without the need for extensive masking.

    Assembly was an undertaking in itself. The runway, support frame, protective cage, side plates, rear cover, access gate and illuminated wall sections all came together piece by piece. Wiring beneath the main structure had to be routed carefully before the installation of two AA batteries and final testing of the lighting system. Seeing the launch deck illuminate successfully made the many hours of work worthwhile.

    To accompany the completed display, I revisited an HG Cosmic Era 1/144 Freedom Gundam that I had painted several months ago. After cleaning away any remaining panel line residue, I assembled the kit and applied custom Phantaci waterslide decals. The decals were lightly misted with diluted Wine Red to harmonise them with the colour palette of the mobile suit, while the loose head crest was permanently secured with Tamiya Cement.

    This project was not always enjoyable. There were moments during assembly when frustration set in, and I genuinely questioned why I had chosen this hobby in the first place. Large-scale display pieces demand concentration, patience and perseverance, especially over several late nights. By the end of the project, I was physically tired and in need of a break.

    Yet, standing back and seeing the completed Archangel catapult deck with the Phantaci Edition Freedom Gundam docked on the runway made the effort worthwhile. The finished display represents not only a scene from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, but also the many hours spent painting, weathering, wiring, assembling and refining each component.

    This project is dedicated to 5 August 2026, commemorating the release of Jay Chou’s Children of the Sun in Super High Material Compact Disc (SHM-CD) format. As with every modelling project, the finished display tells only part of the story. Behind it are countless small decisions, repeated adjustments, moments of frustration, and ultimately, the quiet satisfaction of seeing an idea become reality.

  • Tiger Moth

    Building Log: FineMolds Studio Ghibli Tiger Moth

    2 August 2026

    Today marks the 40th anniversary of Studio Ghibli’s Castle in the Sky (1986). To commemorate this milestone, I decided to build the FineMolds Tiger Moth, one of the memorable aircraft featured in the film.

    FineMolds has a well-earned reputation for producing highly detailed Studio Ghibli model kits, and the Tiger Moth is no exception. Although it appears to be a relatively small model, I soon discovered that there was much more to it than first meets the eye.

    Preparing the Parts

    After unpacking the kit, I found that the parts were moulded in three different colours: dark brown, light brown and grey.

    Before assembly, I airbrushed all the runners with Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 14 (Navy Blue) as a base coat.

    Once the base coat had cured, I weathered the different coloured runners separately. The darker brown moulded parts were weathered using Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 22 (Dark Earth), while the lighter brown moulded parts were weathered using Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 21 (Middle Stone). The grey moulded parts, which form the display stand, were weathered using Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 107 (Character White).

    Although these differences are subtle, they help create gentle variations in tone across the completed model.

    First Impressions

    When I first studied the instruction manual, I must admit that it looked rather intimidating.

    Several sub-assemblies appeared quite intricate, and unlike many modern snap-fit kits, this model also required the selective use of plastic cement. My initial thought was that I would need to spread the build across several modelling sessions.

    However, once construction began, my impression quickly changed.

    Assembly

    FineMolds engineered the kit exceptionally well.

    Many of the major structural components fitted together securely using snap-fit joints, while plastic cement was only required where additional strength or alignment was needed.

    The wing assembly only required a small amount of Tamiya Cement to secure the centre section.

    Within the passenger compartment, the interior walls were fixed into place with Tamiya Cement before the outer shell was assembled using a combination of snap-fit joints and cement where appropriate.

    The cockpit required a little more care. I used Tamiya Cement to secure the clear plastic windows before joining the two halves of the cockpit shell together.

    During this stage, I accidentally bent one of the delicate handrails. Thankfully it bent instead of snapping. I carefully returned it to its original position before using the opposite cockpit half to support it while the cement cured. Fortunately, the repair was successful and the handrail remained intact.

    The Rear Propeller

    One of my favourite moments during the build came when assembling the rear propeller.

    At first, I misunderstood the instructions and thought that each propeller blade had to be glued directly onto the small metal tubes. I was already considering buying super glue to secure everything in place.

    After studying the diagrams more carefully, I realised that the metal tubes were actually designed as spacers between the four propeller blades. A metal rod passes through the centre, holding both the blades and spacers together while automatically maintaining the correct spacing.

    To my relief, the entire propeller assembly required no glue at all.

    It was a simple yet clever piece of engineering that demonstrated the amount of thought FineMolds had put into the kit’s design.

    Final Assembly

    With the aircraft fully assembled, I applied the supplied waterslide decals.

    The decals settled down nicely and completed the appearance of the aircraft. At that point, the collection of individual parts finally came together as the Tiger Moth from Castle in the Sky.

    Final Thoughts

    Looking back, the biggest surprise was how different the actual build experience was from my first impression of the instruction manual.

    Although the instructions initially appeared quite daunting, the model itself proved to be logical, enjoyable and very well engineered. FineMolds combined traditional scale modelling techniques with thoughtful design, making good use of snap-fit construction while only requiring plastic cement where it genuinely benefited the build.

    The result is a model that rewards patience without becoming frustrating.

    Building this Tiger Moth has been a fitting way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Castle in the Sky. Four decades after the film’s original release, the aircraft imagined by Hayao Miyazaki continue to capture the imagination of modellers and aviation enthusiasts alike.

  • Power Loader

    Build Log: MODEROID 1/12 Power Loader (Good Smile Company)

    On 18 July 2026, the 40th anniversary of James Cameron’s Aliens (1986), I completed Good Smile Company’s MODEROID 1/12 Power Loader. It felt like the perfect occasion to finish and share a build of one of science fiction’s most iconic industrial machines.

    There are model kits that test your painting skills, and there are model kits that test your patience. The MODEROID 1/12 Power Loader managed to do both.

    Rather than building it straight out of the box, I decided to repaint the entire model. Every solid yellow moulded part was first airbrushed with Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 13 (Neutral Grey) as a base coat. The black moulded parts also received the same treatment before painting continued. The yellow armour was then weathered using Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 109 (Character Yellow), gradually building up a worn industrial appearance through multiple light applications.

    One thing I quickly learned was the sheer scale of the project. The kit contains a large number of parts, and simply preparing and painting them required considerable time before assembly could even begin.

    Assembly itself proved to be an enjoyable engineering exercise. Although several steps in the instruction manual recommended the use of glue, I found that the snap-fit design held together securely enough for my build.

    The most demanding stage came with the hydraulic tubing. The supplied black rubber tube had to be cut into multiple lengths before being routed throughout the Power Loader. Installing each section required patience, as previously connected tubes would occasionally detach while the next ones were being fitted.

    Another lesson came from the piston cylinders. Their orientation matters more than it first appears. If assembled incorrectly, routing the hydraulic tubes becomes significantly more difficult, with tighter bends and less room to manoeuvre. Correct alignment made the installation process much smoother.

    To complete the exterior, approximately thirty decals were applied. They add the finishing industrial touches without overwhelming the clean mechanical design.

    Looking back, this wasn’t simply a painting project. It was an exercise in mechanical assembly, problem-solving and patience. Every painted component, correctly aligned piston, carefully routed hydraulic tube and precisely placed decal contributed to transforming a box of plastic runners into one of science fiction’s most iconic industrial machines.

    Happy 40th Anniversary to Aliens. Here’s to four decades of one of cinema’s greatest science fiction classics, and to the remarkable machine that continues to inspire model builders around the world.

  • Strike Noir Gundam

    The HG 1/144 Strike Noir Gundam is one of the most distinctive mobile suits from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: STARGAZER. Its predominantly black colour scheme, combined with the Noir Striker backpack and tactical weaponry, gives it a unique aesthetic that stands apart from many other Gundams in the Cosmic Era timeline.

    For this project, I wanted to preserve the Strike Noir Gundam’s sleek, dark appearance while introducing subtle metallic highlights and weathering that would add depth and realism to the finished model.

    The kit was first separated by runners before any assembly began. Every solid-coloured part on Runners A, B, C and D received a complete base coat of Mr. Color No. 2 (Gloss Black), creating a uniform foundation for the subsequent painting process.

    Once the base coat had fully cured, each colour group was treated individually. The yellow-moulded parts on Runner A were finished with Mr. Color No. 9 (Gold Metallic), applied as a full colour coat rather than as weathering. The red-moulded parts on the same runner were weathered using Mr. Color No. 108 (Character Red, Semi-Gloss).

    The light grey parts on Runner B were weathered with Mr. Color No. 107 (Character White, Semi-Gloss) to create subtle highlights and visual depth. The dark grey parts on Runner C, together with the grey parts on Runner D, were weathered using Mr. Color No. 159 (Super Silver), adding a worn metallic appearance that complements the Strike Noir Gundam’s design.

    After the lacquer paints had dried, two different Tamiya Panel Line Accent Colors were used to complement the finished paintwork.

    Black Panel Line Accent Color was applied to the parts painted in Character White, Super Silver, and Gold Metallic, creating strong contrast that enhanced the panel lines and mechanical details. Light Grey Panel Line Accent Color was applied to the Character Red and Gloss Black surfaces, producing a subtler effect that remained visible without overpowering the darker colours.

    Once the panel liner had cured, the excess Black panel liner was carefully removed using cotton buds dampened with Tamiya X-20 Enamel Thinner, leaving crisp and well-defined panel lines while preserving the painted finish.

    For the Light Grey panel liner, less of the excess was removed intentionally. The remaining residue created subtle streaks and smudges across the darker surfaces, resembling the marks left on a machine after exposure to rain and environmental conditions. This effect helped create a more weathered and realistic appearance, as if the Strike Noir Gundam had returned from repeated combat operations.

    With all painting and panel lining complete, the model was finally assembled. The combination of metallic finishes, contrasting panel lines and restrained weathering transformed the kit while retaining the distinctive identity of the Strike Noir Gundam. Rather than appearing as a factory-new machine, the finished model portrays a mobile suit with a sense of history and operational wear.

    This build is published on 14 July 2026, marking the 20th anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: STARGAZER, which first premiered on 14 July 2006. Two decades later, the Strike Noir Gundam remains one of my favourite mobile suit designs from the Cosmic Era timeline. Completing this project is my own way of commemorating the anniversary of this memorable ONA series and celebrating one of the franchise’s most distinctive and enduring mobile suit designs.

  • Ultraman Jack Suit

    Building Bandai’s Figure-rise Standard ULTRAMAN SUIT JACK -ACTION- – An Ultraman Day 2026 Project

    Published: 10 July 2026 – Ultraman Day

    To mark Ultraman Day 2026, I spent the past few days working on Bandai’s Figure-rise Standard ULTRAMAN SUIT JACK -ACTION-. Rather than building it straight out of the box, I gave the kit a complete painted finish, weathering, panel lining, and a working LED Unit Dual Type [White_Blue/Red] before final assembly.

    This article documents the steps I took to prepare, paint, detail and complete the model, from the initial base coating of the runners through to the final illuminated build.

    Preparing the Parts

    After unpacking all of the runners, I began by airbrushing a dark base coat onto the solid-coloured moulded parts. This undercoat helped create greater colour depth and served as the foundation for the subsequent paintwork.

    With the base coat completed, I proceeded to paint the individual sections according to their intended finish.

    The red armour pieces were weathered using Mr. Hobby Mr. Color 108 (Character Red), giving the armour greater depth and subtle tonal variation.

    The grey armour components received an airbrushed coat of Mr. Hobby Mr. Color 13 (Neutral Grey), creating a consistent finish across the mechanical sections.

    For the metallic components, I airbrushed Mr. Hobby Mr. Color 159 (Super Silver) over the dark base coat, producing a metallic finish that looked richer and more convincing than the original silver plastic.

    The kit’s clear blue and clear yellow parts were left unpainted to preserve their original appearance and allow the coloured plastic to complement the finished model.

    Panel Lining

    After all the painted parts had dried thoroughly, I applied Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color (Black) to the recessed panel lines and mechanical details.

    The panel line accent was then left to dry overnight before I carefully removed the excess using cotton buds lightly moistened with Tamiya X-20 Enamel Thinner. This process helped define the armour details while maintaining a clean finish.

    Assembly

    With the painting and detailing completed, I began assembling the kit.

    Like many modern Bandai releases, the entire model is a snap-fit kit. The parts fit together tightly and securely, making assembly straightforward without requiring glue.

    Partway through the build, I noticed that the instruction manual included the option to install Bandai’s LED Unit Dual Type [White_Blue/Red].

    Wanting to take advantage of the feature, I obtained a pair of LR41 button-cell batteries and prepared the LED unit using a small cross-head screwdriver before installing it into the model during assembly.
    Once powered on, the illuminated chest added another level of realism to the completed model. It was a simple enhancement, but one that complemented the mechanical design of ULTRAMAN SUIT JACK remarkably well.

    Final Thoughts

    The Figure-rise Standard ULTRAMAN SUIT JACK -ACTION- proved to be an enjoyable project from start to finish. Although the kit already features excellent engineering and impressive articulation, the additional painting, weathering, panel lining and LED installation helped transform it into a model with a more realistic mechanical appearance.

    As always, it’s satisfying to see all the preparation—from painting individual runners to carefully cleaning up the panel lines—come together during the final assembly. The completed model captures the imposing presence of ULTRAMAN SUIT JACK, while the illuminated chest provides an eye-catching finishing touch.

    Completing this project on Ultraman Day 2026 made the build even more meaningful. It was a fitting way to celebrate Ultraman’s enduring legacy while enjoying another rewarding scale modelling project.

    Happy Ultraman Day 2026!

  • Mew

    Bandai PokéPla Mew – Airbrush Base Coat & Weathered Custom Finish

    I recently completed Bandai’s PokéPla Mew plastic model kit, but instead of building it straight out of the box, I pushed it in a more stylised direction using airbrush work, selective colour treatment, and panel lining.

    The goal was to move away from the clean, toy-like finish and explore a more muted, weathered interpretation of the character while still preserving its recognisable form.

    Materials and Paints Used

    For this build, I worked with a combination of airbrush and hand-detailing materials:

    •Airbrush setup
    •Mr Hobby Mr Color No. 18 (RLM70 Black Green)
    •Mr Hobby Mr Color No. 112 (Character Flesh 2)
    •Mr Hobby Mr Color No. 110 (Character Blue)
    •Mr Hobby Mr Color No. 107 (Character White)
    •Pink permanent marker
    •Tamiya Panel Line Accent Colour (Black)
    •Original kit stickers (used as masking aids for eye detailing)

    Base Coating the Entire Kit

    The first step was to unify all parts using an airbrushed base coat of Mr Color 18 (RLM70 Black Green).

    This immediately changed the character of the kit, removing the bright factory colours and replacing them with a darker, more cohesive foundation. Instead of preserving the original colour separation, I chose to reset the visual tone entirely and rebuild contrast through subsequent layers.

    Colour Modulation and Surface Variation

    With the base coat in place, I began introducing subtle variation across different areas of the model.

    The beige moulded parts were weathered using Mr Color 112 (Character Flesh 2). This added a soft tonal shift that remained within the darker overall palette while helping break up uniformity.

    For the orange sections, I applied a pink permanent marker, slightly adjusting the tone and pushing it toward a more stylised finish. This created a subtle visual accent and prevented those areas from blending too heavily into the dark base coat.

    Eye Detailing and Masking Technique

    The eyes were treated as a focal point of the build and received more precise detailing work.

    Using Mr Color 110 (Character Blue) and Mr Color 107 (Character White), I painted the eye areas while using the kit’s included stickers as temporary masking guides.

    This method allowed for cleaner separation between colours and helped approximate the intended eye shapes without requiring custom masking tape or decals. Despite the small scale, it provided enough control to keep the detailing sharp and readable.

    Panel Lining for Depth and Definition

    Once all paint layers had fully cured, I applied Tamiya Panel Line Accent Colour (Black) to the recessed panel lines and sculpt details.

    This step significantly enhanced depth and readability, especially after the darker base coat reduced natural contrast. The panel lining reintroduced structure to the form and helped define edges and internal contours across the model.

    Final Result

    The finished Mew presents a noticeably different interpretation from the original kit design.

    The combination of a dark airbrushed base, selective colour modulation, and panel lining transforms it from a bright, soft character figure into a more subdued and atmospheric display piece. While it still reads clearly as Mew, the overall impression is more grounded and stylised.

    This build also served as an experiment in how far a simple PokéPla kit can be pushed using basic modelling techniques, and how dramatically mood and character can shift through paint alone.

    A Quiet Milestone

    The build was completed on 6 July 2026, the 10th anniversary of Pokémon GO, adding a fitting contextual layer to a Pokémon-themed project. It quietly links a physical model build to one of the franchise’s most culturally significant modern milestones.

  • Nike Air Jordon 1

    Building the Bandai Nike Air Jordan Plastic Model Kit

    This project is a reinterpretation of the Bandai Nike Air Jordan plastic model kit, approached not as a clean display build, but as a subtly worn sneaker object. The goal was to sit between scale modelling and product design — capturing material depth, tonal variation, and light ageing without pushing the piece into an overly artificial or exaggerated weathered state.

    Design Direction

    The kit provides multiple colour directions across its runners, including a grayscale-based scheme and an alternate variant with beige-toned elements.

    For this build, I chose to focus on the grayscale direction to maintain a more unified visual language. This allowed the final piece to emphasise material contrast, weathering variation, and surface depth within a restrained palette.

    Base Preparation

    All parts were first airbrushed with Mr Hobby Mr Color No. 2 as a unified base coat. This created a consistent foundation across the different plastic tones and ensured that subsequent weathering would behave coherently across all surfaces.

    Weathering Approach

    Rather than applying a single universal weathering tone, I treated each injection-moulded colour as a different material requiring its own interpretation. The intent was not to simulate heavy damage or dirt accumulation, but to introduce subtle ageing — similar to how real sneakers develop uneven wear across different materials.

    Black Injection-Moulded Parts

    Weathered using Mr Color No. 13, producing a softened, slightly faded rubber-like appearance.

    Grey Injection-Moulded Parts

    Weathered using a custom mix of Mr Color No. 13 and No. 107, balancing contrast while maintaining a muted, dusty tone.

    White Injection-Moulded Parts

    Weathered using Mr Color No. 107 to create a lightly aged midsole-like effect.

    Panel Line Detailing

    After weathering, Tamiya Black Accent Fluid was applied to bring out recessed details and structural lines across the model.
    Once dried, excess fluid was cleaned using thinner and cotton buds, leaving definition in the panel lines while preserving surface softness.
    Unlike traditional mechanical model kits, the panel lines in this context function less as structural separations and more as stitched seams, material joins, and subtle shadow breaks within the sneaker design.

    Final Impression

    The overall aim of this build was to maintain a balance between fashion object and scale model. Rather than pushing the surface treatment toward a heavily mechanical or overly aggressive weathering style, the focus remained on controlled tonal variation and material realism.

    The result is a sneaker model that feels lightly worn and physically grounded, while still retaining the clarity and design language of its original form.

    Project Context

    Completed on 30 May 2026, the project coincides with the 55th anniversary of Blue Ribbon Sports being renamed Nike in 1971. The timing served as context for reinterpreting the Air Jordan silhouette as a scale model object shaped through material treatment, tonal restraint, and subtle surface ageing.