Science Fiction Flavour

Category: Television

  • 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.

  • Bulbasaur

    This build of the Bandai Bulbasaur plastic model focused on depth, tonal variation, and precise surface control. The goal was to elevate a simple kit into a cohesive, visually dynamic piece through careful layering, panel detailing, and considered adjustments.


    Base and Body Layers
    Each part was first coated with a dark base to establish natural shadows and underlying contrast. The body sections were then airbrushed using three distinct shades of green — Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 64, 303, and 605. Layered application preserved subtle hints of the darker undercoat, preventing the finish from appearing flat and giving the model a more dimensional presence.


    Whites, Reds, and Eye Detailing
    White and red components were finished in semi-gloss for clarity and restrained shine. During the eye detailing stage, a slight freehand overspray caused some white to mist into the red area. Rather than stripping and repainting, the section was corrected using a dark pink marker. The resulting dark-pink-and-white combination added a softer character to the eyes, complementing the overall finish.


    Panel Lines
    To enhance sculpted details, Tamiya Accent Color Panel Line (Black) was applied carefully into recessed lines. Excess wash was removed using enamel thinner and a cotton bud, leaving behind controlled definition that sharpens the contours without overpowering the softer paint tones.


    Final Assembly and Reflection
    Once fully cured and assembled, the model feels cohesive and balanced. The interplay between layered greens, subtle shading, and refined panel lining elevates the kit beyond its base form. Minor adjustments along the way — such as the eye correction — became part of the build’s character rather than setbacks.
    This build demonstrates how patience, layering, and small course corrections can transform a straightforward kit into a polished, display-ready model.

  • Megazord (Clear Version)

    Non-scale hobby kit by Bandai, released through the Shokugan Modelling Project (previously known as Super Minipla) product line. While it is said this rendition is a clear-material variant, some of the runners came moulded in solid-grey.

    With the thought of retaining the see-through feature of the model, I opted to do without the stickers provided.


    Having left the surfaces of the translucent plastics bare, enamel paints were used to accentuate the recesses on the parts. To give the solid-colour mouldings a metallic texture, I airbrushed them with silver acrylic paint.

  • Megazord

    Plastic model rendition of the Tokusatsu giant robot Megazord. Released through the Super Minipla product line by Bandai, the model kit is manufactured in function and form faithful to the deluxe toy counterpart from the early 1990s.

    Building the sub-assemblies is direct. The airbrushing can stretch for some time as the puttying, smoothening, masking and painting needed to be done many times. The assembly of the final product is straightforward.