Science Fiction Flavour

Tag: Pokemon

  • 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.

  • 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.