WIP - Ma.K. Nitto SAFS

00.1
My original plan was to build this out of  the box and follow the camo card. I've obviously gone the other way with some modifications including joint covers which are semi moveable.




Cable mounts, smoke launchers, joint covers and welds.




Sculpt for the cable mounts and joint covers.





00.3
I'm going to try a variation of
Max Watanabe's painting technique. Over the primer, I used Tamiya bare metal enamel from a rattle can. Of course and as expected, it went on very nicely. Where it all went wrong is when I used Testors Gloss black spray enamel. I was out of Tamyia and Testors was all that was left at the LHS .:-(
After shacking the can rigorously and making sure the nozzle was clean it sputtered out, went on too thick and left a texture that I wasn't looking for.


It took more than 24 hours for the Gloss Black to dry thoroughly. Next, I went in with
Tamyia matte acrylic colours- red, yellow, green and blue.









After the enamel coat dried latter that night, I went over the suit with 3-4 coats of Tamiya Acrylic XF-51 Khaki Drab mixed slightly with XF-63 German Grey. You can barely see the red, yellow, green and blue under the coat in the picture, but in person the colours are subtlety visible.



FYI- I overreacted in thinking the build was ruined when I laid down a coat of Testors Gloss Black from a rattle can. It actually left a nice texture which needed minimal scribing to get back the lines and details I was afraid I'd totally lost. That being said, I still won't be using Testors from a can again.

Next, came the decals.  After they dried and set over night, I hand painted the "H" and tail armor graphic decal with Tamiya Flat White for a more worn, natural look. Then over the next few days with oils I worked some filtering. I gave the entire suit a light and quick wash.

Anyone work filters first, then apply decals?



00.6

Almost done... maybe I'll finish tonight, though "The Misfits" is on tonight; Marlyn Monroe's last film.

Streaking mostly done I think. Light dusting once over, so maybe another. Grease and oil stains next, some touch up here and there... some tweaking the pipes; thinking about mud on the feet now and if I am going to do a Second SAFS or maybe a AFS in vignette along with this fella .....






































































































1/35 smoke discharges modified with styrene tube.





00.2
I used the Mr Surfacer Fine rattle can primer and I gotta tell you, it's really nice. From the photo you can't tell, but it has a fine tooth to it and that doesn't drown out the details.
It also covers well.






TOOL TIP:

I made this handle out of a wire cloths hanger to stick the suits on while painting. I stick up into the torso. Works pretty well. Did you know that the the part of the brain that is responsible for forming tool is the same as the part that forms sentences? So, basically if you can make a tool you can form a sentence and if you form a sentience, you can make a tool.



00.4
Moving along. After laying down the Tamyia matte acrylic colours - red, yellow, green and blue and letting the coat dry over night I went over with a layer of thinned Testors enamel, Olive Drab (Anna 613). The thinned enamel paint woke the acrylics a bit, however it turned out to be a happy accident. I like the enamel coat because I feel it provides a strong layer that later reacts well to my method of chipping.


00.5
I've started the chipping process later in the build than in the past. This is where I am now- some chipping done, working high and low lights with oils where I feel I need them and some streaking.










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