Where do my time go these days? Work, cook, clean, sleep, etc. Weekends are usually when I have the most free time but it goes by too fast. These days I usually catch up on my sleep during the weekends and spend whatever time I have to either play video games, catch up on tv shows or do laundry.
I miss a hobby that I use to do when I was in grade school to high school, working on plastic model kits. Some people might not get what’s so fun about sitting there assembling pieces together. It’s about that feeling of accomplishment when you finish. I’m sure many of you have sat there for hours putting puzzle pieces together, do crossword puzzles, building LEGO™ blocks or assemble furniture. It’s that moment when you step back to admire your work and feel proud of yourself.
My all time favorite plastic model kits are Gundam kits made by Bandai because I love mechas. They are also by far the best quality and provides a good challenge to test your skills. In the beginning I assemble 1/144 scale then move my way up to 1/100 High Grade then 1/100 Master Grade. The best I’ve done up to date are the Master Grade kits and I would love to try my skill at a Perfect Grade kit. The major difference between these different level of kits are the skill required, number of parts, and price. PG kits are usually well over $100 because of the number of parts and the complexity of the design. They just look plain awesome.
During my early days I never painted any of my kits. They themselves have colored parts where you just assemble and play. It was until when I began to paint my mecha I stopped playing with them. I look at them as artistic pieces that I worked hard on. The fresh paint really made a huge difference on how the mecha looked comparing to the factory color-injected plastic. With my horrible painting skill I slowly try to improve by visiting hobby websites for tips. They would make small modifications to the kits making it look more realistic. Sealing the seams with putty, put weathering on the mechas and battle damages. Air brushing to add effects and a smoother coat than using paint brush on large areas. I realize how much more I can do to improve after seeing how creative people are.
In the past couple of years I accumulated a few Gundam kits from some friends and air brush kit. I really miss working on them and I’m certainly wanting to start it again. Of course not until I do some shopping for tools and paint. It’ll be my first time trying at air brushing and I’ll be sure to create a work log. If you have any tips or suggestions let me know.
