Monday, April 5, 2010

The Ice Queen Palace Athene WIP


 I've chosen to do the Palace Athene, codenamed The Ice Queen for my ZeroG MonoEye GB project.. She's part of a multi-mecha thematic project I'm working on.

Posted Image




The name alone already suggests the color scheme. She'll be predominantly white, with light blue accents, and would basically be my first "heavily modified" kit. I'll be painting it with my trademark multitone process (though I'm still wondering if the color shift would work with just the usual paints I use). At any rate, I'm experimenting on new techniques for it.

The weapons back pack would have to go, replaced by something else. The missiles I shall use for another build, and the arm rifle will be modified. I'll custom build hands for it, since the stock hands are UGLY for an HGUC kit. I wish Bandai would just keep things consistent, and keep the quality of the kits across the board.
Posted ImagePosted Image

My progress is a bit slow, mainly because I think of the modifications first before proceeding to doing anything. Once I get something in my mind clear enough, I sketch it afterward to test possibilities.

Then I start cutting. The Queen will have a crown.

Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image

Since the Athene has a fairly small cranium, I built a ridge for the crown spikes to rest on using 1mm beams (adhered with Extra Thin cement) layered and trimmed to at least follow the original contour of the head.

Posted Image

With 0.5mm plaplates, I cut knife shapes and slapped them on to the ridges.

Test paint

Used Bosny Flat Black/RJ Flat White, Bosny Metallic Silver, and Bosny River Blue. I was able to simulate a pearlescent blue effect with the Black/Silver/Blue and a glittery ivory-silver-blue with the Flat White. Like that of the Impaler, the effect is not that obvious on the still shot.

Posted Image

Click the thumbnail for a closer look.

Posted Image

This one is especially difficult to achieve, since I have to have shorter, controlled bursts with the can... 
Feet and ankle mods:

Deepened the panel lines on the feet (will also do so with the rest of the kit.

Posted Image

Modified the rear ankle area to increase the forward bend angle.

Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image

Will do additional mods, like maybe hydraulic pistons, etc.
Added articulation to the Queen's shin guard, and a few panel lines on the legs.

Posted Image

Posted Image
Posted Image

Added pistons on the rear ankles.

Posted Image 
Modded the backpack.

Posted Image 
LED placement.

Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image

Modified the shoulders.

Posted Image

Test fitted the legs for a "major" modification, though, since I don't have red ink, I used the wash method to do the panel lines with red enamel.

Posted Image Posted Image 
Had to build the shin guard mods from scratch after all. The part I took from the PG got damaged real quick.

Posted Image

Shin guard mods done.

Posted Image Posted Image

I also had to redo the ankle pistons. The Tamiya metal spacers were a tad difficult to work with, so I simply got two spare body/chassis locks and used them for customizing pistons.

They're not hydraulic pistons, so to speak.

Posted Image

Posted Image 
Done painting miscellaneous parts and Panel-lined with enamel wash.

Posted Image


Her Majesty's test fit. Replaced the rubber cable thingee with 2mm Wave spring (the Koto springs are black).

Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image

I noticed a few problem spots, and I'm thinking of making her transformable, if time allows it. 
The head modification. Separated the "crown" for easier painting.

Posted Image

Posted Image 
The crown is removable and fits snugly on the base.

Posted Image
prepped the Queen's tail for a major modification.

Posted Image

Posted Image 
Made a few adjustments to the tail mod. At this point, I had to use thick paper to create patterns for the tail (I seldom do, and often just estimate what I cut).

Posted Image

Scratch-built a back pack attachment that connects to (instead of replaces) the stock backpack mount.

Posted Image
Posted Image

Test fit. Also made a few adjustments to the ankle pistons.

Posted Image 

The Shoulder Armor

Posted Image

Posted Image

And the tail (which was MURDER to modify, especially in bending and shaping the 0.5mm pla plates, which readily bends without heat but I had to hold into shape while the cement cures).

Posted Image

The Queen's head, finally painted and assembled (which was also a pain to paint, with the icicles and all). I was going to make it blue silver all throughout, but decided to make the base RED.

Posted Image

Posted Image
 The Queen needed new hands (still working on the other one though), so I customized fully articulated HUGE manipulators using 3mm beams and modifying her original ones to fit them in.

Posted Image

The thumb actually rotates 180 degrees for that fist-clenching flexibility.

Posted Image

Posted Image

I've decided to repaint the Queen's mask Red, for added contrast.

Posted Image

Posted Image 
 Extended the skirt connection to keep it from rubbing onto the tail.

Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image
I also reshaped the hand guard protrusions.

Posted Image

And I just can't NOT have any Red...

Posted Image

The forearms, assembled with the manipulators (I shot these with the prototype).

Posted Image

I think it was a right decision to "ditch" the prototype. The Queen's hands now look more menacing with the lateral movements. I'm still deciding whether to paint the phalanges or not, since they look fine as they are (needing only some more sanding) without paint.

Posted Image  
 Modded the shield to make it look more nastily appropriate for the Queen.

Posted Image

Also added a swivel mount.

Posted Image

Posted Image


No comments:

The Newbie Stash

Source This is a collection of specific guides for reference in Gunpla Building and Modeling in General.  • Gunpla™ and Modeling Terminolog...