1:48 Sinanju Bust by Julius Lim

Master Jules is at it again, this time with a 1:48 Sinanju Bust.  The main head and collar is a 1:48 Sinanju Head stand.  The rest are built from scratch with plaplates and enhanced with putty.

Incidentally, I started a Chimera bust last October (whilst taking a little break from the Ronin) using a 1/48 Unicorn head stand.  Whereas Master Jules only plans to make his Sinanju Bust a la Formania, the Chimera bust might slowly progress into a full-built statue.





Imagine this guy,

at 55cm total height.

I'm currently working on that Super Top Secret Confidential Project that I can't reveal until after March, for obvious reasons, but here's a teaser.

Watch out for it.

X2M: Album Launch

 
Some, if not most of you are familiar that I am a songwriter and have a Band on the side.  When I'm not cutting plastic, I'm belching belting out notes.

Finally, after two years of production, battling with the elements, beer-drinking sessions and heartbreaking disappointments, my Band's self-titled album, X2M: Ten to Midnight, is finally done, and will be going into production soon.  The album features 10 + 1 ALL-ORIGINAL tracks, half of which were written by my guitarist co-writer extraordinaire, AJ Antonio.  He wrote all the Tagalog songs, while I wrote the English songs, with the exception of Did Want You which is our very first songwriting collaboration.

We've also employed the home recording concept, and all the collaborative work with all the people involved were done online and through email.  We've emailed back and forth and we all did our individual parts at home or wherever, making this probably the first album in the Philippines to be done completely online.

AJ did the initial design of the Album, which I later refined to its final version.

The cover spread

The X Walker Part IX

Major update!

This is second to the last update, with only minor refinements and detailing to do before the painting (sigh). I've hit a stumbling block on how to mount the calf pistons to the Walker's legs, and I almost ended up just cementing it altogether without any functionality whatsoever, thus wasting my initial effort. My OC-ness won out in the end, and I made adapters for the ankle joints similar to those i've done for the Chimera's waist mod. These adapters fit perfectly to the red scrap parts.

Uncanny...

  
No, I'm not talking about the Comic Book, "The Uncanny X-Men" (which I used to collect when I was way younger), but the seemingly coinciding random events that involves Middleway (one of the songs in our self-titled album), the Anime my bandmate and guitarist extraordinare AJ used as a backdrop for the music video he made (he thought the story appropriate for the song, and I agree), and somewhat, if I am now guilty of giving it (a well-deserved) overexposure, the Chimera.

AJ made the music video July of last year and told me about it after posting it on YouTube.  I didn't give it much thought back then (though I did ask what the Anime was about), mainly because I had been pre-occupied with a lot of things up until now.  I haven't watched the anime in its entirety as I just finished watching the anime, (I rarely do and when I do, it's mostly those about mechas, samurais and warriors, and sci-fi stuff).  Digressing a bit, I've always liked Bleach, Naruto and the likes, most of the Gundam series, and earlier on, the Classic Voltes V, Mazinger Z, Grendaiser, Mekanda, etc.  I've also watched both the anime and live action versions of Deathnote, and who could forget the slashings of Kenshi Himura in Samurai X?

I probably missed the sci-fi relevance of the anime AJ used back then because I totally spaced-out on the title.  "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" is, obviously about a girl leaping through time.  As Japanese animes have it, it's the reason WHY she did the Quantum dance that made the anime interesting.   According to AJ, she leaps back through time to avoid the advances of the boy who likes her (well, that, aside from the obvious do-overs of any mistakes she have made, especially her grades).  Later on, Chiaki, the boy was revealed to be more than meets the eye.  The scenes AJ used to sequence with Middleway were head on, especially at the part where the boy and the girl were walking amidst a crowd of people frozen in time, and the guy walking away, leaving the girl confused looking for him.  It even has a Live Action version of the same title released just last year, and Riisa Naka, who voiced the main character in the anime is the same one who played the main character in the movie (as I read the synopsis and the character list, the story is a bit different.

So, where does the Chimera come in all these Jazz?

If you allow me to segue bit further (I have a penchant for long and detailed intros to my stories at times, mainly because I want to be as clear as I can), a couple of MAC members at Facebook recently tagged me twice when they posted about the Middleway music video, and the song generated a mild increase in plays, both at Facebook and our website, as well as Youtube (a lot of people sent me messages earlier on when we first released it that they like the song).  It was only then that I started looking up the anime, to finally be able to watch it.  It was then that I got chills when I found images relating to it, specifically, this one:

Source: http://anonymousxwrites.blogspot.com

It wouldn't really haven't been too significant if not for this:

The similarities are uncanny.  I shot this quite recently, after my month-long hiatus from anything Gunpla (which wasn't really a hiatus, since I've been tinkering with plastic during that time, albeit in relative blogless silence).

At my age, I no longer believe too much in coincidences, but this one, insofar as coincidences in my life are concerned, is pretty much too close for comfort.  The girl who is the object of the story of Middleway, in some aspects, also looks like an anime character.

Even the source I got the picture of the leaping girl is much of a coincidence to my pseudonym.  I call myself X, which stands for the mathematical "unknown."

Oh, did I mention that the Pilot of the Chimera is a girl?

 

The Chimera; With Wings

It may seem like I'm on massive Chimera overload with the recent posts, but, I can't really help it.  I'm proud of this beast.  I've been asked by a few people about its wings, and why I decided to leave it out.

Simple:  It looks better without it.  Someone at HobbyFanatics noted it when I "revealed" a prepaint test-fit, tight-shot, silhoutte of the Chimera with wings mounted during its final WIP stage.

Height Proportions

This tip was brought on courtesy of a question Krescenhaze asked regarding height proportions of Gundams (or any MS design for that matter. I used to teach a little comic book art back in the 90s, so I'm quite familiar with the subject in human anatomical terms.

My reply:

Regular human proportions is 7.5 heads tall (1/0.5/2.5/3.5) for the head/neck/torso/legs respectively, or 3.5 from head to groin and 4 from groin to feet. Ideal "heroic" proportions is 8 heads (1/0.5/3/4) This proportion is used to balance the bulk of heroic or muscled characters. Most Gundams and other MS designs do not follow any standard proportions but follow mostly the flow of the design of the MS, so some are like 4/5, with the head too small and looking as if it's hammered down the shoulders, with the neck not visible in most cases. So far, only two are "almost" human in proportions; The Strike, and the Exia.

I know you're asking this mainly for the Unicorn, because so far that kit has the WORST proportion, around 3/5.

Check this link out for reference

Try this yourself though; you can gauge proper proportions when you do this; sit down, then prop your knee toward towards your shoulder. You'll see that the tip of your knee should just be about the same level as the base of your neck.

The link above provides images I am too lazy to reproduce, so let me just credit the author for having it done, before allowing my lazy @$$ hotlink his post. It was quite coincidental I found it having relative images for both human and Gundam proportions.

The Ascent of the Chimera

 

This is one of the test shots I've done for the Chimera. I used a technique to have it in flight mode without having it mounted on a stand. I added a little Lens Flare effect to make it more fun.

It looks better without the wings I've made for it (as was intimated by a few people who saw it).

(Edit: I gave up on fixing my lighting problem for the sky layover, but I believe the black background gave the Chimera justice in highlighting its details.)

(Additional Edit:  The eye is an LED mod, not a Photoshop effect).

G-SHOT! Gunpla Photo Contest!

I know I'm a tad late in posting these things, but, Gundam Guy is holding the G-SHOT! Gunpla Photo Contest.

I might enter The Chimera in both the Best Photo and Modification categories.  Judges are Gundam Guy, Syd Sked of HLJ, Sonar of Gundam Australia, Derringer of Bluefin and of course, DonC.

Check it out.

The Chimera's V-Fin

One of the things I didn't like about the Unicorn is its flimsy folding V-Fin.  I've heard horror stories from early Unicorn owners about how easily it can break if the kit happens to fall down from a table (that can be attributed to its weak double jointed ankles.).  This weakness however, won;t really matter afterward as you may see in a while.

I've made and customized V-Fins before, so this wasn't really much of a challenge.  I got two large-enough scrap pieces of 1.0mm plaplates, cut/trimmed/shaved them according to the shape I had in mind, taking note of the symmetry, and stuck them on the base of the single Unicorn horn.  I trimmed off the horn up the point shown.

The Angelus and The Chimera: First Glance...

 Photo Finish, both sans their backpack attachments.

See you guys at the BAKWC.

Mishaps, Contemplation and More Kossute Magic

 
As the BACWC draws near and most everyone are doing the finishing touches on their entries, I've also slowed down a bit from painting especially with the weather changing like a woman who can't make her mind which donut to pick.  In my experience, I've been able to "sense" the weather changes and adjust how I paint parts.  The good thing about painting with cans is one can work quickly even with layered colors because of their fast drying properties and most primer-based paints like the Flat Black I adore so much doesn't really care what kind of weather there was (or for that matter, what mood I was in).  With flat black, my layering works still, but with longer drying times since I was going for a smooth finish instead of textured this time off. 

I've had a few mishaps, but, nothing I can't handle.  I've finished the Chimera in less than week, considering that painting that monstrosity was a PAIN to begin with with all the parts interlocking with each other.

Anyways, most people think my entry consists only of the Chimera Diorama, but, to some, it should come as no surprise that the Angelus hopefully will also ascend this weekend.  My previous blog entry, the Sinanju cables, was the clue that I'm cooking up more than just one mythical beast.

It seems that my itch turned rash turned zombie infection of a build called the Chimera superseded the Glory of the Angelus, but I was actually deciding if I'll simplify the Angelus wings further.  While deciding (after completing the Chimera's paint job), I did start painting the Angelus, almost with disastrous results.  The shield basically disintegrated before my eyes as paint trial upon paint trial just wouldn't work.  The red bled through the paint mo matter what I did. I even layered both flat black, and primer gray to shield the white paint (Bosny 40 White and Flat White) to no avail, so, Instead of ruining my momentum and wasting any more paint, I realized I should use that to my advantage.  I shan't be showing the booboo turned "innovation" just yet, though.

Also, I've got a few "negative" reactions from some people about the Chimera's chosen scheme (Owing that I was using the same Nickel Alloy) paint, but, hopefully, they'll change their minds later on.  Sufficed to say, the Angelus and the Chimera, both being mythical creatures, have similar schemes with different accents.

Anyways, here are a couple of snapshots of the Angelus' main back pack frame, painted with the usual flat black then enhanced with Kosutte.  To achieve the effect on the thruster bells, I masked the outer then painted the inner of the bell with my layered red combo.  I left the outer plastic bare and progressively sanded the surface (400-500-2000) for the Kosutte to give it that "almost-metal" shine everyone likes.

I mentioned before that all will be revealed on the 5th of November (as a post-dated entry), but I misread the details of the submission regarding the dates.  Deadline for emailing is on the 3rd, actual submissions on the 5th and 6th, NOT the 4th and 5th as I originally thought.  I originally set it on the 5th because I though that was the second day of submission, and Kisapmata offered me a ride on that date.  Worse case scenario is I will have to submit on the 6th to maximize my build time, because I still don't have a diorama to speak of.

The Chimera Borne Part IX

Clawed.  The storm came in as I added the finishing touches to the main kit.  I felt the weather change as the temperature dropped and the wind started to blow, taking with it much of the humidity that accumulated.  I'm glad that the sudden change did not affect the curing paint, as I really don't want to redo anything.  I've had a few mishaps and misfires which I have easily fixed, and I've noticed that I could work faster with cans even with the changing weather.  I screwed up the shield earlier since I used a paint that smelled like Tamiya Basic Putty and dried/cured just as slow, so I had to forego the effect I was going for with that paint.

Anyways, another snippet.  I decided to sharpen the Lion Claws, for maximum effect and consistency with the Dragon Blade and Ram Daggers.

I also had the idea of making the claws independent from each other for that middle finger action, but decided against it because of stability issues.

Edit:

More sneak pics...

Just in case you're wondering, the pictures are in duotone, and do not represent the actual colors of the kit.

The Chimera Borne Part VIII

Procrastinating.

As the days pass me by,
with Bosny getting me high
I look back to the itch
that started this all.

The deadline looms so close
and I continually scratch my nose
I stop every now and then
And my build comes to a crawl.

I'm almost well and done
and sure do I have fun
but somehow something seems
to make my body stall.

With still a ways to go
there is no way to know
I got to answer that
one last delaying call.


Here's how a jumble of painted parts looks like.

I sure do dig RED.

And here's the RAM SHIELD,

Which should give you an Idea of the color scheme.  As of this post, only the feet, hands and the scratch0built, er, backpack, remain unpainted.

The Chimera Borne Part VII

 
The mods are 90-95% complete, then it's off to painting and the diorama. I'll say again that this has been the most challenging project I've tackled as of yet. I'll be very "tame" in painting this. I won't be posting any more full updates, but a few snippets every now and then. I'll keep the major scratch-build under wraps until November 5. For the meantime, here's a sneak peek.




 
What a jumble of parts prepped for painting looks like.



Some of the modified parts. The Ram shield is now lightly detailed.



The modified back pack. This one is a simple modification to fit the polycap attachments. The plaplates are added to "lock" the modifications in place when the pack is assembled

The Chimera Borne Part VI

I've finished the Lion Claws and have begun sanding the parts. This is also the first time I've employed wet sanding with 2000 grit paper and I'm quite amazed how it actually helps smooth the plastic, giving it back its factory shine.

I've only one minor modification to do, and it's painting time, during which, I will do a major scratch build that will complete the Chimera. I intentionally made it the last build of the project since the Chimera can stand without it, just in case I ran out of time while doing the diorama.

Carbonized. I've done the "carbon metal" look with the Jinx and was quite satisfied with how it turned out, so I decided to employ this on the frame of the Chimera, as well as the weapons.



To achieve this, I used my all-around paint of choice Bosny Flat Black. This paint is rather versatile since I can use it both as a primer and base coat. I'm not too fond of glossy or semi-glossy blacks anyways, so this one is a mainstay in my armory. I then used the magic powder Kosutte Gin San, which I believe if highly refined graphite. The stuff is rather sticky to the touch, but gives most anything that metallic silvery look or mirror-like finish, depending on the surface you're working on.

Applied lightly over flat black with a cotton swab, the powder gives a cast-metal/carbon metal effect without polishing. I tried this technique with the Ram Daggers with a bit of polishing.



The result is good enough for me, with that textured metal, but, I felt I needed to enhance the blade a bit further, like so.







I've given the "sharpened" edge a mirror-like finish in contrast with the textured metal look. I'll keep this technique a secret for the meantime and post it after the BAKWC, though I believe there are guys out there who probably have an idea how this was done.