HG Grimoire Basic Part 5: Detailing

In this the final part of the HG Grimoire start to finish series I will demonstrate some of the tricks that you can use to add that extra level of detail to your kits.

A lot of my favorite marks, stains and grime on this kit are the result of happy accidents and multiple reapplications. Weathering can be very rewarding if you don't expect to get results immediately with your first application.




Panel Lining: 

Panel lining is one of the most basic ways to add detail to a kit. Paneling is a process by which a material is added to the recesses of a kit to enhance and highlight detail. In previous tutorials I demonstrated how to use gundam markers and thinned enamels for the panel lining. In this tutorial I will be using Tamiya panel lining wash.

Decals:

I applied some basic decals to this kit using leftover or partial sheets from the RG Char Zaku, RG RX 78-2 and RG GP01. I choose these decals due to the similarity of their designs, colors (mostly white with a pinch of yellow in some) and consistent size. For basic tips on decal application check out my other tutorials.

How to apply Water slide decals

How to video Water slide decals

For tips on where to apply decals and how to create your own custom decal schemes, you can check out this tutorial.

Micro Tutorial: Custom Decal Schemes

Top coating:

Before I progressed into the weather I want to seal my panel lines and decals in. In this step I applied a coat of Mr. Color flat clear to all of the pieces. The flat clear should prevent any of the following steps from affecting the previous. Additionally the rougher surface of the flat coat will help to trap the filter and weathering better than a smooth gloss surface.

Before I flat coat I always clean out my air brush to ensure there is no left over paint that might tint the colors. Additionally I always wear a clean glove on the hand that will be holding the parts. This should limit any paint transference that might by accidentally touching my hand to the partially wet topcoat.

During the video you may see my airbrush super close to the parts, what I'm doing is just using the air of the brush to blow off any debris that may still be on the part.

Filter:

Applying a filter is a really way good foundation to build a weathering project off of. In simple terms filters are really thin coats of paint applied to add a small amount of color to the kit. This is an excellent way to vary the base color; this variance in the color is a minute detail, but it's commonly observable in real world objects that have been left out in the elements.

How to:

More footage:

We're not limited to just using dark colored filters either. I like to incorporate a white filter into the kits on surfaces that are always exposed to sun light or likely to have rain streak down them. This white filter can create both a sun bleached or mineral deposit look depending on the application.

Another excellent use for filtering materials is to create stains and streaks. For this step I found working in several applications and working in the same general direction created the best looking effects.

Textured effects:

The final weathering technique I utilized was to add some muddy texture to the feet. There are a lot of different ways of achieving this look, and even some purpose made products to simulate this same effected.

Final Top Coat:

Following the filters and weather I applied another layer of topcoat to lock everything in.

The final finished photos for this kit are already available here.