RX-78 Thunderbolt Gundam WIP 2

I'm out traveling this weekend so I'm getting as much done on the RX-78 Thunderbolt Gundam as I can before I leave. 

This kit has seed or wing style hands with the interchangeable fingers. The thumb is an assembled joint. I honestly prefer this type of hand joint over the emotion manipulators found on kits like the Nu. Ver ka, RX 78 3.0, etc. I'm not wild about the white finger color either. I may changes this.

The shoulder designs are very simple. I'm noticing a lot of the white outer armor parts have a very simplified construction, many of these parts appear to be one half of a "clam shell". 

The waist armors are oddly empty in the back.

I love the narrow and flat foot design. It's Katoki style at it's best.

Like the arms the leg interior is extremely bland. I don't plan on painting these parts.

Starting to prime parts. First color up is the darker red color.

 
The cockpit hatch requires three colors, the blueish cockpit glass, a gray frame and a black liner.

I started by applying a few light coats of mr.color blue directly to the cockpit and then masked the area.

I followed this up with a coat of grey paint for the frame.

Then using Vallejo black and a fine brush I painted the border by hand. I removed the excess paint carefully with a q-tip and lighter fluid (yes it works on Vallejo too).

If I weren't a moron I would have left the masking tape on the cockpit until I had a chance to topcoat the kit.

 

 
I hid the peg for the antenna by filling it with putty and then sanding away the excess.

 
After a coat of primer the putty will vanish.

Here's a trip for putty work. I really like using the trays used for shipping Mr.color paint as a pallet for paint.

The trays are made out of a super slippery type of plastic. Once the putty cures it usually releases on its own, or after a little bit of prodding.