How inportant is a topcoat? I make and paint (extensively) only SDs so do i really need them?
How do i apply topcoat? Place models on a newspaper and spray over?

Any ideas on what top coat to use for my sango kits? I'd prefer a matte like finish.
I remember someone asking about top coat and stickers before - would it damage them? i find the stickers very shiny and would prefer to make them a little duller?
Also, what is the timing for applying topcoat? When the paint dries? Or right when you've done painting?

Thanks.

Guys, any recommendation for a decent airbrush circa RM 1000?

This post has been edited by madmoz: Jun 22 2008, 05:53 PM

One question, the gritty effect on your gunplas is caused by airbrushing or by the flatcoat? I was wondering, if i were to hand paint and then flatcoat, will i be able to get rid of that plasticky feel?

gritty = the sandy matt look as opposed to the shiny plastic look kits come in

This post has been edited by madmoz: Jul 17 2008, 03:52 PM

The thing is, so far when i hand paint i get a smooth flat surface, but it is not grainy - i.e. it still looks like plastic
I was wondering if applying a flat coat will make the surface 'rougher'?

Not sure if this photo from DannyChoo's been shrunk too much, but hopefully you can see that the gunpla has a 'grainy' finish? That's what i want - is it a result of airbrushing or the flat coat alone?

pink saber can use gundam marker mah. Mark the ends and then 'bleed' the colour down the middle with the 'thinner/eraser' marker. Nicest and easiest way I've found so far.

SIfus, if the gundam is black - i.e. the Blitz or the Strike Noir, do you apply panel lines on the black parts? Or do you spray a lesser shade of black and then panel line?

i wonder if there are silver techinical pens? enamel paint for panel lining seems way way above me level at the moment.

I've completed an afro keroro - the metalic gold version. Do i now need to spray a layer of topcoat gloss to round things off or should i leave it as it is?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bandai-Keroro-Gunso-Af...bayphotohosting

And underneath that silver layer there is normal plastic.
Did someone not post a bautifully shiny kampfer here earlier, if it works with blue then it should also work with gold?

Each to his own, we've been going at this for more than 2 pages and overnight now.

This post has been edited by madmoz: Jul 30 2008, 12:43 PM

btw, for chrome oob bits, do you guys mask it when you spray a final flat topcoat? If not, how to preserve the shine?

Guys, when trying to AB Mr Surfacer 1200, i get a fair amount of spiderwebbing
Do i need to use Mr Leveller Thinner instead of the normal thinner or am i doing something wrong? Spray distance 15 cm psi 15.

Also, i get a little bit of spider webbing when painting on colours. Why is this? Paint mix off?

Diluted my paint a little bit and walla, no problems already. Thanks.

Damn, airbrushing is thinner intensive, and mr. thinner ain't cheap! Any cheaper safe alternative available locally?
It is not the painting bit that i dread, it is the amount used to clean the ab during colour changes that is the killer

How exactly do you use the ab cleaning bottle?

This post has been edited by madmoz: Aug 1 2008, 01:33 PM

My first attempt at AB and masking. I screwed up a bit with the masking, accidentally etched the shield instead, hence the cut mark Anyway to get rid of this?
I handpainted the white line and then ab the black.

Any c&c welcome.

This post has been edited by madmoz: Aug 1 2008, 01:34 PM

go hardware shop and ask for thinner isit? one kind only wan right?

Actually i got masking question too. For example the blitz i've ab-ed most of the parts black but there are certain bits (very small bits like thruster vents) that are red. Even if I mask the surrounding areas, red will hardly show against the black background right? Do i spray surfacer on it again then spray on the red?

This post has been edited by madmoz: Aug 1 2008, 02:27 PM