P. Otaku Bytes: Anime 101 - Start Out With Model Kits

.Vol. 1 No. 2	Christmas Issue	December 1999

[Contents] [Features] [Editorial] [Columns] [Fanworks] [Reviews] [Endnotes]

Starting Out With Model Kits by Rexine Yu

     Have you ever wondered what the most attainable anime merchandise is? The thing that you can see almost anywhere from Tokyo, Manila to the US and is generally attainable by almost all fans? I’ll give you 3 guesses. If you guessed the model kit, then you got it. Out of all the licensed anime merchandise to ever hit the market, the model kit is one of the easiest (although there is the occasional rare one) to find and most popular things to hit the otaku world. From Gundam to Evangelion, from Brain Powered to Gasaraki, almost all anime, mecha or none, is represented in this wide market.
     Although making kits are fairly easy (most can be assembled in about an hour or two, sans paint and little details), most people are intimidated or even scared of assembling one because of many reasons, the most common being that the model is too hard or complicated for them. But, little do they know what they’re missing out on. Modeling is one of the best hobbies you can find today, with more and more people joining the bandwagon. With just a kit, a few hours and a bit of skill (which is easily learned) you can have hours of fun and in the end, have an end product that you can be proud of (and have something to impress your crush with! :) heheheh).
     In this article, I’ll be telling you about the stuff you need to start with, and giving some helpful hints and tips that I’ve learned form my 7 years of assembling experience. Although I’m not as good as those professional modelers you see in magazines, I hope that this article will get some people interested in the models or, to those already into it, to help them out a bit. So, with that done, let’s get started! ::rolls up sleeves::

     This month, I’ll be listing some tools that you’ll need to start off with. Although some may be expensive, remember that you can use it for future kits. Think of it as an investment… :)
·Blade – A modeler’s best friend. This is an important tool because it helps you cut the parts and pieces of the model out of the frame properly and smoothly. Oh, and be careful! These are really sharp…if your finger gets cut off, I’m not liable!
*TIP : don’t pull a piece out using your hands. If you do, chances are that the part will either chip or break, or, if the pieces survive, that the model will end up looking like a porcupine because of all the protruding spikes.(one exception being the Gundam W Talgeese models. They’re molded white because you have the option of making either Talgeese 1, 2 or 3 with any kit) so, if you’re the perfectionist type like me, then get some of these. You can easily spot the ones you need to color using the kit’s manual. I use Tamiya or Gunze Sangyo paints, but for those in the US or Canada, I recommend using Testors or Polly. I’ve tried these, and they work ok, too. Just remember to shake well, because the paint won’t coat the part well if you don’t. It’s going to look watery.
*TIP : I recommend using water based types, as compared to lacquer or oil. It coats better, dries faster, and is less messy. And, you can clean your brushes better. Other types may need thinner, which stinks :)
·Brushes – To complement the paints. I suggest using the Tamiya ones, because they’re pretty strong, last fairly long and handle well. I use 3 types of brushes: a thick brush, for covering up big spots, a medium one, for all around use, and a thin one for small details and hard to reach places. And remember to wash the brush before moving on to another color!
*TIP : as much as possible, don’t stain the portion above the bristles with paint. Although you can easily take it off with water if you are using water based paints, the remaining paint stuck there can mix with the other colors that you will be using next. It also lessens the life span of your brushes, by making the bristles loose.
·Toothpicks – yep, you read right, toothpicks. Why? Because these can, with a little paint, mark certain details that even the finest brush can’t handle. It can also serve as a stand for drying pieces when used with clay.

     ::Whew!:: That about does it for the basic materials and stuff you need to start modeling. Although it may seem like a lot (and lot often means expensive), as I said a while ago, you can still use these with your other projects or kits. Next month (if Charles allows me to ramble on :) heheheh) I’ll be guiding you through a step by step process of how to make a model. But for now, that’s the end of my article. Any complaints, comments, suggestions, praises, rambles or (heaven forbid!) flames can be sent directly to me at squall_8@hotmail.com. Sayonara, and happy modeling!

Rexine is a hobbyist who has a huge collection of model kits.

[Contents] [Features] [Editorial] [Columns] [Fanworks] [Reviews] [Endnotes]

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Have you ever wondered what the most attainable anime merchandise is? The thing that you can see almost anywhere from Tokyo, Manila to the US and is generally attainable by almost all fans? I’ll give you 3 guesses. If you guessed the model kit, then you got it. Out of all the licensed anime merchandise to ever hit the market, the model kit is one of the easiest (although there is the occasional rare one) to find and most popular things to hit the otaku world. From Gundam to Evangelion, from Brain Powered to Gasaraki, almost all anime, mecha or none, is represented in this wide market. Although making kits are fairly easy (most can be assembled in about an hour or two, sans paint and little details), most people are intimidated or even scared of assembling one because of many reasons, the most common being that the model is too hard or complicated for them. But, little do they know what they’re missing out on. Modeling is one of the best hobbies you can find today, with more and more people joining the bandwagon. With just a kit, a few hours and a bit of skill (which is easily learned) you can have hours of fun and in the end, have an end product that you can be proud of (and have something to impress your crush with! :) heheheh). In this article, I’ll be telling you about the stuff you need to start with, and giving some helpful hints and tips that I’ve learned form my 7 years of assembling experience. Although I’m not as good as those professional modelers you see in magazines, I hope that this article will get some people interested in the models or, to those already into it, to help them out a bit. So, with that done, let’s get started! ::rolls up sleeves:: This month, I’ll be listing some tools that you’ll need to start off with. Although some may be expensive, remember that you can use it for future kits. Think of it as an investment… :) ·Blade – A modeler’s best friend. This is an important tool because it helps you cut the parts and pieces of the model out of the frame properly and smoothly. Oh, and be careful! These are really sharp…if your finger gets cut off, I’m not liable! TIP : don’t pull a piece out using your hands. If you do, chances are that the part will either chip or break, or, if the pieces survive, that the model will end up looking like a porcupine because of all the protruding spikes.(one exception being the Gundam W Talgeese models. They’re molded white because you have the option of making either Talgeese 1, 2 or 3 with any kit) so, if you’re the perfectionist type like me, then get some of these. You can easily spot the ones you need to color using the kit’s manual. I use Tamiya or Gunze Sangyo paints, but for those in the US or Canada, I recommend using Testors or Polly. I’ve tried these, and they work ok, too. Just remember to shake well, because the paint won’t coat the part well if you don’t. It’s going to look watery. TIP : I recommend using water based types, as compared to lacquer or oil. It coats better, dries faster, and is less messy. And, you can clean your brushes better. Other types may need thinner, which stinks :) ·Brushes – To complement the paints. I suggest using the Tamiya ones, because they’re pretty strong, last fairly long and handle well. I use 3 types of brushes: a thick brush, for covering up big spots, a medium one, for all around use, and a thin one for small details and hard to reach places. And remember to wash the brush before moving on to another color! TIP : as much as possible, don’t stain the portion above the bristles with paint. Although you can easily take it off with water if you are using water based paints, the remaining paint stuck there can mix with the other colors that you will be using next. It also lessens the life span of your brushes, by making the bristles loose. ·Toothpicks* – yep, you read right, toothpicks. Why? Because these can, with a little paint, mark certain details that even the finest brush can’t handle. It can also serve as a stand for drying pieces when used with clay. ::Whew!:: That about does it for the basic materials and stuff you need to start modeling. Although it may seem like a lot (and lot often means expensive), as I said a while ago, you can still use these with your other projects or kits. Next month (if Charles allows me to ramble on :) heheheh) I’ll be guiding you through a step by step process of how to make a model. But for now, that’s the end of my article. Any complaints, comments, suggestions, praises, rambles or (heaven forbid!) flames can be sent directly to me at squall_8@hotmail.com. Sayonara, and happy modeling!

Rexine is a hobbyist who has a huge collection of model kits.