Unfortunately, I had a major set back to the model this past week. Originally, I thought I would be well on the way to completing my Optimus Prime G1 Movie #1 model but encountered a major problem with one of the painting techniques I used. I thought the figure was ruined and I had to dump it but found a way to rectify the process. But that literally took two days and I basically had to almost start from scratch.
But, this do over has been achieved quite fast and I’m almost 70% complete. It has been a very tough process with loads of do-overs because I was not happy with the result. I also switched techniques mid stream which necessitated starting over for some components.
More repainting and touch up has been done along with more detailing. As I’m repainting the model in the classic “Old School” colour scheme, many parts have to be reversed.
To create a detailed and textured look, I’m using many tones and details. For example, for the metallic body or exo-skeleton of Prime, I’m using a combination of 4 different silvers, applied with different techniques, to create the metallic look. In fact, I tried another technique very late into the process with very positive results.It is highly textured and looks very realistic.
Part of the process is to disassemble and assemble the figure between paint jobs. This is crucial to see how the different colour scheme comes together. It has ensures that colour tones are consistent between parts since I mix colours.
I’ve read that some people do not disassemble their Transformers figues when repainting… honestly I don’t see how it is possible to do a half-decent job without taking apart the various components.
I have also modified the gun/ blaster with custom components.
The very last component that I will be tackling is the head of the figure. I suspect the detailing of the head will take between 1 – 2 hours at least.
After I complete the repainting, I will have to seal and finish the figure. Then I will add the final fine detail. To complete it, I will wax the figure for the shine.
The next photos you see will be of the finished product! I’m targeting to finish at the start of the new year.
