Homemade Photo Studio- This is no store bought DIY product, boy, no DIY product!!

Yes, this is a can of Coke, and no, this is not what this entry is about...I think. Nevertheless, read on for more exciting pictures!

After years of using whatever I can find as background, I finally decided to make a photo studio from scratch. Funnily enough, it worked much better than expected, especially considering that it was made from a piece of a spare cardboard box and a few pieces of printing paper, and is held together by a few pieces of tape.

Broken hinge... is Fixed!

Against all odds, with nothing but a few humble tools, and nothing but my willpower and ingenuity to guide me, I have overcome all obstacles, conquered all technical difficulties, brushed shoulders with failure itself to finally fix the joint that no man has fixed before. As I lifted up my numb fingers to carve away the final portion of hardened epoxy putty, I have come face to face with God himself. This is a story....

1/100 Gundam DX

I finished this a while ago, but it remains one of my favourite among my gunpla collection. The simple shape of its silhouette coupled with fine details in every part of the MS makes it one of those designs that just seem to wear out no matter how many times you see it! Although my modelling skills are still a bit lacking, but there's certain things that I experimented with this model that I think turned out quite nicely.

Balance: The one thing that many newer kits should pay more attention to!

I usually don't like a lot of panel lines on my kits, but this is definitely one of the few exceptions. Unlike some of the Wing 1/100 kits, the panel lines on this kit just look so bloody good!

The internal parts for the Microwave Receiver has been detailed with metalic paint. It looks quite nice in person, but doesn't show up too well on camera though.

The way the white panel lining lit up the otherwise black armour pieces contribute quite a bit of detail to the overall look and fell of it.

Satellite System On!

Action Poses and Angle!

Overall, I'm quite happy with the way it turned out. White paint for the panel lines was a huge game for me, but it gave the dark armors a very refreshing look, which suits the rest of the model quite nicely. I also extended the neck by a millimeter or so to give the head a bit more range of motion, which also worked fantastically. The DX is deiniftely one of the MS that could use a bit more attention from modelers.

1/100 Red Frame Astray

I've finished this model quite a while ago (three years ago, I think), but of all the 1/100 that I've made, this one really stand out in terms of design and execution. The appeal of Astray in terms of design is two fold for me. This is one of the few Gundams that is not only able to break out from the mold, but has enough innovations in terms of design to influence future designs (I see Exia as clearly being inspired by the Astray).  Second, the design incorporates some very organic elements that contrast against other more mechanical bits, giving the MS a very fluid and dynamic look even when it's just standing still.

The 1/100 Astray not only managed to keep all the design elements and detail, but also managed to give the model an incredible amount of articulation for a 1/100 at the time.

The legs bend nearly 180 degrees.

The amount of detail Bandai managed to pack into a 1/100 is also quite refreshing at the time.

To be honest, I honestly have no valid complaints about this kit, except for maybe that time when the rotating bicep joint snapped and I had to fix it. Maybe I'm just blinded by my affection for 1/100 Astray's design, but I will argue that this kit is a better representation of the Astray design than even the MG in proportion and the sculpting for the head, which despite its peculiar shape, managed to look sharp and detailed from every angle.

Unfortunately, I left this kit back home when I moved to Toronto for university, but it will always have a special place in my heart. The day I forget about the kit will be the day the 1/1 Gundam statue is fully functional and weaponized.