Kit Information :
Scale : 1/100
Grade : Master Grade
Made by : Bandai
Completed : Feb 2013
Box Art :
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MG Gouf ver OYW
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Looking through my display cabinet recently, I came across the old OYW version of the Gouf that I painted many years ago. I've never really liked what I did with it then so I decided to repaint and mod it to something a little more, well, weathered.
I ended up doing quite a few mods to the kit. Recessed holes were drilled all over the panel corners using the pin vise, the power conduits were replaced with springs, the front fin was flipped over for a more menacing look, small jewelery joiners were added to the mouth area for ventilation style masks, and MSG parts such as vents and hex bolts were added. The original hands that came with the kit were just horrible (small and ugly) so I replaced them with the new 1/100 Zeon Hand aftermarket set from Bandai. The Gatling Gun that he is holding was the Kotobukiya brand one.
Then the two main focal points were done using some Milliput putty - the joint covers on the elbows and knees, and the Zimmerit armour on the legs and waist.
I've always wanted to give Zimmerit a crack, so I mixed up some Milliput and applied a thin layer to the areas I wanted there to be the anti-magnetic mine armour. Once applied, I used a Zimmerit tool from Trumpeter to apply the patterns (it's pretty much a plastic texture roller). For the joint covers, I applied the Milliput and then used some sculpting tools to add creases and folds to it.
Painting came next and everything was painted brown at first and then top coated with Vallejo Dark Gray and Barley Gray after applying hairspray and salt. Once the paint was touch dry, I washed off the salt and was left with a well weathered Gouf. Rust pigments and a wash or two of oil paints finished off the weathering once I had applied some basic decals.
The base was another first for me as well. I've had some snow laying around in the drawer for a while now with intention of using it for a winter dio. With the choice of colours, it was a simple decision to go with a snow theme for this one. A few rocks were added with a tree that was spliced together using 3 different Woodlands Scenic trees to make one large enough to match the height of the Gouf. Once the brown paint had dried, I attached the Gouf and then applied a generous coating of spray adhesive. I then took the snow and sprinked it all over everything, including the rocks and tree, to give the final cold wintery look.
All in all, I wish I had done this years ago to this kit. I was never happy with how it was painted originally (metallic brown) but now after a revisit, I can now say that I enjoy looking at this version much better.