CPG's Gunpla Corner 02 - Panel Lining!
These posts are by no means a definitive guide on how to detail gunpla, this is only going to contain the information and techniques I've gathered from personal experience.
When building a kit, I do not consider them "finished" until it's had at least a basic pass at panel lining. Here is How I panel line:
How I panel line:
After applying the ink into the nook/cranny, If you rub with your fingers fast enough you won't even need a cotton swab most of the time. I recommend basic cotton swaps that are firm and pointed and made for hobbies, and some isopropyl alcohol. When you lightly saturate the cotton swab with isopropyl you can gently clean up lines and smudges. I advise advainst completely saturating the cotton swab in isopropyl because it will start to pool on the plastic, running to finished panel lines.
Even if you're just using isopropyl, make sure you have adequate ventilation!
A NOTE ON SOLVENTS: There are other ways to panel line, a very popular one of which is Tamiya panel lining ink. Some of these are solvents for the plastics and rubbers gunpla are made of. Or even if the ink isn't in a medium that is a mild solvent, sometimes the only way to remove an ink is with a chemical that *is* a solvent (such as acetone.)
You can prevent the damage to the plastic if you protect it with a layer of topcoat, but you have to be sure that the top coat you're using isn't made of a solvent for these plastics (i.e. lacquers) or that panel lining+mistake fixer combo you're using don't also somehow as a solvent. At any rate I stick traditional alcohol based markers and your every day Krylon UV ultra clear acrylic top coat, you should be able to completely undo any mistake without fear of your model dissolving. I know from experience how unpleasant it is to have a joint melt due to dripping you were unaware of.
Again, check for proper workspace ventilation. Your lungs are important.
I add ink to just about every corner and inscribed panel line on the kit, and usually that's where I stop adding lines.Sometimes I get black ink down in the visible grey joints to stop the joints from ruining the scale.
And that's it!.
If I really like the kit, I will seal all of that basic panel lining in with Krylon ultra clear acrylic. This is a giant chemical Save button for your kit and the work you just did. If I like the kit even more, I will add the decals, and maybe even seal it again.
If I really REALLY like the kit, I will start to paint it after the coat of Krylon. More on that in the future.
