TOP 5 NOOB MISTAKES ~ for Gunpla Builders!

Absolute most important thing is to have fun! But here are some more things to keep in mind if your new on your journey in Gunpla!
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Thanks for watching!

[javier]

"You can't rush art" -That old guy from toy story 2 that fixed woody

[averi]

I love to put 60 decals on one piece for that true katoki look

[getchwaltzetki]

Mistake no.1=>Spend 2000 usd in just 4 month

[cryingdemon]

Patience is definitely a huge one. If you are sitting there building the kit, and find yourself already thinking about the next step before you finish the current one; stop, and take a break. Be in the moment, and enjoy the build at every step. I built maybe 6-7 kits (got back into gunpla 4/22) before I realized I was doing that. Now I make sure to step away, and let it simmer for a bit before diving back in. Has helped tremendously in eliminating imperfections.

[SleepyMatt-zzz]

Weird suggestion, but speaking as a former art student, one thing that can help with your poses is looking at how scultures depict the human form.
Model kit figures are essentially working with the same rules, just with difference materials.
Similar to sculpting, posing forces you to account for a few things, how the human body rests (contrapposto), how the materials respond to gravity, and what supports the figure.

[raptornomad]

POSING! Yes! No point in expecting Bandai to make kits with great articulation if one is not going to take advantage of it! The derpiness from bad posing also just detracts from the whole experience as well. It's as much a building as a viewing experience.

[TheBlackthornhiei]

After all these years I still consider myself a beginner. I prefer straight building and make the panel lines with a mechanical pencil (they look pretty good actually).

The only kit I ever fully painted was an NG Mercurius that I found at a second hand shop. Someone just ripped all the pieces of the runners, tried to build without looking at the instructions, and just threw the half built poor thing back in the box with the rest of the pieces. Plus I hated the bright red. He looks much better now (to my eyes at least).

[chibidrone]

Ive built quite a few kits by now and still dont feel comfortable making a custom gundam yet, however i gotta say the 30 minute mission kits are quite easy to mix and match; find enough kits the same color and you dont have to paint either.

[Geekeric]

Great video! I would add: don't try techniques for the first time on expensive kits! Like try weathering a cheap HG kit first rather than a $400 PG; you will have more fun, seriously! Also, be sure to buy lots of kits and always have a massive backlog in case Bandai decides to stop producing kits and only poops out P-Bandai for 6 months or so.

[TheAljed]

I've build like almost 80 kits since I re-started in 2014 (Gunpla, Zoids, Tamiya mini 4WD etc.). I have gained a lot of experience and tips from friends. One thing that I still want to try is scratch building. I've watched SO MANY videos about it and I just can't bring myself to start doing it.

I'm just sharing lol its like 11pm here and I'm VERY sleepy.

[geminas]

one of the biggest common mistake for me is "you forgot to put the polycap/that part inside that part".... I've already built more than 20 kits and this common mistake always ALWAYS happens LMAO

[fuel]

Acrylic paint being “weaker” than enamel and lacquer paint does not mean acrylic paint can be rubbed away with with acrylic or enamel thinner after it dries

[losergamer]

Sometimes the problem that I faced in Gunpla Building are:

-Parts always slip in my hands that cause to fall down and break pieces
-Snapping together very hard that some sockets have crack and very loose connection
-Whenever I paint, my hand always shake and paneling straight lines are very hard
-Last thing is my artistic sense, (right color combination, sanding/filing too much - as Zack says simple is better, but in my head I don't want to be mediocre).

But I'll try to improve even it take years, since this is a hobby that I enjoy.

[conduit]

There are two big tips if you want to panel line without painting. First, use acrylic paints, acrylic thinner will not damage the plastic the way enamel thinners can. Second, if you really want to use something like Tamiya panel liner, use lighter fluid instead of enamel thinner, it will remove the excess paint without damaging the plastic.

[patrickleslie]

Patience is key. I’ve just recently started painting my kits using an airbrush and you CANNOT rush it.

[nilusk]

I’ll be honest. The whole don’t rush things is big. The build is the enjoyment.

I will say that this is a hobby you can total enjoy without a lot of painting. Learn to panel line and do a little touch up with a Gundam marker and you will have some
great kits.

Also, the whole panel lining on bare plastic weakening plastic is a silly myth. Panel liners are just a paint(ink really but not much different). If panel lining weakened plastic then fully painting a model would do the same thing. The reason panel lining on raw plastic may not be great is raw plastic doesn’t have a good base coat for ink or paint to stick to. A primer coat helps a lot. But to be honest, panel lining isn’t about getting solid colors and distinct lines anyways. You want it to fade mostly after you apply. It’s just shading enhancement. So not adhering great may be seen as an advantage.

[XuZhixian]

Patience, and calmness are the keys build a Gunpla.

[StirlingDuncan]

I actually think with "less is more" that there's a deeper root issue. I describe it as "intention over application." I think this much better explains why builds with more weathering look worse from beginners as what I've found is that people are weathering without thinking about how or why the weathering is being applied there; no reasoning or intention of what they want the kit to look like. One of the results of "less is more" that I've sometimes seen anecdotally is the idea that there's an arbitrary threshold of weathering that now is bad looking, regardless of how skillful it was done. More importantly, I've found in gunpla and MaK circles that asking people how the weathering happened leads to them both restraining themselves naturally as they sit and think more, but also making way more interesting ideas come to life and looking like it really happened on our tiny giant robots. :D

[kwanton]

Just built my first kit tonight for the first time since last year January. I found myself being quite impatient and that led to a less than great result, so great timing with the video. I've been building for years before my break and this is just the type of video I need to get back into my flow.

[FebreGundam]

About panel lining on bare plastic, I always suggest those pour type gundam markers, they're super easy to use, you can clean up using Isopropyl alcohol and it's safe for bare plastic and they're as cheap as those fine tip regular gundam markers for panel lining, with a much better result that end up pretty similar to Accent Color