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To paint or not to paint!? Well I guess a lot of Gundam model kit fans are asking the same question with regards to their assembled Gunpla (Gundam Plastic) kits. NOTE: Gunpla kits don’t require glue or painting, they are snap-on kits.
I got here is the MG (Master Grade) 1/100 scale MSM-07 Z’Gok by Bandai.
Before and After photos above. I tone down the choice of color, notice the original kit color is shiny plastic and the final paint finish is flat. I did not use surface primer anymore although it is recommended if the paint your using is not suitable to the plastic material of your kit.
I used the Tamiya spray paints for aircraft model kits – 3 flat paints: US Navy Intermediate Blue, Dark Ghost Grey, USAF Light Grey and 1 glossy paint: Metallic Red. All in 100 ml size spray cans.
First step is to disassemble the model, grouping the parts, identifying which parts will be applied specific paint color. NOTE: be sure you remember how to put the model kit back together especially if you no longer have the kit manual.
With an MG kit painting is simpler since most of the parts are separate, you just spray them by group, avoiding the use of masking and no worries of overlapping paints.
NOTE: Paint outdoors (as I did) on a sunny and not windy day. Spray lightly in layer and let dry before applying another coating. Time and patience is the key in achieving that desired paint finish.
Final Step is assembling the whole thing back and enjoy! 
I think Gundam model kits are categorized into at least 4: First Grade (FG), High Grade (HG), Master Grade (MG), and the Perfect Grade (PG). Then they are available in scales of 1/144, 1/100, and 1/60. The 1/60 is almost equal in height to any 1/6 scale action figure which is 12 inches.
Assembling a gunpla kit is fun, but I must say painting it is exciting! Besides making the kit look more dense and real than just a plastic toy, you also have the say on what the mecha would look, making it a personal version than just a mere copy of whats on the cover box.
Now the next question on our mind is do we need to do the panel lines and apply weathering on our kit?… for me I think I will and it will be my next project.
