The usual work methods aside, the paint job for this project is possibly the hardest I have encountered to date. Many a times I need to seek guidance with my mentors in order to complete it. As I have mentioned in my previous post, my airbrush had been damaged and sent in for repairs. The damage was worse after assessment, a bent pin and a cracked nozzle with overall blockage in the airbrush due to my bad maintenance. It is a miracle it managed to work thru all these and get the job done.
Let us get on with the gallery before I move on to explaining the method involved in doing this project.
The katana in its entirety, it stands at roughly 47cm. Yes, the blade is taller than Shia and still holds enough strength and weight balance for posing.
Here is another shot of it from a different angle.
The clear red blade which I am particularly proud of and the biggest challenge to this project. In order to achieve this degree of finish, the surface underwent sanding up to grade 2000 sandpaper before finishing off with polishing compound. Due to my workmanship, the surface is still not up to mark and flaws can still be seen. This is the main problem I faced when applying chrome as it is very unforgiving to mistakes. The entire paint process consists of applying chrome, clear red, UV gloss and wax in that order. The surface is then polished again to give it a shine.
The grip and binding, customized with color requirement and bind with a traditional pattern, is done with a new method that will be stronger and better in form for SD/DD sized dolls to hold.
Thank you for viewing !
Comments and feedback are welcome !
