Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

LightNews

Mike Motoda

@mmotoda.bsky.social

460 followers 420 following 1.7K posts

He/Him, Level 51, Cis/Straight, LGBTQ+ ally. Video games are my career & passion. I also enjoy Gunpla, Lego, 80s & 90s anime, bass guitar, and photography. Progressive Christian. Belonging comes first. Always be kind.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 27m

Haha, yeah, I thought they’d take forever, but they were pretty easy to work with. I don’t do that great with larger/longer decals, but thankfully (mercifully? 😅) these were good.

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1h

Tried to get a low light shot that shows off both the glowing decals and the mobile suit. In total darkness, it didn’t really look right, so hopefully this is OK. 🙂

#gunpla #plamo #gundamunicorn

HGUC 1/144 Kshatriya with glow in the dark Delpi water slide decals

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1h

Thank you! 😊 Great kit; the Bluesky Gunpla community did not steer me wrong on this one.

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 2h

Here’s my finished HGUC Kshatriya! Had to crop this since it’s too big for my light box.

Topcoated it after finishing up the water slides. Since the binder decals were “over the top”, I tried keeping things consistent w/ the rest, which was outside my comfort zone, but still fun!

#gunpla rules. ❤️

HGUC 1/144 NZ-666 Kshatriya (Tamiya black panel accent, Micron 003, Delpi water slide decals (luminous), Krylon 1311 matte topcoat)

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 7h

All four wing binders done!

I was worried that I might get tired or bored of these, but as I got into a rhythm, I had the best time! However, the first two I did will be going in the back to hide some… things. 😅

On to the rest of it!

#gunpla #plamo #gundamunicorn

HGUC 1/144 NZ-666 Kshatriya wing binders with Delpi water slide decals (luminous version)

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 11h

Very nice! Weathering (and paint use in general) is something I haven't gotten into yet, but I'm sure it'll happen eventually. I've been quite fascinated with anime coloring/shading too, which I might try (and ruin a kit, surely 😅) at some point soon.

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 21h

And a bonus (and blurry 😅) glow in the dark shot since these are the luminous variants.

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 21h

One wing binder done.

I don’t know… the intended scheme is a bit “loud” for my tastes with all of that big text, but I’m gonna roll with it and see what it looks like when everything else is finished and the entire model’s topcoated.

Again, this is good practice. 👍

#gunpla #plamo #delpidecal

HGUC 1/144 NZ-666 Kshatriya wing binder with Delpi water slide decals

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 22h

Wow, the water slide decal sheet and packaging are bigger than the manual. 😅 OK, let’s see how this goes!

#gunpla #plamo #delpidecal

HGUC 1/144 NZ-666 Kshatriya Delpi water slide decals

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 23h

I almost did the same to one of the blue forearm pieces near the elbow while I was cleaning the nub marks. Perhaps I’m a little too stressed out these days and need to lighten up! 😅

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1d

Some progress pics. Apart from the small scale, this has been a solid build so far, with some interesting pieces for the shoulders and forearms.

Also nice to have a solid torso. Some other HGs I’ve built this year have been Floppy McFlopperton in the midsection area. 😂

#gunpla #plamo #gundamwing

HGAC 1/144 Wing Gundam Zero body and head (Tamiya black and gray panel accent, Krylon 1311 matte topcoat)

HGAC 1/144 Wing Gundam Zero right arm (Tamiya black and gray panel accent, gray Gundam marker, Krylon 1311 matte topcoat)

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1d

Wow, I forgot how tiny these standard 1/144 mobile suits are. My fingers and eyes are dead just from working on the body.

Glad those gray shoulder pieces will be covered, since I kinda bent them while attaching them to the polycaps. 😅

#gunpla #plamo #gundamwing #anime

HGAC 1/144 Wing Gundam Zero body assembly (Tamiya black and gray panel accent)

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1d

While I wait to detail my Kshatriya, I’m going to do a quick build of the HGAC Wing Gundam Zero, a freebie I got from a recent Newtype promo.

The only other GW kits I’ve built so far have been the HG Shenlong, Sandrock, and MG Wing EW Ver., so it’ll be cool to have my first 1/144 Wing.

#gunpla

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1d

They’re very nice and the DOF/bokeh is beautiful. I’m lazy and just use my phone but I might try my old Fuji X-T1 in the near future. 😊

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1d

Will do — thanks for the tip!

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1d

Very nice! This is the last MGSD I need to pick up. The wings are definitely amazing looking. ❤️

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1d

From one Suletta to another… hi. 😊

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1d

Wow, beautiful work and photography. 🙇‍♂️

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1d

I learned this lesson on my Exia Ecopla. ABS cracked using a basic Gundam pen (not even pour type), which I thought would be OK since it was just… a pen, but nope. Now I use Micron 003 on all ABS. Still makes me nervous. 😅

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 1d

Main assembly is done! Water slides arrive tomorrow, so that’ll be up next.

Not exactly excited about doing them all at the very end, especially given how many decals there are, but it should provide some good practice and hopefully a nicely detailed finished model.

#gunpla #plamo

HGUC 1/144 NZ-666 Kshatriya completed assembly (Tamiya black panel accent, Micron 003, Gundam markers)

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 2d

One down, three to go. The funnels look like they’re so happy to be in there, don’t they?! They’re totally smiling! 😊

#gunpla #plamo #gundamunicorn #pareidolia

HGUC 1/144 NZ-666 Kshatriya wing binder (1 of 4)

Happy little funnels. 😃

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 2d

“Just have the wing binders to go,” he said. Man, this is *involved*. 😅

Not even done cleaning up the panel lines and nub marks, and I’ve been at it most of this evening!

To be continued tomorrow.

#gunpla #plamo #gundamunicorn #anime

HGUC 1/144 NZ-666 Kshatriya wing binder components

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 3d

One of my earliest builds. Also before I knew what mark setter was. 😅

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 3d

New thread to track what’s left for my HGUC Kshatriya. Just have the wing binders to go, and once my water slides show up, that’ll be next, and finally a topcoat.

This might be the first kit since the HG Z’Gok that doesn’t have any traditional weapons, which I like! 👍

#gunpla #plamo #gundamunicorn

HCUG 1/144 NZ-666 Kshatriya main assembly without wing binders

Mike Motoda @mmotoda.bsky.social · 3d

Because I like to tinker and enjoy the process of installing and setting things up, I gave Linux another go with Bazzite.

It’s been a minute (10-15 years ago w/ Cinnamon/Mint), but I do have some recent experience with my Steam Deck, so this feels really good.

Unlike my skills in Megabonk. 😅

Megabonk running on Linux (Bazzite/KDE Plasma)