Gundam Models in NZ: Showcasing Your Creative Skills in Plastic Masterpieces

Gundam models are a staple for NZ hobbyists who love putting together model kits and building their own personalised collections. These awesome mech models have been popular all over the world for decades, and you may be wondering how you can make your collection stand out from the rest.

What Is Gundam And Gunpla?

Gundam is a popular Japanese franchise with iconic battle mechs. Gundam has anime, manga, movies, video games and - of course - model kits. These models are known as ‘Gunpla’, or Gundam Plastic Models. Gunpla model kits range from wonderfully simple to mind-blowingly complex, and there’s a figure for every kind of collector. If you love cute and stylised designs, then go for a chibi SD (Super Deformed) mech model. If you’re up for something suited for expert builders, then choose an MG (Master Grade) kit that’ll really give you a challenge.

How To Get Creative With Your Favourite Gundam Models

Building your model kit is already going to be a fun adventure, no matter what kind of kit you choose. But how can you personalise your mini mech to make it even better?

Most kits already come with decal stickers and accessories for your figure, but there are still ways you can customise it more:

Panel Lining. Use specialised panel lining markers, which are fine-tipped markers that can come in a few colours, to line the pre-moulded details in your Gundam figure’s parts. If you look at the individual pieces of your figure while they’re still in their runners, you’ll notice that many of them have lines moulded into them to mimic the look of mechanical panels.

Panel lining markers can really make these details pop, making your mech look a lot more like they appear in Gundam media. Consider the different coloured markers and the colours of the plastic to choose a colour that suits the plastic well. Black markers are an all-around good choice, as black shows up well on almost all colours. For black plastic parts, consider alternatives like white or grey.

It’s recommended to panel-line your mech parts while they’re still in their runners rather than trying to line them after your figure is fully put together. Trying to line your finished mech can be difficult.

Painting. Panel lining is a good start, but if you really want to take things up a notch, take out the paint and give your Gundam a new look. Painting gives you the freedom to really get creative with your figures. You could make the mech’s standard colours pop with different saturations, or you could give it an entirely new paint job with a custom palette.

Many Gunpla builders love to give their mechs a ‘battle-hardened’ look, creatively using paint to add weathering and battle marks to their figures. This creativity will give your mech an extra layer of depth, making it look like it just popped out of your favourite Gundam movie or video game.

Look up painting tutorials and techniques online if you’re new to painting.

Bases And Stands. One incredible part of Gundam models is just how articulated they are. These mechs can be posed in so many different positions thanks to their joints and range of mobility. You could have your mechs standing proudly, or they can be in battle positions, or virtually anything else you can think of.

Getting your figures to stay put in dynamic poses can be a challenge. So, use display stands and bases with arms that can grip your mechs and keep them in the position you want them to be in. Stands let you pose your figures in various action poses and can even keep them suspended in the air.

Displays. How do you display your figures once they’re completed? Building Gunpla models is very rewarding because once you’re done, you’ll have an awesome mech figure to display. Head online to see all of the creative ways Gundam builders have organised their collections.

To get you started, consider these ideas:

• Standing Proud. Sometimes, your favourite mechs don’t need to be in fancy positions to show off their best qualities. Many hobbyists prefer to have their figures standing tall and proud, often with their accessories in hand. 

• Action Dioramas. Use display bases and stands to create your own action diorama, posing your figures in dynamic poses as if they’re frozen in time during a battle. 

• Knolling. ‘Knolling’ displays have each part of the Gunpla set, including the finished figure and its accessories, laid out in a specific manner to showcase every part. 

• Desk Mechs. Select a handful of your favourite figures to pose around your desk, personalising your workspace.

No matter how you display your mechs, you can go in and rearrange them every once in a while to keep things interesting. 

Finding New Gundam Mechs For Your Collection In New Zealand

Visit our Gundam section at Totara Hobbies to browse through our selection of mechs. If you’re interested in exploring other hobbies, we also have slot cars, dice, Tamiya Mini 4WDs, RC cars and more.

Please call us on +64 21438727 or message us online if you need assistance.

Create the perfect Gundam collection with Totara Hobbies.