Gunpla 101: Introduction to Absolute Beginners, Straight Building and Inking

I’ve been trying to get people into gunpla for a while now, and this is a guide to building for absolute beginners. You don’t need to know ANYTHING to start with this guide.

Gunpla (Gundam Plastic Model) is a great hobby! It’s really fun, even if you never built anything before and don’t know much about the Gundam shows you should try it out!

I won’t be covering advanced techniques in this guide, but rather only the bare minimum to build a model kit. When I first started out, I didn’t jump right into everything and make my model epicly awesome. I just did the bare minimum. I built a few kits that way, learn a new skill, build a few more kits using that skill, then learn another one, and so on. I gradually incorporate different techniques into my process as I go.

I recommend starting with a High Grade kit, then moving on to Master Grade kits later on. The Grade determines the size and amount of detail (and price!). High Grades are usually $15-$25, 1/144 scale, 13-15 centimeters tall. They have decent detail and movement, but can’t compare to a Master Grade. MGs are $50+, 1/100 scale, ~20cm tall and have very high detail. Since they’re more complex and expensive, I recommend you build a few HG kits first to get started. There are more Grades, but these are the two main ones. I’ll write about the other ones later!

For the curious, the pictures used in this guide are of the High Grade kit of the RGM-96X Jesta that appears in Gundam Unicorn 4! It’s a really cool machine!

You will need a plastic side cutter, that tweezer looking thing in the picture with the green handle. You can buy them separate, though I recommend getting Tamiya’s Basic Tool Set because it has other random tools that will come in handy as you learn more techniques.

When you open the box, you will find a lot of those plastic “runners” that contain the pieces. There can be anywhere from 3 for a simple kit like the Gundam AGE-1 (my review of the kit) to 7 for something more complicated like the Geara Zulu. There will also be an instruction booklet.

Although the booklet may look intimidating and complicated, you only have to focus on one small part at a time. In the above pic, the first part just asks for the A18 piece, A37 piece, and PC6 piece. PC runners are usually small and grey. The PC (polycap) pieces are rubbery, and are used for joints.  The letter corresponds to the appropriate runner, and the number indicates the number on that runner.

Here is the A runner, and as you can see there’s the number 18 near the chest piece.

You take your side cutter, line it up straight along the piece and the connection and cut it off.

Once you cut out all the pieces for the section, insert them together just like the picture says. Simple!

There are times where you’ll have to apply a sticker. Since my fingers become sweaty easily, I use a knife to apply the sticker to the piece.

Keep building step by step, and voila, you’re done!

See how plain that gun looks? A simple and easy detail boost you can give your model is to ink the engravings with a Gundam Marker. It is very simple, just like tracing along a line. Don’t be afraid about shaky hands and making a mess! The ink comes right off the flat surface with just a wipe of the finger, leaving just the engraved parts inked!

Just trace along the lines on the piece.

It will look a little messy…

Rub the area with your thumb…

The ink that came out will be washed away, leaving ink only where you want it!

It works for raised surfaces too. See that round nub on the handle? Ink around the area, then rub it off with your thumb.

Most of the ink will disappear, but since your thumb can’t reach right up to the base of the nub there’s some ink left that creates a shadow effect and makes it look more 3 dimensional than before.

See how the gun looks much more detailed after inking? It takes a while, but it’s easy and really worth it!

There are places all over the model that you can ink. Compare the skirt armor of the above pic with the below one.

And that ends this simple absolute beginner’s tutorial!

You can find them on Amazon and other online stores, or find some at a local hobby shop! There may be import taxes on local shops, but at the same time if you’re ordering from amiami or Hobby Search the shipping cost may be high. If you’re in the U.S. I recommend Amazon or Gundam Store And More. If you’re in Thailand there’s a shop in Digital Gateway at Siam that is cheap.

If you don’t know which one to start with, the Gundam AGE-1 Normal is a good starting point! The models from the Universal Century tend to be more complicated, so I recommend starting with a kit from the AGE series or 00 series as a first model.

Have fun building!

If you have any questions, just ask! Any suggestions/criticisms of the tutorial are welcome too. There will be more tutorials and reviews of kits coming later, for those that already have some experience!

If you do go out to buy and build a model, tell me about your experience, and maybe post some pics!

Update: More guides have been added, check the Gunpla Skill Path page!