Does anyone have experience with GK (Garage Kits)

[Art]

I really want to get into putting garage kits together but have no idea where to start.

[PenPen-kun]

errr... garage kits as in making your own gunpla, resin models? or as in what i make, as in chain mail, RC tanks, etc.

ps. i got no idea what you mean by garage kits.

[YaminoSeigi]

well if the garage kit that you refer is resin kits of mecha from japan, you need plenty of modelling tools to start with and of course an airbrush since from what i know those kits come unpainted. Assembling one would be harder compared to making normal gunpla

[PenPen-kun]

ok if thats what you meant then a set of art knives, paints, masking tape and masking fluid is a must have too. another thing you will need is filler putty, a set of regular bush, thinner and primer. then if you wanna go pro there is a hell of a lot of other items you will need to get that suits your style of making the model. i've seen something as simple as various types of sponge, to a floor cleaning detergent, to something as bizarre as a haz chem suit and an oxy-acetylene torch.

[Art]

It seems so hard to paint skin tones on figurines, how hard would it be to learn without someone actually showing you, from the internet?  Im sure there is a school in Japan or something that would teach this to me

[PenPen-kun]

actually if you have airbrush kit all you have to do is thin it out really thin, spray it in a swift and smooth one direction, then let it dry. before you do a second coat you will need one of those abrasive sponge thingy which i hate so much cos i can't really use them to sand it smooth and even before you do another coat. it takes a few coats to get it right.

ps. that's what i was shown by some dude my cousin knew who does those resin kits. i never touch those things cos they take too much patience and delicate work. i prefer the feel of a hammer in my hand slamming against a slab of cold steel sheet with a red hot rivet through it.

if you want to learn how to make a suit of armor i can show you how. however if you want to learn how to make sharp pointy things i can't help you. i failed at attempting making damascus steel twice. not gonna try again.

[Noless]

ive worked with resin before, its quite a lot of work, you need saws to cut parts, you need to pin just about every joint, you will really need putty cause defects are much more common, and the painting... oh the painting... soooooo much surface prep required if you want a nice finish, like usually 3-4 times of sanding filling and surfacing, and thats BEFORE you put down your base coat...

though all that said, some of the nicer kits only come in resin, haven't come across one that id buy in a long time though

[PenPen-kun]

^ yeah what he said. thats exactly why i hate resin kits. and they are more fragile than regular plastic ones from what i remembered.

[Noless]

yeah... i think something broke when i gently placed it on the table and after that i discovered you need to pin everything, possibly with multiple pins and lots of glue

[Art]

though all that said, some of the nicer kits only come in resin, haven't come across one that id buy in a long time though

That's exactly why I'd like to learn, there are so many beautiful kit out there but I can't even get my head around the shading they do...  we'll see, i might invest some money into an airbrush and give it a go.

[PenPen-kun]

that i think you need to find a pro to teach you. go to hobbyco ask Rhyan, he might be able to help you with that if he ain't too busy.