Mecha Assembly eXperience

16 weeks of quiet assembly. 1 final breach.

What started as clean corporate Titans engineering spiraled into digital decay—a suit leaking UV plasma and glitching out of reality. This build was designed around a dual-state visual thesis: structured daylight order versus reactive UV chaos.

• Surface & Masking: Metallic 'Max' pre-shading with digi-camo 'glitch' stencils
• Paint Architecture: Custom multi-stage 'Chromatic Midnight' candy coat engineered to preserve armor volume while shifting undertones under direct light.
• UV / Glitch Effects: Hand-applied, UV-reactive neon enamel panel liners and acrylic paints engineered to bleed across armor seams to simulate weeping plasma corruption.

Note: While all custom modification, surface prep, paint execution, and panel detailing were completed entirely by me, the kit is presented on a third-party LED display base.

16 weeks down. 1 week to the final drop. 🫳🎤

Before the final GWCC 2026 entry photos go live next week, I wanted to take a look back at the 'messy middle.'

My goal for this HG Schwarzette was to illustrate the tension between clean Corpo Titans architecture and aggressive digital distortion.

For those looking under the hood, here is the bench breakdown of what I call my 'synthwave weathering' process:

Surface Prep: Extensive leveling and gloss black priming to anchor the complex layers.

Base & Masking: Emulated 'Max' pre-shading using multiple metallic layers, integrated with digi-camo stenciling for foundational digital decay.

Color & Volume: A custom-mixed 'Chromatic Midnight' candy coat to establish the Titans base while preserving the underlying volumes.

Weathering FX: Custom-mixed neon enamel panel liners and targeted hand-brushing to create a UV-reactive, weeping glitch effect breaking through the armor.

It was a massive learning curve, but pushing through the doubt gave way to something I'm incredibly proud of. 🤩

Dive in, grab whatever tricks help your own builds, and let me know down below which technique you might try on your next kit. See you all at the finale next week! 🏁

#GWCC2026 #Gunpla #GunplaJourney #HGSchwarzette #MessesOverMedals #SynthwaveWeathering

Foil stickers usually go straight into the bin on a custom build. For Week 15, I decided to lean into the taboo and turn the Schwarzette’s stock sticker sheet into corrupted, shattered LCD display panels.

Here's my bench breakdown:

Took the stock foil stickers and blanks, sponge-stippled dark texture onto the iridescent backing, lined them with neon ink, and sliced them down into broken display fragments.

Mixed up a neon plasma wash (4 drops AP Lens Flare Glow + 2 drops AP Disgusting Slime) to create the illusion of glowing fluid oozing out from behind the shattered screens.

Layered the clear effect parts over the glitched panels and added outer armor corrosion to give the impression that neon plasma is actively seeping through the encasings.

We are coming down to the wire! Next week, I’m pulling together a mixtape of this competition’s greatest hits—and a few B-sides—for the final wrap-up.

Thank you all for the incredible support over these last four months. 🙏

Tuning into Channel 3... 📺⚡️

It’s Week 14 on the HG Schwarzette, and we’re dialing in the signal. After corroding the outer borders last week, it was time to give the interior glitch panels some serious TLC—capturing that late-night CRT television glow and blurring the line between physical armor and digital failure.

Here is the bench breakdown for this week’s distortion pass:

The Static Core: Filled each glitch to the brim with a custom neon wash designed to mimic a flickering TV screen under UV light.

Exposing the Static: Once dry, used a cotton swab dampened with Gunprimer Solven to gently erode the blue layer, pulling back the center to expose raw, corrupted noise underneath.

Chromatic Aberration: Applied an offset edge wash using Neon Purple and a custom Neon Cyan to trick the eye into seeing an out-of-focus RGB channel split.

Next week... we’re committing pure Gunpla heresy. No shortcuts—just breaking one of the biggest unwritten rules in custom builds. Stay tuned.

Manual control & digital corrosion. ⚡️

Once you lay down precise stencils, the real work starts when you turn off the airbrush and pick up the hand brushes and sponges. This week on the Schwarzette, we’re taking the clean, corporate armor and letting the neon glitching corrode the shell.

Instead of keeping the decals pristine, I brought them into the synthwave decay—scrambling markings in Neon Orange wherever they intersect a glitch line. Using sponge-chipping techniques with a retarder-thinner acrylic mix, the neon glow bleeds into the dark panels like battery acid eating through styrene.

The Technique Breakdown:

1️⃣ Scrambled Decals: Run neon orange paint directly across water-slide markings where they cross stencil gaps to make the text look corrupted.

2️⃣ Sponge Stippling: Use acrylic retarder thinner to slow dry-time, allowing you to dab, streak, and wipe back neon layers so pigment lodges against stencil edges.

3️⃣ Layered Saturation: Stipple a light yellow base, then layer neon yellow (Lens Flare Glow) into the centers for a hot, corrosive core.

#GWCC #Gunpla #HGSchwarzette #Synthwave #CustomGunpla #MessesOverMedals

Running electric current through dark styrene. ⚡️

When you’re building a mobile suit caught in a state of quantum flux, standard black or gray panel liner just won't cut it. This week in the GWCC, I took a page from miniature painters to make custom neon enamel liners for the Schwarzette.

The secret to making neon pop over dark, chromatic armor isn't thicker paint—it's a two-stage foundation. Neon pigments are naturally translucent, so laying them straight onto dark plastic destroys their saturation. By dropping a high-pigment white base into the channels first, the neon has a bright canvas to reflect against.

The Recipes:
🤍 White Base: 1 Part Testor’s White Enamel : 1 Part Gunprimer Silent

💚 Neon Drip: 1 Part Neon Enamel : 2 Parts Gunprimer Silent

Swapping over to Gunprimer Silent and Solven made the custom mixing completely low-odor in the studio. "Pro" Tip: clean your lines under a UV blacklight. The stray neon pigment glows instantly against the dark paint, making clean edges effortless. Something I wish I thought of sooner 😅

Next week: We finally take a brush to the edges for some hand-painted glitch effects.

#GWCC #Gaahleri #Gunpla #HGSchwarzette #Gundam #Synthwave #CustomGunpla #MessesOverMedals #EnamelPainting

In week eleven of the GWCC, the stencils finally come off! 🎬⚡

After many layers of tape, precise cuts, and candy coats, it was time to see if the vision actually survived the process. Did I strip the paint?

Fortunately, the masks pulled cleanly, opening the door for the next phase of our digital decay theme. I’m kicking off the weathering journey with a layer of ‘dead pixels’ using Turbo Dork’s Rainbow Roll. (As always, I've left the pre-mix recipe for your next bench sesh! 😉)

I, did however, fall for one of the classic blunders. I forgot that my G-Rework decals were on the darker side and are almost entirely hidden against the dark Titans base. But instead of fighting it, I leaned into real-world military prototype tech—low-visibility stealth markings. Sometimes a hidden detail just forces you to find a cooler narrative. 🤫

Next up: bringing those glitches to life by making them look like glowing, reality-tearing CRT screens. And for next week? We’re mixing our own custom Neon Panel Liner—with a twist. 🧪✨

💾 Save this post for the Turbo Dork recipe.
✈️ Share this with a builder who is deep in the trenches of tape-work right now.
💬 Drop a "📺" if you’re ready to watch these glitches tear through the hull!

#GWCC2026 #Schwarzette #GunplaBuilder #AirbrushTechnique #SynthwaveWeathering #MessesOverMedals #GunplaCommunity

I went in looking for a Titans reproduction, but ended up somewhere much more interesting.

In week ten, I set out with a clear goal: recreate the iconic "Titans" color scheme. I had the palette, the plan, and the vision.

Then, the paint settled.

It wasn't a "failure," but it wasn't what I’d planned. It was subtle. Sinister. Almost hidden. My first instinct was to strip it and try again—but I paused.

I realized that this deeper, darker base wasn't a mistake—it might just be the perfect foundation for the "reality rip" and synthwave glitch effects I’m planning for the next phase.

Perhaps if I had stuck to the original, the high-contrast Titans blue, those neon glitches would have fought the base for attention. Now? I think they’re going to be framed by it.

Sometimes the gap between what we envision and what we end up with is the exact place where growth happens. I’m leaning into the "Messy Middle" and trusting the process. 🙌

💾 Save this post if you like challenging build moments (or if you like having handy recipes!)

✈️ Share with a friend who might be struggling with their own 'messy middle'.

💬 Drop a "⚡" if you’ve ever had a project go "wrong" only to realize it actually went better than intended. Let’s trade stories!

#GWCC2026 #GunplaBuilder #ColorTheory #MessesOverMedals #Schwarzette #TitansGundam #TrustTheProcess

I’m back in the thick of it with the Schwarzette. If I’m being honest, pulling off layers of tape for the second time feels like a gamble—you’re always worried about what might lift or what edge might need a touch-up. But for this kit, I’m chasing a very specific kind of depth, and there just aren't any shortcuts. 😅

I’m currently layering Clear Purple over last week's Clear Orange base. Once masked, I added a thin layer of Metallic Blue Gray over the top, shifting the tone into what I’m calling "Chromatic Steel"—a finish that keeps the depth of a candy coat but grounds it in a cool, industrial metallic tone. It’s a subtle shift, but it’s the only way the upcoming Titan blues will sit right in the final composition.

This level of detail is a headache, and the masking is tedious, but it’s the only way to get the result I have in my head.

As usual, I’ve included my exact ratios as I don’t believe in keeping numbers under lock and key. The best part of this competition isn't the finish line; it’s the library of techniques we’re all building while we fight our way there. If these numbers save you an hour of trial and error at your own bench, then the struggle this week was well worth it. 🍻

#GWCC2026 #MechaAssemblyExperience #GunplaBuilder #AirbrushTechnique #CandyCoat #Schwarzette #ColorTheory #MessesOverMedals

Someone recently called these carousels "mini-magazine articles," which I truly appreciate. 🙏 Small compliments like these really hit home and makes me thankful to be a part of an amazing community. 🤩 #Blessed 😅

This week, I sprayed the first layers of my 'Candy Midnight' intercoat—a thoughtful combination of Clear Orange, Purple, and Blue. I’m using these individual candy coats as a base for the various accents around the kit.

With that comes more rounds of "Masking Hell." While the process was mostly uneventful, one of my last pieces of tape pulled up a glitch stencil!

The truth is, all builds go sideways. It’s not the lack of mistakes that defines a builder; it’s the ability to pivot when they happen. Fortunately, this was an easy fix, as I had spare stencils on hand. #TheMoreYouKnow

As usual, I've included my exact recipes to take the guesswork out of your next session so you can focus on the fun part: the build. 🤩

In the middle of your own battle with tape and stencils? Let’s swap war stories in the comments.

#GWCC2026 #GunplaBuilder #AirbrushTechnique #CandyCoat #MaskingHell #GunplaCommunity #ModelKitPrep #MessesOverMedals