GX-9900 Gundam X

GX-9900 Gundam X   (HG) Satellite System Loading Mobile Suit
Bought this at an OG sale sometime back together with some other Gundam kits for my children to build. Somehow this got overlooked so I decided to build this as my 3rd/4th Gundam kit (I built this and the 08th MS Team RX-78-2 more or less simultaneously.

One issue that I encountered painting is that it is not that easy to pre-shade dark and rich colours like the purple here despite the fact that it was from the Vallejo Model Air range. The problem with some colours is that they are quite opaque and it is hard to see the pre-shading. 

In later models, I experiment with laying down the black pre-shade, then laying down alongside it a lighter version of the final colour (eg; light purple), then trying airbrushing a final coat of purple with glaze medium added to increase transparency.



Paint 
Vallejo Model Colour Andrea Blue is just perfect for the blue. 
Model Air Alien Purple is quite an opaque paint.



I tried to use Mr. Mask fluid to try to mask the 4 depressions/holes in each of the 'X' panels and learnt that you can't use masking fluid to mask this sort of areas. It is really difficult to dig solidified masking fluid out of holes.  Didn't both to try and remask them with tape and repaint again.