I never panel lined a model kit before when I was building it as a kid. Only now when I started building Gundam Model kits did I realize that they really look good with the panel lines colored. Panel lining was traditionally done by thinning out some paint then using a super fine brush and capillary action to let the paint run through the panel lines. Now it can be done more easily and painlessly with the use of a Gundam Marker.
This wasn't the first time I saw something like a Gundam Marker though. When I was building model kits during the eighties we had the Tamiya Markers that look so much like the Gundam Marker that is being sold today (complete with the rattling ball inside)...
Now that's the good news, the bad news is that due to international mail restrictions my favorite online hobby shops in Japan cannot sell me any Gundam Markers and any paint for that matter...gaaahhhh! Which forced me to be creative and maybe a little bit irritating to the sales ladies of our local office supply shop as I combed through their stock of available markers looking for something that fit my needs.
I already have a Gundam Marker which I bought from a local store, but it can't really work for me because the head size is too big for panel lining.
What I eventually found was a UNI Pin Fine Line Marker that is water and fade proof. Basically what I was looking for was something with a soft tip and had permanent ink.
I've tried it already with a Master Grade Rick Dias I built before. I used it to panel line the power cables that run through the arms and the details of the beam pistols found at the back.
I usually wait a day for the thing to dry compared to just a few hours with a regular Gundam Marker. Then of course it can be rubbed off even when dry when enough force is used, so I had to apply a clear coat on top to seal it in.
I guess the downside of using this is that you are limited in colors. In my opinion, panel lining usually looks so much better in a shade of grey instead of black.
Given a choice, I would still prefer to use a Gundam Marker. Darnnit, I feel like I'm in model kit prison, with no access to the model paints needed for an adequate model build. But as the saying goes: "Necessity is the mother of Invention"
If any of you kind folks have found a better alternative than the marker mentioned above, kindly post in the comment box below what you've discovered in order to help a Gundam Marker starved bloke out... hehehe
Update (01/14/2010): Found a laundry pen in the bookstore and saw that it works well too as an alternative Gundam Marker. Problem is that it doesn't come off too easily with alcohol, so you better be careful when putting it on. This was called Artline 750 Marker for Laundry and comes with a 0.7 mm tip.
Update: For panel lining I've started using a 0.5 mm mechanical pencil then afterwards I spray it with Bosny Dull Lacquer to seal it in. You can check out the results with the 1/60 GN-001 Gundam Exia that I built.
