Partway through 2022, my wife and I began the laborious process of purchasing and subsequently fixing up a house. This activity took up pretty much all my free time for the better part of a year and a half, leaving me precious few minutes and even less energy to spend on hobbies like gunpla. After settling in, however, I was finally able to get some time back, and jumped back in with the (then) newly released MGSD Freedom Gundam.
In a way, this kit meant coming full circle for me - readers familiar with my backstory will know that I became interested in both Gundam and gunpla through the SD franchise, so when the new MGSD line was announced, I jumped at the chance to work on a kit with the detail and engineering of a Master Grade design in the form factor of an SD model. I had a ball and, as usual, was blown away by the thought and care that went into the creation of this model.
My work here is fully painted using lacquer paints and airbrush. I did pre-shade all the parts, though as always I choose to do this subtly, and it doesn't always come out in the photos, especially in a high-contrast case like this where my camera has a difficult time picking up the finer details. I used some third party products, notably the decals and the fantastic Wings of Light expansion parts, which give the Freedom Gundam some incredible shelf presence.
Paints Used:
Gaianotes
- White
- Black
- Neutral Gray II
- Neutral Gray III
- Neutral Gray V
- Cobalt Blue
- Medium Blue
- Orange Yellow
- Sunshine Yellow
- Bright Red
- Star Bright Silver
Topcoats
- Gloss (beam saber, clear parts)
- Semi-Gloss (blue armor)
- Flat (everything else)
Other Notes:
- Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color
- SIMP Decals
- Posed using Action Base 5
- Wings Of Light - third-party expansion parts
Aside from the subtle pre-shading, this was a fairly straightforward paint job. The kit has great color separation, so no masking was necessary. Even without the wings unfolded, the Freedom Gundam has a commanding presence.
Under difference circumstances, I probably would have put a lot more detail into the rifle, but I didn't want to fuss over this build, so I simply stuck to the existing color separation. Same with the shield, though I did add an extra decal or two.
Wings Extended
Now we're talking! Though a challenge to get symmetrical, it was a lot of fun to extend the wings and model the Freedom Gundam in flight. The multiple folding layers of the wings are really something.
I always look at the box and instruction manual for inspiration posing - most of these were pulled from those sources, though some setups were not so easy to replicate, notably that last kicking pose.
The beam saber hilts are stored in the hip armor and can be wielded individually or combined into a Darth Maul-style dual-bladed staff. Very cool and a testament to the model's pose-ability.
Of course I forgot that the pivoting railgun handles are supposed to extend out into the Gundam's hands. Oops.
I love how silly some of these designs can become with all their cannons and other parts extended. It makes for a great shot!
I highly recommend this expansion set, which I purchased from USA Gundam Store. I had no weight issues and the parts were reasonably easy to attach. They really make the kit and enhance its shelf presence.
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