Gunpla builders know the drill: painting, cutting, weathering – it's all part of making your plastic fantastic. And with enough skill, even imaginary mobile suits or cross-universe mashups can come to life through a Gunpla master's hands.
Today, we're diving into an epic build that takes an old-school 80s kit and turns it into pure art. Japanese Gunpla builder Nicovol (@nicovol48) flexed some serious painting prowess and material magic to make this Gunpla look like it jumped straight out of an illustration, earning massive props from netizens.
Nicovol tackled the "GM Sniper Custom," a kit originally released way back in 1983. These early Gundam kits are affectionately known as "Kyū Kit" (old kits) in Japan.
He chose to go full hyper-realistic, mimicking the style of the model kit's box art illustration. The original box art, drawn by military illustrator Nobu Ueda, depicts the GM Sniper Custom in action in space. Nicovol didn't just meticulously paint to recreate the scene; he also added metallic textures and sheen to the parts, giving the whole piece a weighty, authentic feel.
But wait, there's more! He even used orange-dyed cotton to simulate the thruster flames. Areas of the model hit by the "flame" glow brightly, while shadowed spots like the instep and lower leg are deliberately darkened to create a stunning 3D effect. Seriously, one look and you'd swear it was a 2D illustration.
He also mentioned that his main goal for this paint job was to achieve an "illustration-like" visual effect when viewed from the front. So, when you place this model in front of its original box, it genuinely looks like it's leaping right out of the artwork – talk about immersive! Before painting, the model also underwent some modifications, with tweaks to the shoulders, arms, and visor. And get this: he even custom-built the base to perfectly recreate the cosmic backdrop. That's dedication!
Beyond this incredible GM Sniper Custom, Nicovol shares tons of other mind-blowing, super creative builds on his X (formerly Twitter) account. If you're a model kit or Gundam fan, you absolutely need to check them out for some serious inspiration for your next custom project!
▼ More of Nicovol's amazing work
