Gunpla fans, you know the drill. While building those awesome kits is half the fun, there's something undeniably captivating about the box art. Those epic illustrations often showcase mobile suits in all their glory, sometimes even tempting us to splurge on a kit we didn't really need.
Well, get ready for your mind to be blown! Japanese X (formerly Twitter) user p.e.n.n.y.1 (@penny_1x) recently dropped a bombshell: a custom-painted "Gundam model that looks exactly like an illustration." The optical illusion is so convincing, it sent the internet into a frenzy. Comments like "That's totally an illustration!" and "Almost got fooled LOL, the quality is insane!" flooded in.
This incredible piece comes courtesy of p.e.n.n.y.1 (@penny_1x), a master modeler renowned for transforming kits into stunning 2D-style illustrations.
This time, they teased their creation with a promotional-sounding caption: "I was in charge of the box art for the upcoming MG Zaku Cannon!" Then came the "official box art" image. But here's the kicker: it wasn't a print at all! It was their custom-painted model, staged against a background image and photographed. Seriously, it looks exactly like a 2D illustration to the naked eye!
Turns out, this Zaku Cannon is actually from the candy toy series 'GUNDAM ARTIFACT' fifth wave, which features models that are only 5.5 cm tall but boast an unbelievable level of intricate detail.
p.e.n.n.y.1 painted the model in their signature illustration style, then used a phone screen to display a background, carefully positioning the Zaku Cannon in front of it for the photo. Even knowing it's a 3D object, your brain still gets tricked by its 2D appearance. What's even more jaw-dropping is how they can just pick it up with their fingers! The contrast is wild. They even filmed a video, first showing the "box art" illusion, then slowly zooming out and moving the model to reveal the truth, letting viewers witness the magical reveal firsthand.
Yep, you can just pick the whole thing up!
With masterful brush gradients and sharp black outlines, they perfectly captured that iconic MG box art vibe. The fact that this level of detail is achievable on a tiny ARTIFACT candy toy model just goes to show the sheer skill of this modeler.
Of course, the 'GUNDAM ARTIFACT' candy toy series is all about delivering realistic-scale mobile suits in a super-mini 5.5 cm size. These kits can even be broken down into about 70 highly detailed parts, truly testing the eyesight and painting prowess of modelers.
Maybe it's time to grab one yourself and see if you can pull off some next-level painting magic!
via： X 帳戶 p.e.n.n.y.1