Another painting I started during the pandemic was the FJ60 Land Cruiser. This might be my favorite model of the Land Cruiser. I chose to paint this version in a color/graphic scheme that was very 80s. I really loved getting lost into the details. I finished this painting in June.
This was how the painting looked during the pandemic.
This was another painting I finished earlier this year. I started this scarab painting during the pandemic. I wasn’t satisfied with the original light grey background, so I changed it to a darker color to make the reflections and colors pop.
This was the scarab painting with the old background at my old place.
Around November 2024, I returned from my Japan trip with two new Gundam MG kits. Before I can get started on those kits, I had to finish my Zaku II. I already assembled the kit and added decals. What it needed was weathering. I saw many examples of weathered Gundams and wanted to make my Zaku II look well worn.
The model had to be disassembled for weathering. I used Gundam markers and a paintbrush to create the effect of paint wearing away to reveal metal. I sanded areas to create a rougher finish. I then painted worn areas with a dark grey color, and then silver to indicate metal.
I’m very satisfied with the results. I may work on another Zaku in the near future, and try to depict more severe battle damage. I still have to finish other kits I’m working on.
I’ve been a little busy lately and now that things have calmed down a bit, I decided to update my blog with a few personal projects that I’ve finished within the past few months. One project that I’m really proud of is my self portrait.
I finished this self portrait in on March 30th, 2024. I waited 6 months for the painting to fully dry for varnish on September 29, 2024.
The gloss varnish made the colors and details more vibrant, but I feel that I lost some of the brush strokes.
This was how the painting looked when I finished it on March 30th. It was a little hard to photograph, because the paint was very shiny. I was very satisfied with resolving proportions, details and colors.
I started this painting around January 2023. I was originally thinking that I could finish it for my 40th birthday on February 26th. It turned out that I was a little rusty at painting, and this painting took a lot longer than expected.
What made this painting challenging, was getting the facial proportions and expression correct. There was a period of time where I thought a purplish background would have looked good. I ended up using a darker neutral that was less distracting from my tan skin tone. I really wanted to emphasize bold shadows and highlights from a strong light source.
This painting was a great experience. I might be tempted to work on another self portrait in the near future. Hopefully, it will be quicker with the knowledge I gained.
My parents had a rental property in Irvine, and I moved there with my cousin temporarily until I found a full time position. The condo had a nice backyard, but the grill area was unfinished. I thought it would be a nice opportunity to liven up this unfinished area with a mosaic.
I did some quick mockups in photoshop. One idea was to convey sky and grass, the other idea was a more basic blue.
I started the process by replacing the rotten plywood with fresh sheets. Then I used cement board as a mounting surface for the tiles. I did some research and found a great place in San Diego that sold broken tile in some very nice colors. Navy blue looked very sharp.
The installation process was fun, but a little challenging. It involved quickset cement, and being able fit tiles in appropriate places.
I did have to modify some tiles to make it the right size.
After the tiles were put up, grout was added. Once the grout dried, it was scrubbed away to reveal the mosaic design.
A few weeks after the mosaic was installed, the Irvine HOA notified me about some upcoming updates to the property. They told me that this mosaic was interfering with their updates. The HOA is difficult to deal with, so I complied and had to take the mosaic down. I was a little upset at first, but I did try something new,
and learned a new skill that I’ll apply in the future.
