Going Back to GUNPLA: Gundam L.O. Booster ready for launch!

Finally!  I'm proud to show you my very first serious attempt at Gunpla model kit building!  After much research (basically watching numerous YouTube how-to videos by other Gunpla enthusiasts) and building up my tools and paint arsenal, I was able to apply what I learned, which consisted of:

1)  How to properly cut the plastic pieces from the runners they're attached to
2)  Sanding  / buffing to remove any rough spots and make some pieces fit better
3)  Using (Tamiya) putty to seal any gaps and even out any imperfections in the plastic pieces after assembly (followed by more sanding / buffing...)
4)  How to remove seam lines (I'm still working on this one though)
5)  Applying a primer before painting on the actual color(s)
6)  Masking to get that nice clean separation of colors when spray painting
7)  Scribing to add panel lines and make existing ones stand out more
8)  How to do proper panel lining and detailing using Gundam markers (I have Tamiya panel line accent colors but I plan to use that on my next kit)
9)  Choosing when to use matte or gloss clear coating
10)  Using alligator clips attached to sticks to hold your painted pieces during the paint curing / drying period
11)  How to be extremely patient especially when you mess things up!

Anyway, enough of that, here's the finished product!  I hope you like the photos, because they actually look so much better than the actual kit LOL! :D

Here's the BEFORE shot while it was still a work-in-progress:

And here is the AFTER shots showing the final result!  There's still a lot of imperfections to be seen in the pics since I had to do a lot of touch-ups to correct some painting / detailing errors (I don't have the steadiest hands anymore LOL!).  Also, I was a bit disappointed that the stickers and water-slide decals wouldn't stick anymore (I bought the kit back in the early 1990's after all!).  But at the end of the day, I was very pleased with the result.  I thoroughly enjoyed the entire build process and I want to share with you (at least visually) the fruits of my labor.  ENJOY!!!
 

(Ok, I'll buy a display stand for better action poses next time).  I'll be posting photos of my other work-in-progress (or WIP if you prefer), of the Gundam G-Unit Griepe!  Till next time, happy kit building!