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Gundam model enthusiast turns plain smartphone case into amazing work of art

Meg Murphy Jun 13, 2017
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In one day, this artist adds years to this phone case.

Gundam fan, plastic model artist, and self-proclaimed “weathering fanatic” @niiharu80 recently showed how he took a plain acrylic iPhone case from 100-yen shop Daiso, gave it some Gundam flair and turned it into a rusted, weathered shell of its former self.

▼ Finished the iPhone case! I painted over a case from Daiso. Took the whole day. Rust is fun~”

iPhoneケース完成です！
ダイソーのケースを塗装して仕上げました。所要時間丸一日。錆は楽しいですね〜(´ω｀) pic.twitter.com/8pjHJFJD2S

— niiharu (@niiharu80) May 28, 2017

Because of the attention it got and the questions received from commentors, @niiharu80 kindly broke down the process for everyone, providing a step-by-step guide to how the look was achieved.

As there weren’t any plain plastic cases at Daiso, @niiharu80 first used some sandpaper to remove the patterned surface of the case, before coating it in a surface primer.

ケースの作り方教えて欲しいとのリプを頂いたので、ちょっとモーメントにまとめようかと思います。
まずダイソーに無地のハードケースがなかったので、模様をペーパーで消した後、サフ吹きます。 pic.twitter.com/1Sf2kb7FE1

— niiharu (@niiharu80) May 29, 2017

Next, as groundwork for the chipped look, he used a few different shades of brown to coat the entire phone case.

剥がしチッピングの下地として、茶色系を何色か使って筆塗りします。
あえて筆ムラ強めに塗ってます。これは個人的に後でかなり効いてて正解だったと思ってます！ pic.twitter.com/AjFk4qz6MK

— niiharu (@niiharu80) May 29, 2017

Once the brown undercoat dried, @niiharu80 used a coat of “super hard” hair spray, and let that dry before painting over that with the main color. Once that had completely dried, he used masking tape to mark out where he wanted the stripe accents to go, and used a sponge to dab on the white paint.

下地が乾いたら整髪料のケープスーパーハードを吹いて、乾いてから基本色で塗装します。
識別帯は基本色が乾いた後、マスキングしてスポンジでポンポンして描いてます。 pic.twitter.com/lMXExRoJE2

— niiharu (@niiharu80) May 29, 2017

To give the case its chipped and weathered look, once the paint had dried, @niiharu80 submerged the case in water for a while, causing the hairspray underneath to dissolve, which helped the top coat of paint to chip off easily. @niiharu80 used a sponge and a metal scrubbing brush to achieve this look.

Once he’d gotten his desired look, he used a glossy top coat, applied a couple of decals, and gave them a few scrapes and scratches before applying another top coat with a matte finish.

基本色が乾いたらケースをしばらく水に浸します。
ケープが水で溶けて、上から塗装した基本色が簡単に剥がせるようになります。
私はスポンジと金たわし使って塗装を剥がしました。
チッピング後に艶ありトップコート、デカールを貼ってデカールに傷を入れたら艶消しでトップコート。 pic.twitter.com/GAJTzPbKWZ

— niiharu (@niiharu80) May 29, 2017

Then, he used some pigment around the chipped areas to give it a grainy and rusted look. He painted on some Tamiya brand “weathering color”, then gave it a wash with enamel remover. As a final touch, he used Real Touch Markers, dabbing here and there and using cotton swabs to drag the color down before it dried, giving the rust a smeared, rain-washed appearance.

ピグメントという顔料で粉っぽい錆を表現しつつ剥がした部分の輪郭をぼやけさせて、色味の調整。
タミヤのウェザリングカラーを塗ってエナメル拭き取りでウォッシング。
最後に錆だれ、リアルタッチマーカーで点を描いて乾く前に綿棒で上から下に擦っただけです。 pic.twitter.com/LK88b8XGIZ

— niiharu (@niiharu80) May 29, 2017

Japanese 100 yen stores carry many useful items, which are perfectly useful as-is, but are also great bases for creative upgrades like @niiharu80’s phone case. There are plenty of uses for items you wouldn’t even expect, so be sure to check out these household and cosplay hacks for more inspiration!

Source, featured image: Twitter/@niiharu80