MITEAM - Alphaleo

* MITEAM: A short form of the phrase " Modeler In The Eyes of A Modeler". This is just a simple blog based on my personal view to pay tribute and respect to fellow modelers who i know as personal friend.

Name: Raymond Yap

Pseudonym / Nickname: Alphaleo

Usual Genre: Gunpla, Sci-fi,

Description: A animator in profession. This modeling friend of mine is truly a low profile one. Only being active in deviantart and forum (a few years back). Even during the forum time, he is not the type where he will make u notice him by post or spam or cracking jokes or anything. People will just know about this fella who love to use a white lion to represent himself through his work.

Being a commercial artist, he has idea. However, in modeling, the most impressive stuff is, he is willing to break his own zone to recreate his vision into a 3D model kit.

When I first knew him, he was still quite new in the hobby, learning all the basics. However, as far as that's his vision concern. there is nothing can stop him. Can't find the model? Can't find the parts that suits the modification? He just go and scratch build it!! no matter how risky they r in the eyes of old school modeler like me, he just went full gear n try his best to create it.

Yes, in terms of bigger size scratch building, probably among my group of friends, there are Alphaleo and Julius Lim (that is another crazy builder whom i am tempted to talk about later).

From his first work that caught my attention: HG unicorn where he build to join Unicorn vs Blue Frame GB in ZeroG forum, which he used 4 (or 5?) HG unicorn and various scratchbuild to create a unicorn Centaur. Ok, the weathering n finishing wasn't top notch, but the modification got my jaw dropped. It was just too beautiful!!!!.

Later on, he build another HG Kshatriya, and this time he modified it to become a 2 footed dragon!!!! On his second piece, the weathering n finishing is already a level up from the unicorn. This work of his,  Unicorn Centaur vs Kshatriya has won Malaysia's BAKUC Champion and world's 1st runner up in the year of 2010!!

Monster Modification vs Finishing

After that, he tried on another scratchbuild frenzy project: converting a PG Zaku into a High Mobility Zaku (note: is for Weathering vs Metallic GB). Personally, for the modification part, i think is absolutely impressive!!!! The only thing is, besides scratchbuilding a ton of parts there, he made it a candy color zaku; which is like a almost zero tolerance to finishing n flaws; the finishing of the kit was being compromised. This, I really think is a pity.

After that, a unicorn/sinanju hybrid, which personally, i think there s a lot of improvement in finishing, but still, in comparison to his modification work, still consider a weak point in his build. (Please dont get it wrong, although i might sound like his work is crap, but in fact they r not. he's still winning in competition after competitions. I am merely comparing the level of his modification to his finishing.)

Not sure whether it is because of this or due to his work load, after that, his projects started to become smaller.

- Gundam NT1, won (2012?) 3rd in GBWC, with not as much modification as his previous projects, but he showed the world he is capable of achieving great finishing.
- Leo San. This is definitely another gem!!!! With loads n loads of highly skilled modification and scratchbuilding, not as lous as his previous projects, but he manage to keep a high quality scratchbuilding and pretty good finishing!!!! I am so love of this project!!!!
- Ball Minion. This one can show his level of confidence in scratchbuilding n finishing. Seems like it s a rush project, but he managed to pull it off with no problem at all. More importantly he showed that his is comfortable in building kits with such high level.

From these 3 projects, I am having more n more confidence onto him. He didnt rush it, but took his time, keep improving what he's weak at, and making what he is strong at, even stronger!!! I am almost seeing another modeler among my friends whose work is going to be something I could never able to build!!! Yes, a little envy, but i am more happy and excited. I believe if his work load is not stopping him, his next mega project will be one that will be shared and seen in the internet for a very long time!

And as for competition wise, I hope Bandai will not push their not-value-finishing judging criteria to far too soon. I believe his work will awe the world.

Yes, I am hoping to see a classic born from his hands!!!

Website: The only site i know where he share his work is his Deviantart. http://alphaleo14.deviantart.com/

Hoi Hoi San x Tomb Raider ver.

Ok, as usual, pictures first, talk later.




This is a project I have had for years; not because that it's such a hugh project where i need collect tons of material, ok, just being lazy.

Initially I was only planning to use the Hoi hoi San with heavy weapon kit, which i bought over from tkting with a very nice price (Thanks bro!). Since the early version of Tomb Raider wasn't wearing a singlet anyway. The main difficult part is to modify the torso part: where the flesh revealing shoulder joining the upper arm. If I were to make it movable and look fitting n natural at the same time, I realised it was not exactly a Sunday walk in the park.

Fortunately, last year I found a young version of Hoi Hoi San during Gamer's Arena sale. The kit consist of costume of a high school swimsuit (I can use for the singlet/tank top), a movable abdomen (A better flexibility, and maybe give her to reveal some flesh near the belly like during the late 90's fashion), a gym short pants (much nicer compare to using the original underpants, and easier to to scribe lines too), and a half height socks (perfect for modifying into the upper part of a boots, yet show a little white socks). This seems to be the perfect kit, which just make my days so much easier!!!!

Finally, a hybrid of these 2 kits.

The two hand guns are scratch build. didnt put much effort in them. As long as they fit the standards of a fun project.

This round, 3 layers of skin tone, both pre and post shade. All the other items are just preshade.

The glove is just masking n spraying different color to create the impression.

The boots, a big mistake. I am using the socks, modify it to become the upper part of the boots. while the bottom part of the boots, i use the original hoi hoi san shoe, which I supposed to test fit and modify them to fit; which i didn't. Actually now it looks like this tomb raider is wearing a brown slipper, worse, a too-large-slipper. The show lace is soldering wires. the metallic looking eyelet for shoe lace is just metal transfer.

Another big problem I had during this build is the joint. Since all the joints are actually Ps plastic to PS plastic, I need to really make them loose first, then tighten them again after painting. make them really loose! Which i didn't. Assemble proved to be a challenge, changing position is a nightmare!!!! and i have broken a joint doing so!!!!

Overall, I am satisfy with this project. Satisfy not because of the level of finishing, satisfy because I finally make my vision into a real thing.

P/S: A big thank you to Klay for giving my the treble fish hook!!!!! Yes, Lara Hoi Hoi San can climb now!!! XD

Coming Soon. :)

MITEAM: JeffHo

* MITEAM: A short form of the phrase " Modeler In The Eyes of A Modeler". This is just a simple blog based on my personal view to pay tribute and respect to fellow modelers who i know as personal friend.

Name: Jeff Ho

Pseudonum / Nickname: Jeffho

Usual Genre: Gunpla, Resin Figurine, Sci-fi,

Description: This is actually a friend i am always very proud of introducing to others, or simply being recognized as a friend of him. He is in fact the first modeler who won the World Champion title among peers from my batch!

 In terms of skill, personally, i would see Jeff the the most consistant and stable. Every piece of work he produce, especially for competition, there is always some eye opening thing. As a matter of fact, in many occasions, he does set up a benchmark of me to reach.

Overall, his vision and design sense in modifying a mecha is just top notch. Clever, skillful, and seamless kit bashing is something i always look upon to and wish i could be half as good as him. Besides that, there is something i admire about, which i m currently learning n practicing is: he is an explorer of possibilities in materials and technics; and most of all, a good planner for his projects. His usual trend is, for the beginning of the year, he will engage in some other projects, like resin builds, or some smaller Gunpla builds. At the same time, after knowing him for quite sometime, I realize he is actually using this time too for exploration, research, and testing of new stuff: either techniques or material! He seldom stay idle!

He has used materials that none has even thought about, he has tried techniques that none of us ever tried. In the end, all these will be incorporate into his big project of that year. As a result, his project always have a new gimmick, something new for me to admire. Be it clean build or weathering.

COMPOSITION
As a whole, Jeff has good sense of mecha design, the skill to properly execute it out, the courage of experimenting n exploring new techniques n materials, patience to plan, being outspoken n helpful; seems like he is perfect in every aspect. Of course nobody is perfect. If there is one tiny little picky thing i would like to comment about his previous project in general, I would say it's his diorama's composition.

I feel that is because there r some of his diorama, while the mecha is just mind blowing, eye popping kind of beautiful, i think the diorama/vignette setup that pulls down the impression overall. Although the final works are still really high standard works, I would think those can be even better is the diorama wasn't setup in such a way.

Just an example: Once he did a stunningly beautiful kit bash of HG, MG, and PG Zaku. That Zaku I would say it falls in the top 5 list of my all time favorite mecha design. However, when he was composing the diorama, where a supposedly puny n weak n doesn't stand-a-chance GM trying for his luck to fight the Zaku, he'd chosen an 1/100 MG GM for the job. For me, although the Zaku is still much larger in overall size, once the 1/100 GM is in, it immediately reduce the threatening impression of the obviously overpowered, oversized Zaku. In other words, it just make the Zaku looks half weaker.

This is just an example, solely based on my personal opinion.

Anyway, having such a modeler friend, I believe i will still continue to have the privilege to admire eye opening stuff from him, which he will never fail to do.



Website:  I do not know he has any blog or website for his work. This is his Facebook link:
https://www.facebook.com/jeffhoyy

Pla-Zone Resin Group Build Gathering @ ICW 16th May 2015

As usual, Jeff Ho would initiate a resin Group build every start of a year, and I really respect that.

This year, the gathering date was set on the 16th of May 2015, location ICW. There are indeed a few very eye catching kits, with pretty advance painting technique applied.

These are some of the photos i manage to get: