Completed! - XBOX 360 Controller (Fresno State Scheme)

So I thought I'd put my gunpla skills to work on something else. Made a few mistakes, but basically everything that works for building Gundam model kits applies to custom controls. Here's the final results.

Thoughts on the kit...

It's an Xbox 360 controller. If you don't know what one is like by now, you might as well stop reading because this post isn't for you.

Thoughts on my work...

For the most part I think it went pretty well. There were two major issues which really detract from all of the good parts. The obvious one is the big decals. The surface of the controller has a ton of curves. Makes it impossible to get the decal to lay perfectly flat. In my efforts to get it to lay as flat as possible I tore the decal in a few places. Since these decals are the focal point of the controller, the imperfections really stand out. The other part probably isn't as obvious. It's with the sanding. The surface of the controller isn't smooth. If you want to lay down some decals, you need to sand it flat. Well in doing so, you can start to remove details, just like when working with Gundam model kits. I forgot to go back and make sure the detailed parts were still there. So when I went back to panel line the details, paint just went everywhere. Not that big of a deal to me, but it's something to be aware of for next.

And yes I think there will be a next time. Although the kit didn't turn out the way I wanted, I learned a lot and I had a ton of fun doing it. But before I tackle another one, I want to use the one I have to see how well it holds up. I think I'm going to play through Final Fantasy 13 and then take photos again. I figure 50-100 hours of gameplay should give me a good idea if my painting approach will hold up.