Yes, the MNOLG shows MAKUTA to be sorta beige with dark green splotches, but that didn’t seem right to me. The most recognizable KANOHI in the entire series so far is hands down the INFECTED HAU. It’s used on a large percentage of the logos and packaging designs. It’s the only MYSTERY MASK that has been packed in the KANOHI pack. It’s also one of only two painted KANOHI that have ever been officially released. And it just looks cool.

So, when I think of MAKUTA, my mind always jumps right to the INFECTED HAU. I knew I didn’t have the painting skills to perfectly duplicate the colors and look of the official version, but I could certainly paint a full-body design that would look consistent. And this is what I came up with:

To produce this look, I used Testor’s Model Master Acryl #4675 Rust paint. Unlike with the KANOHI KINO, I did not use primer on the painted surface because I was not going to be painting the entire surface. Because of this, the paintjob is probably more easily damaged than those on the KANOHI KINO. This is very much designed to be a sit-on-the-shelf show piece, so if you want one you can play with, I’d have to suggest the basic version .

Above on the left you can see the pre-painted version, using an ONEPU torso and arms, NUHVOK VA legs (also available with HAFU), and a black HAU. And on the right is the painted result, prior to being sealed with Testor’s Dullcote. (Notice the spots of glare on the HAU, which are not present in the final version) To get the nice smooth rust stains, I used Testor’s bottom-line airbrush, which I was able to buy for under $20. Of course, the problem with that airbrush is that it sprays in a very wide pattern (large enough to cover the entire HAU in one burst), so I had to use a sheet of printer paper with a small hole cut in it to narrow the spray pattern. Holding the paper about 1-3 inches away from the piece, and the airbrush another 4-6 inches away from that, I was able to get blotches of varying sizes. The result was not what I had originally intended, but I’m pleased with how it turned out anyways. If I’d dropped another $30 on a better airbrush, I could have gotten a much smaller spray pattern. That would have allowed me to paint it without a big sheet of paper interfering with my view, which would have given me a lot more control.