Layered Weathering Questions

I've started painting my recently molded and dented Sintra armor and I have a few inquiries that I was unable to solve lurking the forums.

- Is it important to paint the inside edges and the backsides of the armor? How much is still exposed when attached to the flak vest? I'm worried that seeing white Sintra behind meticulously painted armor will ruin the illusion. I am also concerned that painting the entire back will be problematic were I to use velcro to attach the armor as the velcro would adhere to the top layer of paint rather than the armor itself.

- The liquid frisket I'm using (liquid mask or masque) says that the frisket should be removed within 24-48 hours of application. Is this applicable for armor? Has anyone had issues removing the liquid mask? I assume that the timetable is only for those using the product on paper for watercolors (the intended purpose).

- Can I layer the mask upon a previous layer of mask after I spray in between the two layers? For example if I were to mask off the silver layer and then spray yellow, could I apply the liquid mask on top of my previous mask and then paint green? Would the mask still come off together? Is it better to remove and then re-apply, masking the same area as before as well as the next neccesary area?

Bumpity-Bump, I know there's members here that know whats up with the paint job. Help a newb out?

not many people will ever see the underside of your armor once it's attached to your vest. painting the back isn't necessary. sometimes the damage your armor picks up on troops doesn't need to be repainted even, as long as it's not too major it kind of adds a little bit of character to the costume.

the frisket you're using, is it latex based? it should be good for a few days once you apply it. i think stormtrooperguy just keeps applying more as he works on a helmet and then peels it all off at once, but his paint ups come along fairly quickly. i guess what i'm saying is don't apply it then set your prop aside for a few months and think that the mask is going to be easy to work with.

some guys remove the mask between layers and re-mask, some guys just put another layer on. that's a personal preference, give it a try for yourself and go with whatever one sounds like the best idea to you. neither is wrong.

also, you can use other substances for your mask. a few guys use mustard for painting, that's right, mustard; like frenches you put it on your hot dogs. i tried that once, didn't like it. i didn't care for the consistency as a mask, it reacted poorly with the paint i was using, and i just really don't like the smell of mustard. i much rather prefer to use toothpaste. it's nice and thick, you know it's protecting the layer under it, i haven't had any reactions with paint, and i like the level of detail i can achieve with it. and as an added bonus, toothpaste doesn't mess up the brushes you use to apply it, unlike latex mask which will gum up a brush if you're not rinsing it after every stroke.

Thanks for the advice! I messed around with the liquid mask a little today on some scrap material and it does dry very quickly! I have the Windsor brand so it is a bit runny, especially compared to toothpaste but I feel good about it's capability. I'm also a mustard hater so *HIGH FIVE* on that one but I think I'm gonna use the mask I have and resort to toothpaste if I must. I'm also happy that I can put my mask on top of the first layer, that will make life a bit easier.

Also, just a shot in the dark but does anyone know where I can get decent references of the ESB armor? Most of the screen captures are poorly lit or provide too little detail and I didn't want to work from another member's costume. I've already made the mistake of reproducing a reproduction as I put a dent in the left breast plate that only belonged on the ROTJ version. The best shots I've found so far were in the Wiki on this forum. It seems to be a chronic problem for me, there is a wealth of documentation for ROTJ but very little for ESB... oh well we bounty hunters make due

Hey there!... I usually have a difficult time layering on the masking fluid. I put it on... paint.. remove the masking fluid... then apply it again with the new layer of paint. I have more controll over the shape of the weathering details this way.

As far as some good photos... sometimes when I can't see a detail in the images here I go to pics of the Jeremy Bulloch Project armor. The guys who painted it are some of the best here. I don't think you can go wrong following their lead. I hope this helps a little!