Helmet Weathering Techniques?

Ok.... I have had some great help from you guys regarding painting my helmet
and what colours to use layering etc so now im asking for some more help please
I have finished 1 section (left ear cap) what i want to do now is to rough
it up and proper weather it out ie dull it down scratch it up etc .. Any methods on
how i can do this i read some wear using 000 steel wool?? anything else?
Thanks ultra novice

What version are you doing?

It's a ESB version.

When I do mine I usually do a black wash which is black acrylic paint and windshield washing fluid mixed together where you have what looks like really dirty washing fluid. I then pray it on let it sit for a minute and then wipe off or dab up with a paper towel. I usually do this a few times till i think there is enough grime to my liking. I will also hit it from a distance with testors instant weathering to give it a few brown speckles.

What Deadland said.

When I paint mine up, I will be using a weathering technique used in painting scale models called "Salt Weathering". I actually used this painting Slave 1, and it looks fantastic.

Just search for salt weathering, and you will find some tutorials, but it is basically like this:
- Paint the entire helmet with a decent metal paint... Alclad Aluminum has worked best for me if you have an airbrush, but you can get an ok look with a rattle can if needed. I have found it helps to get a good metal finish if you paint it gloss black first, then paint on the metal paint, and then buff. Try not to make this metal layer too thick, or you can lose some detail.
- Apply wet salt the areas that you want to remain silver, let dry, and paint the first color (This will be the color that is the nearest to the silver when looking at the paint job... basically the color that he painted this area first before repainting) You can also use a masking liquid for larger areas, but the salt creates a better chipping effect. I use a combo of both.
- After the first coat dries thoroughly, apply more salt over the areas that you want to remain this color. Wait for it to dry, and paint the next color.
-Continue until you have gotten all of the layering of colors that you want, but typically, silver and then two colors or three will do depending on the level of detail you want. For the visor, you could start off with the dark grey you see first, then the maroon, then the lighter maroon for example. Note that I have not researched the exact colors yet, as I am just starting out with Boba, and these colors are a guess. I am sure someone here could give you a better idea on what colors to layer.
- Peel off masking liquid, and rub salt off. This will give you a very authentic chipped paint look, and in my opinion, looks better than painting silver over the final colors. You will need to plan more on where the salt chips need to go so that it is not overdone, but the end result is worth it.

Then weather as needed with a tempura paint, acrylic paint mixed like deadland describes(You can also use dish soap instead of washer fluid), weathering powder, or pastel wash, put on a final protective clear coat matching the gloss level that you want, and admire your work Note that many of these weathering techiniques can wash/ rub off, so a clear coat will keep it looking as dirty as ever. I recommend using a satin clear coat for the bare metal areas, and closer to flat clear coat for the rest. This will take more masking when clear coating, but the results look nice.

Good luck!
Jason
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Great info you guys. Thanks