Thanks guys! Gettin' ramped up now.
UPDATE: May 25, 2013
Pretty good sized update for today. This contains a lot of work that was done over the last
couple of days. Once the Concrete was dry on the back panels, I began to stencil the
separation between the base color and the dark green. I use Winsor & Newton masking
fluid for this step. This is the only layered area on the helmet. Here are a couple of shots.
In these pics, the slightly darker shiny areas are the dried masking fluid. Winsor & Newton
is untinted, but I've never had a problem telling where it is, even with a coat of paint over it.
Once the W & N was dry, I masked off the remainder of the helmet. Once again, this is simply
for neatness. I try to contain my painted areas as much as possible. Good ol' blue painters tape
and some Glad cling wrap makes short work of masking larger areas.
I have never found an out-of-the-bottle color that I like for the back panels on the ESB.
This is one of the few custom colors that I mix. I start with a 1/2 oz. bottle of Testors
Model Master Acryl Euro I Dark Green, and to that I add approximately 65-75 drops of
Polly Scale BAR Blue. Yes, I count the drops.
I find that this gives the Euro green
just enough of a kick over into the blue-green range to look really nice.
When I airbrush this custom green, I don't try to get 100% coverage. I begin with a medium
coat that's kind of cloudy. I leave it just a bit translucent. Then using some reference pics
of the helmet, I begin to darken certain areas. This is like "built in" weathering.
After letting it dry for several hours, I unmask. I use a rubber cement eraser to remove the
masking fluid. It does an amazing job. . . it's like magic!
I began the detail painting with the left panel. To start with, I go back with some Concrete and a fine
brush and touch up the edges of certain areas. I just study the reference pics and tweak the edges until
I think they look good.
I also take my custom blue-green and a small brush and add in those subtle, darker patches that are
scattered over the back panels. Since the base coat is airbrushed, applying the same color with a brush
gives a denser application, so it appears slightly darker.
I stencil the gray areas the same way that I stencil for the dark green. Then I add the gray, using
Polly Scale SP Lark Dark Gray with a 000 brush.
To finish off the panel, I use some Floquil Bright Silver with that same size brush. The physical
scratches have been added in the picture below. I use a compass point and scratch right thru
the paint to the gelcoat.
Whew!! I think that's enough for today.
Tomorrow I'll work on the right panel. There's a lot more happening on that panel, with that
enormous silver area, and I usually have to do it in several sittings. Otherwise my eyes catch on fire.