My intro--New here...

DadaQT

New Hunter
I just noticed this forum and realized I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Danny and I'm 30 years old. I've been a Star Wars collector/builder since the 90s but have really turned it on the past year or two after my two sons were born (22 months old and 3 months old born on Halloween). My wife and I are having an absolute blast and can't wait for my boys to hopefully enjoy Star Wars with me...especially since I'll get to take them to the movie theater for NEW movies. That's insane to me. I've been a casual lurker here for like 8-10 years. I'm a self taught artist and enjoy sculpture, mold making, casting, painting, etc. While this makes it a lot of fun to take on SW projects, big and small, I've always wanted to commit to a Boba Fett Helmet but just always pass it up to work on something else. I finished two projects recently that I started in 2011 so I decided to join here, ordered a asol cold cast helmet, and finally dive in now that my project time is a little free! I've built everything from super high end crystal focus FX lightsabers, Han in Carbonite lifesize, studio scale and other models, sculpted latex masks and soon to start a Cantina alien of some sort. Honestly, the tedious detail in the Fett helmet is just another world to me. I've always matched things to look like reference photos but to actually have to make sure every detail and color is as close to perfect as I can do, is just going to be a crazy involved endeavor. I can do it of course! It's just going to be some hard work but a lot of fun! Just as a point of reference on how long i've been wanting to do a Fett helmet/costume; The last time I was SO close to doing a Fett was like 2003 when I got a list of costume parts from Richie's props. I nearly dropped 3k or more and waited months to get everything but I passed on it for some reason or another. Not sure if Richie's props is even still around LOL. These days with two boys under 2, a wife, and a home we're almost done redoing, my collection budget is small. In the past I was single living with parents and could spend paychecks on whatever I wanted. These days I appreciate the collection i've built WAY more as I only receive or buy small things throughout year and a few bigger items. In 2012 for my Bday and Christmas I got a "Luke I am your father" diorama and Han in Carbonite from Sideshow along with 2 clonetrooper 12" freebies. One of them being a make a wish that my wife sent in to them and they surprised me! Other than that is my projects which I usually buy kits for myself or scratch build myself or sculpt if needed.

Finally joining here makes me grateful for all the hardwork that has gone in to sticky threads. I'm sure many new people take it for granted but I certainly don't. With twoyoung kids, I'd never have time to chart and diagram stencils and all the color matching that people have done. Instead, I would of had to just copy off good reference pictures. My helmet is already better even before I started because of THIS forum and I thank all of you!

My plan for my cold cast helmet is not 100% decided yet. I might end up doing a topical paint job as I've seen awesome ones here. But a layered reverse job might just be what I do as I'm the type that takes each project with the most serious dedication that I can...well as far as a hobby goes.

I noticed one or two people sculpting internal details based off riddell mini-helmet details. I figure that's a nice thing to do one the side on days I can't work on paint or letting things dry. I'll simply be sculpting them in clay, molding in silicone or urethane, casting in a soft but skinned poly-foam from local Smooth-on retail location, and then painting. Just figure since I'm not building a costume and it's for display and showing off....it'll be cooler to show off the custom internal detail even if I only use the molds once. Actually, I'll want to use up the 2-part foam I get so I'm sure I'll give away a bunch of kits or trading if people like them.

Lastly, helmet will reside in my IKEA cast with stand I make or buy and a custom plaque.

I've owned helmets before but out of TONS of projects I've done, I've never actually taken on a helmet project. My long term plan is to finish my Fett, buy a stormtrooper helmet, and then take on a good Vader helmet as a project. Those are the 3 essential old trilogy helmets I want in my collection. Probably don't have space in colletion room for many more but we'll see.

Everyone seems very cool here. Despite many specialized forums out there being giant egos, this one seems to have some very humble and accepting talents here. I usually only share my collection with a few local friends into star wars, my wife, and family. To be on a forum like this is not my usual style but I felt like it was the only way I would be able to accomplish the best Boba Fett helmet I can. I knew I needed to get involved. It's just too detail oriented and there's a lot of reference here to sort through for my purposes.

Thanks for having me and hope everyone is having a good start to 2013!!!
 
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Thank you! Yes I've noticed that! I'm a stay at home dad for the time being so we don't have to pay for daycare. Good thing about a toddler and a newborn is they do sleep occasionally to give me a break. Of course at night I have time for some reading plus I'm going to start printing out relevant threads and documents before I start prepping helmet and getting stencils organized. I don't really understand the stencil transfer method...well I understand how it's done using tracing paper then a special pencil, but in theory I would think I could use a pencil to carefully draw weathering patterns on helmet before I paint. Do people do that freehand with good reference or do they mostly do transfers these days?

Spring is coming up and I'm transferring my collection space into an outdoor shed I'm building to replace to old metal one I have. Inside I'll have a desk with large metal florescent clamp lamp for desk with overhead lights.. So I'll have a nice space to work on projects and use airbrush.

I taught myself SPFX over the past 8 years or so after doing projects like sink tube sabers and blasters in 90s. Even still, the Fett helmet needs a totally different approach. All that time I ignored traditional fine arts, mostly painting on canvas. The other day I did my first painting EVER...A Chewbacca. I need to fix the arm as it's a little wonky near elbow., But finishing this halfway decent showed me that my years of practice and forcing myself to become a better sculptor has sort of rubbed off in other areas I could never accomplish. So my art in general benefitted and if I can finish an OK first Star Wars canvas painting, I know with the right careful planning and slow going I can accomplish a boba fett helmet now too!

Here is painting just to show it off. Not rembrant but I tried hard at least lol

IMAG0489_1.jpg
 
Welcome to TDH! You still have the paint mojo in you, because that Chewbacca looks awesome! Good luck with your Fett helmet!
 
Thank you so much! I figured I saw similar stuff on Etsy for good money and with my budget I could figure it out lol. I've painted resin busts mimicing realistic flesh and eyes and made latex masks from scratch...but I'm intimidated by painting a Fett helmet lol Go figure. I guess it just takes time, planning, patience, etc. I can't stand for mediocre. Drives me crazy. So my only option is to obsess about the Fett paint and do it justice haha. Obsess in my head of course...as if my wife has to listen to me mumble on about little details she will and has told me to shut up.

I usually take on two projects at once a year for my collection. Goal is for one to be a kit and the other from scratch. The other is a very large latex mask sculpture of the Cantina Alien Pons Limbic aka Brainiac. A Rick Baker sculpture I believe and it was just a static mask in movie..no make-up. Just gathering what little reference photos there are but the details in them are all there. They've even made an action figure of him. I mostly do it for my collection but also since I'm on a low budget it would be cool to make a limited # to trade to collectors who like the weird stuff like that.

Anyway thanks again for the compliments. I hate showing off my work to anyone but I am proud of it. My wife is my biggest critic and will tell me if something is not right rather than just say, "wow baby that's amazing!" lol
 
Look for rafalfett's painting templates. They will be very helpful.
 
hi and welcome aboard, im a newbie here myself , and yes they are a friendly bunch and theres loads of info here, ive found the subscribe feature very handy , nice painting skills
regards, cliff
 
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