I have a finished helmet that I just put up in my store, ready for immediate shipping. You can find the link in my profile. I don't pretend to hold a candle to the fantastic archival-quality painters like TF, superjedi, or some of the other greats on here, but it's a fine trooping-quality helmet if I do say so myself.
If you would like the highest quality archival helm though, then yeah, a FPH2 with a commissioned paintjob as most will recommend is definitely the way to go. The price and wait times will of course reflect that though. As rnbuba said, matter of what your quality and price points are.