Superjedi's GMH as ESB for Steveo4529

Thanks guys!

UPDATE: August 6, 2013

Now we're gettin' somewhere. Got the dome and cheek color airbrushed on, along with the
first weathering pass.



This first weathering pass consists of airbrushing a slightly lightened mix of the base color in diffuse,
cloudy patterns. This color will be further muddied during later weathering.
What you see in the picture is more contrasty than it appears in person. There's some reflection from
my hobby room window bouncing off the helmet, so it seems to exaggerate the difference between
the base color and the weathering color. I wish I had a decent spot to take some good photos.

Next I'll begin adding the gray and silver damage areas on the dome, followed by the inner cheeks.

UPDATE: August 9, 2013

Been a few days, but I've been working on the helmet where I can. I've gotten some damage
areas completed on the back of the dome, just hadn't had time to take pics and update the thread.

Here are a couple of angles.



I'm using Bright Silver and a custom gray mixed from my Polly Scale color from the back panels.
I've also added the fine physical scratches using my compass point. These may look a little
bright and stark, but after further weathering, they'll be toned down.



Since the weekend is coming up, I'll be able to spend more time with the helmet. Next up I'll continue
moving around the dome to do the small area just in front of the right ear and the cat scratch.
One of my favorite features!

Very nice SJ!

Thanks 22!

UPDATE: August 11,2013

Alright, I'm calling it a weekend. Got a bunch done on the dome. I've worked my
way around from the back of the helmet beginning with the area just in front of the
RF ear arch. Then I did the cat scratch and the "network" of other damage around
and above it. This is one of my favorite areas on the helmet.



I moved on around to the area above the turn signals next. This is a pretty small area to do,
and there are some even smaller gray and silver chips around the triangles themselves. I haven't
done the physical scratches surrounding this area yet.



Above and below, you can see that I did the dent and the streak that angles back from it.



There are still some small details that will be added to the dent, including a bit of the contrasting
pale color, and some pastel weathering. That will be added close to the end of the entire paint job.

The next area I'll do is the big scrape across the top of the dome. Then I'll paint the outer cheeks, and
work on the cheek damage. Once I complete all the gray/silver it will be killstripe time!

UPDATE: August 13, 2013

Still moving along. Got the big scrape on top of the dome done. Here are two angles of that.





Just a few more details to do on the dome. But what remains is very closely associated with
the killstripes, so I'll complete the gray/silver once the killstripes are on.

I've also gotten the outer cheeks painted. As usual, I do this with a flat soft 1/2 inch brush.
Two coats of PRR Brunswick Green covered very nicely. The white spots you see on the mandibles
are where I carved in the physical damage with a very sharp X-acto blade.



Tomorrow I'll begin stenciling and painting the damage on the cheek sections.

It's gettin' there, Steve!

Looking awesome!

Well in this case, yours is the most important opinion, Steve. Glad you're liking it so far.

UPDATE: August 14, 2013

Boba is beginning to look a bit. . . cheeky! Get it??? Cheeky. . Bwaa-ha-haa!!
OK, just losing my mind a bit.

Got the right cheek details added. The damage around the outer edges of the darker
section will be done once the mandibles have their base coat applied.



Tomorrow, the left cheek.

UPDATE: August 16, 2013

This update is even cheekier than the last!
I like doing the left cheek. For some reason, it strikes me as visually very interesting.
I don't know what it is exactly, but the damage patterns look really cool in this section.



The inner cheek features an additional custom color. The portion that extends down the outside
is a slightly different tone than the other gray damage. I took some of the gray that I use for the
majority of the damage and added a bit of my dark back panel green until it took on a slightly
greener-gray appearance. This is the only place (that I can tell) that this subtly different color appears.

Now that the helmet is at this stage, I'll mask the rear panels and outer cheeks and go back for
the second weathering pass on the dome and inner cheeks. They'll get another application of the
slightly lightened base color, and a bit of spattering. Then it will be killstripe time.

Looking amazing!

I agree that the left cheek is very interesting. The custom grey/green downward arch is one of my favourite features. So much more intricate than it appears at first glance.

Eric you are a freakin maestro at this point. Beautiful work!

Thanks guys.

UPDATE: August 18, 2013

Got a couple of stages to show in this update. First of all. . . killstripes!
The left side of the dome had been looking pretty blank until now. I've described
my masking method for the stripes in another thread, so I won't go into it again here.



The stripes were done with UP Armor Yellow, and then the rearmost stripes were given a
misting of a Polly Scale orange. I have 2 orange colors that are really close in appearance,
and since there's such a small amount used, I tend to just grab whichever bottle is closest.



Now that the stripes are on, I can go back and finish the gray/silver damage on that portion
of the helmet. It's a relatively small area, but there's a lot of detail mingled in with the stripes!

I also did a little construction work. Steve had sent me a genuine MQ-1 calculator to incorporate
into this helmet. I removed the circuit board and began prepping it for installation. After discussing
it with Steve, I chopped the lower half of the board. In the MoM and AoSW pics, the bottom half
of the circuit board is just a blank, flat surface. Once I chopped the board, I was left with this section.



I couldn't just suspend this part inside the helmet by magic, so I built a mounting platform for it.
The reverse side of the circuit board has a rectangular protrusion. This is actually the screen for
the calculator. I didn't want to remove the screen, so I cut a rectangular hole in a piece of Sintra
so the screen would protrude through, allowing the remainder of the board to sit flush.



Here's the circuit board in place on the Sintra. Nothing is glued in place yet at this point.



I measured the keyslot area on the helmet and cut the Sintra so that it would extend a little
beyond the limits of the keyslot openings.



I wanted to bring the lower section flush with the actual circuit board, so I cut a rectangle
out of some styrene sheet. This gave it just enough additional thickness.





Here's the whole assembly held up to the back of the helmet.



Later in the project, I'll determine the exact positioning for this platform, then add some
small stand-offs in the corners. This will allow me to attach the assembly into the helmet
and it will be reinforced with some epoxy putty.

I'm hoping to get the remainder of the gray and silver around the killstripes done today, and
then tomorrow should be Mandible Monday!

That is SA-WEEET!!!

'Mandible Monday'...I like that. Heh, Heh...

Great, Now I've got that **** Bangles song stuck in my head! THANKS, ERIC!

SJ, awesome detail adding the MQ. I love it

Thanks! Once the mandibles are painted it will really change the overall appearance.

AFettFullofDollars said:

Great, Now I've got that **** Bangles song stuck in my head! THANKS, ERIC!

Click to expand...

You're welcome!!

UPDATE: August 19, 2013

Just another mandible Monday!
Lots of masking, taping, double checking, airbrushing, and unmasking. . .



I love blue painters tape!

I began some of the detailing on the keyslot area today, too. Didn't have a whole lot
of time this afternoon, but I got the gray and darker PRR Maroon color down. I'll do the
silver tomorrow, and then start working on the band.

Beautiful work. Another paint thread I'll be watching and looking forward to the progress.

Thanks Fig!

UPDATE: August 22, 2013

Here's a couple of afternoons' worth of progress. I've completed the keyslot area and I'm
beginning to work on the rear half of the band. I have the central section done so far.



I'll work my way outward on both sides until all of the areas behind the ear platforms are complete.
It's getting closer. . .

I gotta say amazing work! Awesome thread can't get enough of this . Again just wow !

Thanks G2BF!

UPDATE: August 23, 2013

Took a day off work today for my birthday, and before the festivities later, I spent some
time in the painting zone. I continued working on the red band and completed all of the
areas behind the ear platforms.

Here's the left side. The white thumbprints will come closer to the end of the paintwork.



The opposite side. It's pretty odd how little red actually remains once all the damage is added!



This weekend I'll begin working on the red band above the T-visor, and then the mandibles.

Hey Eric What color green are you using for the left ear these days?