Are you supposed to paint silver underneath armor?

[mcabrera1275]

For Boba Fett, are you supposed to paint silver color underneath all your armor parts? I've noticed that people primer first then put a coating of silver followed by the regular colors.

Is this how its done? Won't the silver "bleed" through some colors and alter the way the natural color appears?

 

[Art Andrews]

Although this seems to be the route most people take, I honestly believe that the silver was painted on top of the green. If you are patient and do a really good job it is almost impossible to tell the difference. There are some indicators on the ESB helmet that the silver definitely goes on top and not on bottom.

 

[secol FETT]

ahh the colors .... my armor is made with metal, so i not paint with silver, but i paint first yellow then green, and then add the scratchs, holes and all damage, and for the helmet, mine is fiberglass so i paint silver then the others colors and later add the scratchs and damage

 

[Jedi Bob]

I painted mine with a gray primer, them Rust-O-Leum Aluminum, then masked the dents with masking tape, the Spruce Green. Then after a day or 2 slowly peeled the masking off. Any spot that was raised, I gently scratched and flattened with my finger so the paint doesn't peel up. A layer of Testors Dull Coat sealed it up.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Yeah, I have tried the liquid mask silver underneath the main colors, and the results for me were nothing like what you see on either the ROTJ or ESB film suits. I've looked at the ESB helmet thoroughly, and it does in fact appear to be painted topically. The cool thing is that if you look at all the weathering on the ESB helmet you can see a similar pattern in the shapes of the weathering-- patterns with torn curled edges and roundish, clover-like patterns.

 

[Ego]

Well, let me throw this question out to the experts here then . . .

Having not been able to study the helmet in person, if it indeed was painted topically . . . what order would you say the painting was done in? Logic would say that it was done in the reverse order of what it appears to be.

For example on the main part of the helmet:
1. base green
2. darker green
3. metal

Or on the mandibles:
1. Red
2. Purple
3. Grey/Green
4. Metal

 

[webchief]

Well... I think the intent was to show battle damage where the green was flaked off to show the "bare metal" underneath. The helmet and armor in the movie was meant to look good from a slight distance and on film. It was never intended to be poured over like it now is. Keeping this in mind, it makes sense to me to paint the silver under the green to give the base coat or appearance of being made of actual metal. I primed mine, sprayed silver/aluminum and then the greens and such. The best part is the natural weathering that takes place from rubbing and dinging on things. Then the green flakes away or scratches away to reveal the silver underneath. If you didn't do this, you'd be left with just your primer color or worse... the white of the plastic or fiberglass. My silver never shows through the colors on top of it unless I want it to. You just wait for the paints to dry before adding the next coats and where needed, you add more. Just my 2 credits.