As You Wish Artist Highlight - Volpin Props

Art Andrews

Community Founder
Community Staff
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Welcome to the first of our Artist Highlights from the As You Wish Helmet Project! If you don't know what the project is, please click here to learn more! This helmet along with 49 others will be displayed a Star Wars: Celebration VI in Orlando, FL from Aug 23-26. Starting Monday, August 27 these helmets will be auctioned on eBay by the Make-A-Wish Foundation with 100% of the proceeds going to support Make-A-Wish.

Please be sure to LIKE us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/asyouwishproj

Artist Overview
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Company: Volpin Props

Artist: Harrison Krix

Website: www.volpinprops.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VolpinProps
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/volpinprops
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/volpin






TDH: Tell us a bit about yourself and your company.

Krix: I started Volpin Props in 2008 as a side hobby, but it has turned into the full time job for me. Since starting this hobby-turned-job four years ago, I have endeavored to educate others on all the things I've learned along the way. While I deal mostly in video game related items, there is only one driving force behind the creations stemming from my garage: make cool stuff.

I'm a self-taught one-man shop. Working out of half a garage and most of a home office, I love bringing things from the imaginary into our world. Nothing beats holding your favorite space gun, and somehow I've managed to steer my life into making a living at that sort of thing. I'd like to dedicate my contribution to this project to my mother and father, who taught me not only why hard work is important, but also how to go about doing it.


TDH: What drew you to the As You Wish Helmet Project?

Krix: Well... um... you came to me.


TDH: Haha. That is true. We did. What motivated you to accept our invitation?

Krix: I have done a lot of work over the past couple of years for a charity called Child's Play which is video game oriented, but in my previous job I never had the time to be as involved as I would like. Now that I have my own business I have more time to participate in charity projects and it is nice to do something more than just writing a check. Beyond that, standing in the same company of some of the other artists involved in this project is both humbling and very cool and I wouldn't miss this opportunity for the world!


TDH: What was your inspiration for the Dovah Fett helmet?

Krix: The world of the video game Skyrim is one of horned helmets, battle-worn armor, and lots of undead. The Boba Fett helmet lends itself easily to a transformation into this aesthetic, and I wanted to show a piece that has lived a hard life. I wanted to convey something one might find in a tomb, a remnant from a skirmish hundreds of years past. Time has taken a toll on the metal work, especially around the area of the visor which was pierced when delivering the fatal blow. This is presented as though it has just been unearthed; dirty, corroded, and heavily damaged. The cracked horn is another showcase of a battle long since over, and likely not won.


TDH: Tell us a little about the process of creating this helmet.

Krix: I didn't restructure the helmet in any grand sense. There is still a lot of Boba in there. As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to make the helmet look ancient. I have done so much pristine and chromed work with things like Daft Punk that doing something with texture and weathering was alluring. Most of my time was spent with a dremel and a ball bits drilling thousands of small holes to create the damage and pitting. I also grafted the dent from one side to the other just to differentiate my helmet from others and to make hardcore Fett enthusiasts pause to take a second look.

I wanted to give the helmet an organic feel by adding the horns which were juxtaposed against the aged copper and green corrosion. This whole project was a big experiment for me and a learning lesson for weathering and creating texture. The texture was created with a natural sponge, lots of copper and about 15 washes. It was a lot of fun just to play with the piece and I am quite proud of the final result.

Progress photos of Harrison's helmet for the As You Wish Project:

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See more photos at Harrison's flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/volpinprops/sets/72157629823557494/

Harrison has also created a detailed blog post about the creation of the Dovah Fett helmet. Check it out here: http://www.volpinprops.blogspot.com/2012/06/dovahfett-for-make-wish.html

TDH: Now that the helmet is finished, if there is one thing you could change or do differently, what would it be?

Krix: As much of a cop out as this is, it seems that horns and skulls are a theme in a number of the helmets for this project, and if I had a chance to do it again, I would love to work with a concept designer to create a different design that was a little more creative and less predictable. I also might have liked more time with the horns. As I said, organic shapes are new for me, and I would have liked to have spent more time with the horns sculpts, maybe creating two or three more sets before deciding on a final look. Still, I am very happy with how it turned out overall.


TDH: With your helmet finished, what is your next project?

Krix: Right now I am gearing up for Dragon Con and I am still on a Skyrim kick. I am currently working on a Skyrim based ax and another helmet with horns as well as the iron armor from Skyrim and another set of armor from Dragon Age II.


The finished Dovah Fett helmet:
Click images for a closer view. This helmet will be available for sale via eBay starting Monday, August 27 with 100% of the proceeds going to support Make-A-Wish.

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Keep coming back for more Artist Highlights as well as final helmet photos from the As You Wish Helmet Project!
 
Its an awesome Helmet, Viking Fett... I have been watching its development on his FB page, along with his other props.... I want his laser cutter! very cool.
 
exelente trabajo, me gustaria saberque ocupan para participar, por que me gustaria en un futuro crear un casco para estre proyecto :)
 
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