Comission to paint a helmet?

[GeekPastor]

Quick question... if I were thinking of having someone paint my boba helmet for me, how much would we be looking at?

I havent decided to do this yet, I'm just weighing out my options and budget.

 

[Bubba Fett]

Hey, that's a good question. I always wondered myself what some of the artisans here would charge for that kind of thing. After tackling my son's helmet I am not sure I am up for doing my own anytime soon. I know my wife is not! (lol)

 

[Boba Fett]

It really depends on how you are wanting to paint it for you. Take for instance if you use some of the very well know and talented helmet/armor producers it is going to run you in the $1,000's to buy a helmet and have them paint it for you. I think in this area you are better off buying a helmet that has already been painted and the paint job is excellent, or buying a helmet and painting it yourself.

 

[joshcube]

I'll do it for $150 plus shipping :wacko.... of course I've never painted one before.

 

[Wes]

on average $450

 

[Hammer of Might]

ouch! When I painted an ROTJ a while back I only charged 100!

 

[stormtrooperguy]

ouch! When I painted an ROTJ a while back I only charged 100!

wow... you either paint REALLY fast sell yourself short!

thinking about my helmet, i probably spent 18 hours or so on it. figuring my time is worth around 40 - 50 an hour, that comes out to a whole lot more than anyone would want to pay for me to paint their helmet

 

[Boba Fett]

wow... you either paint REALLY fast sell yourself short!

thinking about my helmet, i probably spent 18 hours or so on it. figuring my time is worth around 40 - 50 an hour, that comes out to a whole lot more than anyone would want to pay for me to paint their helmet

Yeah I have heard that some of the really high profile helmet makers/painters put about 150-180 hours into a helmet and charge about 10-11 dollars an hour. So do the math.

 

[Hammer of Might]

wow... you either paint REALLY fast sell yourself short!

thinking about my helmet, i probably spent 18 hours or so on it. figuring my time is worth around 40 - 50 an hour, that comes out to a whole lot more than anyone would want to pay for me to paint their helmet

I sold myself way short!

 

[evan4218]

IMO a truly accurate helmet from start to finish including finsihing work comes in at about 100 hours give or take. That means stenciling out every last nick and scratch, custom made decals, proper layering of colors... and weathering both with a ultra fine brush and a light wash.

Just winging the paint job by eyeballing it will cut the time in a thrid or less.

As far as cost... I think you get what you pay for as far as time investment in your helmet goes. And yes... $1000 minimum for a great paintjob including cost of bucket and in some cases just for the paintjob.

I, my self have raised my rate based off leanring from painting many buckets and refining my style and use of stencils that is time consuming but results in VERY accurate results.

Each artist will charge differently. I did my first bucket for cost of paints and bondo only! Just to figure it out. That was 4-5 helmets ago.

Just like any artform your paying for the time and experince. Some folks think the BM helmet that Daz had Steve the Sweed paint was to pricy, I say it was a steal considering the time put into it.

 

[Boba Fett]

I say it was a steal considering the time put into it.

You're right about that evan.

 

[GrottyFurball]

how much did he charge?

 

[Spideyfett]

how much did he charge?

Not Enough ...seriously...

I don't think saying in an open forum would be cool....
you should PM him..

 

[joshcube]

Hmmm... maybe my offer to do one for $150 isn't that far-fetched afterall.

Anyone willing to take a chance on my first one turning out great? :wacko Anyone?... Anyone?... Bueller?

I could sure use the practice!

 

[pghfett]

WOW - $1000.00 for a paint job/bucket
I had no idea....."EDIT" (not that this is bad, just that I'm surprised because of how much I charge for a BARC paint up )

it appears it depends on the "quality" of the paint job you want and how accurate you want it. So if your asking for a paint job, perhaps being more specific about the quality and accuracy you want is in order. Perhaps you should say how much you willing to spend on the paint up via a PM, this would determine how much time the artist can put into it.

Fett helmets, even with a mediocre paint job, are VERY intensive and can easily become very costly when figuring in an hourly rate.

Some people do paint ups for the fun of having the project funded, just having a chance to do the project. To others, it's like a business.


I charge $100.00 for a BARC paint up like seen in my avatar, but then again, it's a labor of love, not a business...:love

 

[Bubba Fett]

Yeah, when I painted my kids helmet it probably took about 50 to 60 hours (and I'll bet I am underestimating actually) I could do it faster now that I have a better sense of it, but it is still very time consuming. Sounds like the best deal would be to buy one of the painted ones that show up in the Cargo Hold every once in a while.

I, my self have raised my rate based off leanring from painting many buckets and refining my style and use of stencils that is time consuming but results in VERY accurate results. Each artist will charge differently. I did my first bucket for cost of paints and bondo only! Just to figure it out. That was 4-5 helmets ago.

So Evan, if I sent you A LOT of Bondo would that cover it then? Hey, I will even throw in some paint brushes!

 

[evan4218]

Yeah, when I painted my kids helmet it probably took about 50 to 60 hours (and I'll bet I am underestimating actually) I could do it faster now that I have a better sense of it, but it is still very time consuming. Sounds like the best deal would be to buy one of the painted ones that show up in the Cargo Hold every once in a while.



So Evan, if I sent you A LOT of Bondo would that cover it then? Hey, I will even throw in some paint brushes!

LOL

 

[Jimmy BufFETT]

Yeah, when I painted my kids helmet it probably took about 50 to 60 hours (and I'll bet I am underestimating actually) I could do it faster now that I have a better sense of it, but it is still very time consuming.

This is a big reason why I pay somebody else to paint my armor. It is very time consuming, you need to purchase the paints which means you have to find them (difficult to do in portions of Arizona), purchase all of the supplies to paint it, and have the skill to paint it correctly.

Hmmm ... after reading what I just wrote, I think it's actually cheaper to pay BM to paint my stuff.

 

[GeekPastor]

I already own the helmet.. I was just thinking of shipping it to someone and have them paint it...

But I really can't afford a grand to have someone else do it... I'll just have to do it myself. I was just concerned because I couldn't paint my bathroom without messing it up some, and I still can't figure out the painting stencils and how to use them...

 

[Spideyfett]

I already own the helmet.. I was just thinking of shipping it to someone and have them paint it...

But I really can't afford a grand to have someone else do it... I'll just have to do it myself. I was just concerned because I couldn't paint my bathroom without messing it up some, and I still can't figure out the painting stencils and how to use them...

I don't think many of the top painters even come close to a "Grand" (some do)..I think EVAN was just trying to make a point that all painters charge differently.....
Some Charge by the hour. Other's like myself just charge a flat rate...
Some are cheaper, while others are more....But to me ALL are relative to the skill and time envolved for the services they provide.
It's really all about what you're willing to pay.....
EVAN said it best "you get what you pay for"....
Some painters also work in Trade, or will even work on payment arrangements .....

Just like there are people who supply Jet Packs, Armor, and Fett Buckets, there are those that offer other skills........from Painters, to seamstresses', to electronics....and all should get paid for what their time and effort are worth.