My finished Antrock helmet...almost. Big pix.

[jeezycreezy]

Gentlemen (and Ladies) I present to you my finished helmet.

Just thought I'd get some feedback one last time before I give it a final flat clear coat and move on to one of the dozens of other Fett projects I am chomping at the bit to get at!

Things I don't like: The back color sucks and the dent is too big. Some of the mandbile detail looks a little too brushed on than something that would have happened naturally.

Things I do like: Pretty much I am 99% happy with how it turned out. I didn't know I had it in me! I've learned from my mistakes and think I'll be 100% happy with my mystery helmet.

Some of the diry and scratches don't show up. Oh well. Trust me. It looks dirty as hell.

Thanks for looking.

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Updated: (6/14/03)

A fellow member asked me about the colours I used and asked if I could list them all. For his benefit and for anyone else who might be curious, I added them to the helmet section of my little solipsistic web page (just click the helmet link):

http://www.geocities.com/esbfett/

I say it there and I'll say it here: These are just the colours I used. I'm happy with them. But you use them at your own risk.

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Gettin' there, slowly; I still have a lot of detail work to do.

I added the kill bars (which look more orange IRL than here; I used a color called Equipment yellow which blends into a color called School Bus Yellow, which is an orangey yellow) and have done even more weathering.

The ears are just taped on for now. I did a quick and dirty visor in Photoshop 'cos it just plain looks better with a visor.

If I had it to do over I'd have made the dent smaller. But I'm not about to go back now, so it is what it is.

Any input and/or constructive criticism is welcome. Be as kind or cruel as you like -- I can take it.

Thanks for looking!


A big thank you goes to Rogue Studios for his research which led to the discovery of Panzer Oliver Green.


Again, this is just a practice helmet so I'm only trying for accuracy to a point. This is more about learning to paint so I do justice to my mystery helmet.

---------------------------

And here's the original post. I've come a long way in the past couple weeks.
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I need help.

I spent much of the weekend working on painting the back of my helmet. The end result was disastrous. I was expecting it to look bad. But not this bad. Thank God for sandpaper and second chances.

Anyway, I've done searches which turned up nothing.

I spent an hour reading through old helmet posts looking for a painting tutorial. Nada.

There's many great tips, sure, but I just wondered if anyone has disseminated their methods into a tutorial with loads of pictures and explanations in excruciating detail for really paint challenged people such as myself.

I hope this is a case where some clever person comes along, tells me I haven't searched hard enough, and posts links to a dozen helmet painting tutorial threads.

Oh, and I've been to Obi-Wan's Boba Fett section. Their info on painting and weathering a helmet is useful, but it's not that helpful if you're going for screen accuracy. I want to know how to try to closely mimic the weathering on an ESB helmet, not a custom job.

Thanks in advance for anyone's help!

Cheers!
TJ

 

[Bobo]

Once you get my paints (which should be soon!), I'll be able to let you know how I painted mine

Bobo

 

[Ego]

Are you in much of a hurry?

I'm working on a project right now with another member here that should hopefully revolutionize the way we paint our buckets. Imagine having a 99% screen accurate paint job in a weekend (and 95% of that time be just waiting for paint to dry).

But I'm probably going to be another 4 to 6 weeks before I'll have anything more concrete to post though.

In the meantime . . . all I can suggest is a steady hand and a small paintbrush, and some really clear colour printouts from the reference CD!

Jer

 

[Han Hunter]

Ego wrote:

I'm working on a project right now with another member here that should hopefully revolutionize the way we paint our buckets. Imagine having a 99% screen accurate paint job in a weekend (and 95% of that time be just waiting for paint to dry).

Don't tell me, you've talked Vashdstampede into doing a decal that goes over the entire helmet with all the weathering already printed on it? The man's a maniac!

Si

 

[Ego]

That's an even better idea . . . . don't have to paint at all! hahaha

 

[jeezycreezy]

Thanks to both of you, especially Bobo for sourcing the paint for me. I've always said this place rocks, but that's only because everyone's so darned helpful.

I'm not in a hurry. I've been planning on doing Fett for a long while, but I've only been actively working on and buying parts for my Boba Fett for a month now.

I have a long, loooooooooong road ahead of me.

I'm currently practicing painting on a recast fiberglass DP95. I've got a mystery helmet on its way, but I don't want to touch that until I'm confident that I can do it justice.

My only real time constraint is the season. It gets a little cold in my garage in the winter.

Anyway, I'm very curious about your project. Care to elaborate? Or are you just gonna stick with the teaser trailer for now?

I made a couple of photo quality color corrected digital prints of the helmet for reference. Part of me wishes I could just cut them up and glue them to the helmet.

Cheers!
TJ

 

[Ego]

Teaser trailer for now! Since it seems like it's all the rage to dangle a carrot then clam up! hehehe

But, until I'm 100% this will work (so far I'm at about 95%), and I've done all the initial leg work (which I'm only at about 20%) . . . I don't want to say too much.

But, it will be worth the wait!

Jer

 

[Defiler]

Cool Ego, once you are ready to post this new method I will be returning back home and ready to start painting my helmet.
But I am not afraid of the airbrush if it dosent work.

 

[VashDstampede]

Don't tell me, you've talked Vashdstampede into doing a decal that goes over the entire helmet with all the weathering already printed on it? The man's a maniac!

Si

:rolleyes

 

[Jangos kid]

You know what would be cool, if we had some sort of pre-cut masking stickers that were accurate. You know, a set of pre-cut weathering stickers for silver weathering, another set for grey, etc, etc. You would paint your bucket silver 1st, then apply all the silver masking stickers, then paint grey, then apply all the grey masking stickers, then the primary colors. when done, you just remove all the stickers & end up w/ a really nice & accurate layered job. I've tried this w/ cutting my own masking, and the resuls are pretty good as far as layer quality, just can't ever get the shapes to look right. I would think someone like vash could produce some really accurate masking kits! Is that kinda what you guys were working on?

 

[Darth Squeet]

Han Hunter wrote:
Don't tell me, you've talked Vashdstampede into doing a decal that goes over the entire helmet with all the weathering already printed on it? The man's a maniac!

Si

ROFLMAO
How sweet and easy would that be!!

 

[msquared]

Defiler wrote:
But I am not afraid of the airbrush if it dosent work.

you will be...you will be...



If you are using spray paints i could tell you how I did my helmet.

 

[jrnymanprotector]

Hey TJ!

Sorry I've been out of touch a bit, finally moved me out of solitary confinement, so my days of sitting on the comp all day are a thing of the past...

Did you take any pics of the helmet you painted? Some pics might help us see where you went wrong and maybe offer more precise advice on how to do it better.

Although I'm holding out for the full-size templates too

Phil

 

[jeezycreezy]

Pictures? Eek! Might be able to post some tomorrow. If you all promise not to laugh.

'Til then, here's what I did:

I used a few light coats of light grey primer. I sanded it lightly and then sprayed on a light coat of metallic spray paint.

I traced and cut out various weathering shapes in masking tape; I did the back last, and since this is my "training helmet" and I'd spent four hours cutting masking tape, it's not as detailed as the front and sides.

I then painted gold spray paint which I toned down with a mist of the grey primer.

There is gold on the back...isn't there? Or, if not gold, a kind of light mustardy yellow? I haven't seen the backs of enough people's helmets to say for sure, but it seems like a lot of people don't used any gold, but it looks like there is to me:

Anyway, when that dried I masked off some gold areas.

I then painted my greenish blue color on. What I most notably did wrong came down to what I have always done wrong any time I have painted: Impatience.

I started off with light coats, but after three I got bored and went too heavy. So it's too thick in some areas and on certain angles under the light you can clearly see streaks.

After my last coat I misted on some flat black spray paint.

When I removed the tape, I discovered that a lot of the greenish blue color bled under the tape.

I then tried to topically apply the greyish color, but it looks exactly like what it is: Someone painted blobs of grey on it; looks about as convincing as a CGI Hulk.

I'm considering buying this:

http://www.internethobbies.com/internethobbies/tesmodcarspr.html

It's cheap and might help with the streaking problem as well as bleeding under the tape; does anyone know if it works?

So, yeah. I totally suck at this. But I'm so determined to do a Fett that I refuse to be discouraged, not when I've got a support system like TDH.

Cheers!
TJ

 

[Defiler]

1.Mabe liquid masking will turn out better than masking tape for the battle damage.

2.As for the gold on the back of the helmet... I have never heard of it. Gold is only used on the right ear piece.

3.Maybe you used a bad quality tape for covering the areas of your helmet and that is why the paint bled into other areas but that is not supposed to happend unless there was excesive paint.

4.Remember to let the paint dry before giving it another coat of paint. It is impossible to finish painting a helmet in just a day.

Remember take your time.

 

[jeezycreezy]

Thanks for the input Defiler -- it's much appreciated.

1. Masking tape allowed me to cut the shapes I wanted more precisely. If that airbrush thing I posted works as I hope it does, paint bleed shouldn't be an issue. If it is an issue then it's on to plan B: liquid masking.

2. If it's not gold, then what is the shiny yellowish color in this picture:

It's more pronounced in this shot than in some others, I'll admit, but there's some kind of yellowy color there...isn't there?

3. I tried a couple types of masking tape and used the one with the most stick to it. I'm positive it was due to excessive paint.

4. I'm not sure if it's that I don't have patience, or if it's just that I love working on Star Wars costumes so much that my addiction prevents me from walking away when I should.

Cheers!
TJ

 

[motorfish]

Defiler:

The color on the right earpiece is in fact the same color, or extremely similar to the color that's on the lower-back portion of the helmet. It's a very diffused off-gold color.

 

[jeezycreezy]

motorfish wrote:
Defiler:

The color on the right earpiece is in fact the same color, or extremely similar to the color that's on the lower-back portion of the helmet. It's a very diffused off-gold color.

That's what I thought:

Cheers!
TJ

 

[jeezycreezy]

Brace yourselves -- this is gonna be a rough one! :wacko

Before you look at my personal disater, bear in mind that I know it's crap and that this helmet is more about learning to paint than in getting it screen accurate the first time.

Also it will be sanded this weekend and all memory of it forgotten about and/or denied.

[pix edited out -- see above]

Advice is appreciated. Laughter and public humliation...not so much.

Cheers!
TJ

 

[Ego]

Jeezy, I hate to burst your bubble, but, it doesn't look THAT bad. Maybe it's worse in real life, or I'm just a "glass half full" kind of guy, but, it doesn't look that bad.

It looks like your masking went over pretty well, but probably just applied the paint on a little thick is all. But the shapes and placement of the weathering look good. The hours you spent doing that definitely paid off.

I think the only advice I can give is lighter coats of paint. Applying with an airbrush might help out with that a bit too.

Don't beat yourself up too much man. That looks a helluva lot better than my first two painting attempts did!

Jer