Painting Question for VashDstampede

[Megalomaniac Mando]

I remember reading that you were a sign painter with your father, yes? And that you airbrushed? There is a thread going about painting helmets, and what type of masking material works. What's your opinion of frisket tape for masking the helmet damage? Would the curve make laying the stuff flat and avoiding a "bleed" difficult? This would apply to all painting applications on Fett stuff. What would be your choice for masking materials? Forgive me if I seem to pry, but you may be our resident expert on industrial style stuff in this department.

 

[VashDstampede]

Yup, been working with my dad since I was 13, almost 12 years now, but expert? No. There are guys in this forum that is more experienced in the helmet/armor painting art. I have not even painted my first helmet yet.
I mainly do silk-screening work and cutting vinyl lettering/designs using our plotters here at the shop. I dabble in airbrushing as a hobby and sometimes when requested by the customers. I have used frisket , but only on flat surfaces. It's a low tac material so I don't know if it will work too well on any curved surfaces that Fett has, but if you can lay it in strips where the curves are and get a good contact with what you're painting then cut out your pattern, it shouldn't be a problem.

Airbrushing usually minimizes bleeding as long as you do light coats at a time. Airbrushers I know who work with helmets usually use masking tape(Only if the paint you're putting it on can withstand the adhesive without peeling off)
I personally use latex rubber (you can buy at any hobby store) as a brush on masking for the models that I have done and it works great. This is probably the way I will do my first helmet.
Just my two cents.

 

[Megalomaniac Mando]

Great! Thanks for the advice . I use latex rubber as well, but most of my airbrushing is either one solid color or weathering/damage. At the odd times that I need a sharp line, I either use good 'ol masking tape, or just hold a piece of cardboard against the line and shoot at an angle along the flat. I've never used frisket tape, but figured you'd know about it. Glad I asked.