Ponte and rnbuda's SE/ESB Paint-up: May 1 UPDATE *Main Helmet Done!*
- Thread starter Ponte
- Start date
Fett 4 Real
Sr Hunter
He mixes the paint you won't be getting an exact paint color by any means.
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I'll try my best to ballpark ratios, but this will absolutely be a process of "OK, a few more drops of this......now a few more of this".
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Another update during this near-zero weather! Love it when it's so cold you HAVE to stay inside and work on props all day.
I've decided to make this thread a "tandem build"; I'll be including MY Special Edition paint-up as well since they're both ESB helmets and I won't have to make another thread for you all to sift through.
So a little on what I've got going on with the SE:
As many of you know, the ESB took some nasty dings to it while it was casted for the ROTJ stunt helmet, as well as poor handling in the archives/museum tours throughout the years. Not only do we see extra blemishes and damage, we also see hairline cracks, repairs, epoxy/glue residue (that is VERY much three-dimensional in application...more on that later), and bulging/warping. Two prominent areas that are bulged AND cracked are on the right back panels/visor trim:
Bulge spots are replicated on my helmet using Bondo. Once the back panels are completely painted, they'll be DEEPLY cut into to replicate the crack of the helmet.
Now on to one of the most unique features of the SE helmet...the visor trim crack repair. Whatever glue they used did NOT age well (hell, it probably looked that gunky to begin with), and it was liberally slathered onto it. A lot of people have mixed feelings on these Frankenstein-looking features of this helmet; personally, I love it.
To replicate the raised "plateau" going to the right of the crack, I had to add in some Bondo using a foam stencil to create the sharp increase. After some furious sanding and some JB Weld to create the "wisps" of glue, we get this :
Now that everything is taped up, it's time to start one of the most infuriating parts of the ESB paint-up: the back panels. There isn't a more "Hey, I need my stencils to line up perfectly EVERY LAYER or else this thing will look jacked up" area on a Boba paint-up than the back panels, so I need to be precise. After 20 print-outs of minute sizing in photo-shop to get Rafal's stencils perfectly lined up to the FPH2, I was ready for the first layer: the base light gray. It's either the primer that was used or the gelcoat. Either way, it looks different in almost EVERY photo: light gray, light blue, mint green, mint blue. Since I'm using a darker color scheme for these new line of helmets, and going back to Art's photo that I first posted, I determined that the color is in fact a light blue/gray. The color I chose was "Lichtblau RLM 76". It's a lot less "vibrant" when in daylight, but I'm very happy with this color.
I've decided to make this thread a "tandem build"; I'll be including MY Special Edition paint-up as well since they're both ESB helmets and I won't have to make another thread for you all to sift through.
So a little on what I've got going on with the SE:
As many of you know, the ESB took some nasty dings to it while it was casted for the ROTJ stunt helmet, as well as poor handling in the archives/museum tours throughout the years. Not only do we see extra blemishes and damage, we also see hairline cracks, repairs, epoxy/glue residue (that is VERY much three-dimensional in application...more on that later), and bulging/warping. Two prominent areas that are bulged AND cracked are on the right back panels/visor trim:
Bulge spots are replicated on my helmet using Bondo. Once the back panels are completely painted, they'll be DEEPLY cut into to replicate the crack of the helmet.
Now on to one of the most unique features of the SE helmet...the visor trim crack repair. Whatever glue they used did NOT age well (hell, it probably looked that gunky to begin with), and it was liberally slathered onto it. A lot of people have mixed feelings on these Frankenstein-looking features of this helmet; personally, I love it.
To replicate the raised "plateau" going to the right of the crack, I had to add in some Bondo using a foam stencil to create the sharp increase. After some furious sanding and some JB Weld to create the "wisps" of glue, we get this :
Now that everything is taped up, it's time to start one of the most infuriating parts of the ESB paint-up: the back panels. There isn't a more "Hey, I need my stencils to line up perfectly EVERY LAYER or else this thing will look jacked up" area on a Boba paint-up than the back panels, so I need to be precise. After 20 print-outs of minute sizing in photo-shop to get Rafal's stencils perfectly lined up to the FPH2, I was ready for the first layer: the base light gray. It's either the primer that was used or the gelcoat. Either way, it looks different in almost EVERY photo: light gray, light blue, mint green, mint blue. Since I'm using a darker color scheme for these new line of helmets, and going back to Art's photo that I first posted, I determined that the color is in fact a light blue/gray. The color I chose was "Lichtblau RLM 76". It's a lot less "vibrant" when in daylight, but I'm very happy with this color.
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superjedi
Sr Hunter
Wow, that's some serious prep work!
I like that RLM 76. It appears to have a great gray-blue tone in the photos. But nice and
desaturated, rather than rich.
I think I have a bottle of that somewhere. . . can't quite remember what I picked it up for, though.
I like that RLM 76. It appears to have a great gray-blue tone in the photos. But nice and
desaturated, rather than rich.
I think I have a bottle of that somewhere. . . can't quite remember what I picked it up for, though.
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Just a quick update: Silver is applied! Humbrol 11 is by far my favorite silver to use for Bobas, and here's why: it's the only silver paint I've come across that has the same "sparkle" that that the original helmets and armor had. It's very hard to explain, but the original props had shimmers of "rainbow" colors in it at certain angles that contributed to the sparkling effect. I'm also beyond pleased with how the base gray/blue looks next to the silver.
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Necronaut
Hunter
Hey Ponte,
I have just started trying Humbrol 11 as the silver base for Fett armor. However, it seems that the metal fleck size is quite large and there's not that much fleck in the paint. It comes out almost looking light a gray instead, with only a slight metallic sheen to it. This is after stirring the paint for 5 minutes in a figure 8 motion and airbrushing it on with enamel thinners. Is that the way it looks, or do I have a bad tin of paint?
I'm going back to my FPH2 helmet, and I'm hoping to have it done by the summer. I'm just looking for good advice from an expert who uses Humbrol paints.
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Jayvee
Active Hunter
Hey Ponte,
I have just started trying Humbrol 11 as the silver base for Fett armor. However, it seems that the metal fleck size is quite large and there's not that much fleck in the paint. It comes out almost looking light a gray instead, with only a slight metallic sheen to it. This is after stirring the paint for 5 minutes in a figure 8 motion and airbrushing it on with enamel thinners. Is that the way it looks, or do I have a bad tin of paint?
I'm going back to my FPH2 helmet, and I'm hoping to have it done by the summer. I'm just looking for good advice from an expert who uses Humbrol paints.
Do understand that Humbrol 11 really starts to 'pop' once your other colours are layered over the top.
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terminal fettler
Active Hunter
Hey Ponte,
I have just started trying Humbrol 11 as the silver base for Fett armor. However, it seems that the metal fleck size is quite large and there's not that much fleck in the paint. It comes out almost looking light a gray instead, with only a slight metallic sheen to it. This is after stirring the paint for 5 minutes in a figure 8 motion and airbrushing it on with enamel thinners. Is that the way it looks, or do I have a bad tin of paint?
I'm going back to my FPH2 helmet, and I'm hoping to have it done by the summer. I'm just looking for good advice from an expert who uses Humbrol paints.
Humbrol have changed the formula of silver no.11. You are right, it's not as metallic as it used to be and has a grayish look to it. Once the colour layers go on however it is difficult to notice the difference...
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After a week of mixing, matching, and fine-tuning like a mad scientist in his shop, I've come up with the colors that I feel accurately represent the back panel colors in daylight conditions, minimal flash. My Special Edition bucket was the test dummy for all future commissions, and I couldn't be happier with the results. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the back panels are the bane of most Fett painters' existence. The amount of steel wool spot-buffing to get the right amount of tan to show through is laborious, as it was done haphazardly by Joe Johnston to where certain areas have it heavier than others. Also, the amount of nicks, blemishes, and cracks the ESB has endured over the years makes hand-brush/exacto scoring a must. There's 1 or 2 spots that I want to apply some texture to (looks like adhesive residue) when I do a final once-over of the helmet.
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