Superjedi's MF ESB for TK71321

They're great! Some of the best paints I've used.
I think them a bit for airbrushing and they lay down really smooth and give nice coverage.
I hand brush the gray damage on my helmets and the SP Lark gray brushes easily right out of the bottle.
 
I got the RF lights installed and tested the setup. The red lights are red and the white lights are white. There's only one red light on in the pic because they're flashy flashies.

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I do paint them. After all I'm trying to replicate a very specific look.
If you've gotten to see a casting of the screen used helmet, you can see there's a raised oval shape on the red band where the thumbprint is. It must have been some pretty thick paint that got dripped on the helmet.
I start by painting the oval flat white. It's very opaque white in the reference pics.
Once that dries I use a more translucent white and start building up the part that looks smeared. I do this on the upper mark too. The one that's smeared across the killstripes.
I make sure to let some of the underlying colors show through.
 
This is the first thread of yours that I've actively watched, and this is gonna sound weird but, seeing each block of damage appear on the helmet makes me really appreciate not only the work you do, but also the original paintjob. Although I'm sure the original didn't have nearly as much thought behind it...
 
Thanks for watching! The original painters got things done in a hurry, and they weren't following a pattern like those of us who paint replicas.

I got the right side of the brow done. This is my warmup for the mandibles!

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I got the crazy upper part of the right mandible done! This area is really packed with detail. Also posting my collage showing how the details are built up using the topical technique.

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I'm sure you've been asked this before, but what kind of brushes do you use for all this detail work?
I have this thread by SJ bookmarked because he's got some great tips, including what brushes he uses.
 
Yup, fine liners are invaluable. My favorites for the past few years are size 18/0 short liners in the Velvetouch series by Princeton.
 
I have finished weathering the helmet and all that remains is to install the visor.
The owner sent along a set of metal parts that closely replicate the "clips" used on the original ESB lid.
Here's how I got them ready.
In panel 1 you can see the parts. There are two drilled/tapped blocks with stainless screws, plus two thin metal strips for the upper clips. There are also two drilled/tapped tabs with brass screws for the lower mounts.
In panel 2, I have bent the strips using some needle nose pliers.
Panel 3 shows how the clips will look when installed.
In panel 4 I'm bending the lower tabs so that they'll fit the angle of the cheeks.
Once they're ready I'll use epoxy putty to secure them into the helmet.

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