Were the Original Helmets Painted Topical or Layered?

[Baruopa]

Just asking what the title says, which method is screen accurate (or is it a combo of both?)

I'm specifically looking for the ESB helmet, but as I'm only aware of two painters for the original six helmets, I'm assuming they were all painted with the same methods? Thanks you guys

 

[RafalFett]

It's a mix of both styles. It is called Layeropical (TM - superjedi).

 

[Baruopa]

It's a mix of both styles. It is called Layeropical (TM - superjedi).

So then is the order which superjedi paints his helmets the way they were painted in '79?

 

[RafalFett]

Not necessarily. That name (I won't say it, so I don't have to pay him 1% every time I use it - the 1st time is for free) is only an inside joke made by Erik (superjedi). All the helmets were painted in 1978, except the ROTJ stunts which were painted probably in 1981.

 

[Baruopa]

Not necessarily. That name (I won't say it, so I don't have to pay him 1% every time I use it - the 1st time is for free) is only an inside joke made by Erik (superjedi). All the helmets were painted in 1978, except the ROTJ stunts which were painted probably in 1981.

Do we know which colors were painted topically and which were layered?

 

[DennisFett1142]

I do a combination of layer and topical but much different than Superjedi. I layer as much as is reasonable with masking fluid and then go back through with a detailed pass on all the tiny little scratches and details. I'm always fascinated at his progress photos and how well he does the majority of the work topically. I simply don't have the eye or patience to do it.

 

[RafalFett]

I'm no expert on painting, but here we go...

The layered areas are noticeable by the inconsistent, shapeless contour, while the topical areas have a more pronounced, rounded shape and sometimes you can see the end of the brush line (mainly visible on the lower cheeks and the back panels).

On the dome the silver and the killstripes are layered, the rest looks topical (it's the same on the lower cheeks). On the red areas the silver and the dark gray are layered, while the dark red is topical. The blue-gray colored areas you see inside the silver are accidental peelings and are the actual primer:

The back panels looks to be more topical than layered, which is mainly the silver:

On the upper cheeks the silver is layered, while the dark gray looks both types:

 

[Baruopa]

H

I'm no expert on painting, but here we go...

The layered areas are noticeable by the inconsistent, shapeless contour, while the topical areas have a more pronounced, rounded shape and sometimes you can see the end of the brush line (mainly visible on the lower cheeks and the back panels).

On the dome the silver and the killstripes are layered, the rest looks topical (it's the same on the lower cheeks). On the red areas the silver and the dark gray are layered, while the dark red is topical. The blue-gray colored areas you see inside the silver are accidental peelings and are the actual primer:
View attachment 216572

The back panels looks to be more topical than layered, which is mainly the silver:
View attachment 216573
On the upper cheeks the silver is layered, while the dark gray looks both types:
View attachment 216574

How can you tell??? Please teach me your ways! (Thank you for your time here btw)

 

[RafalFett]

And of course there are lots of touched-up areas. Some of them are present around the killstripe or on the red areas: these were silver areas that were corrected with green or red.

 

[RafalFett]

I will let the experts to correct me and better explain the difference between the 2 styles/types.

 

[Baruopa]

I will let the experts to correct me and better explain the difference between the 2 styles/types.

Yeah, maybe I'm just having trouble understanding what the difference is between layered and topical painting. I get it's a pretty basic question but I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering

 

[Jango Fett Jr]

Yeah, maybe I'm just having trouble understanding what the difference is between layered and topical painting. I get it's a pretty basic question but I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering

Layered means painting the paint in layers, masking off areas to be revealed later (for example, silver > mask > grey > mask > green > remove mask. Painting this way is realistic to how a helmet or armour would wear in real life.

Topical means painted in the reverse, so the base colour is painted followed by the damage (. Green > grey > silver). I think Superjedi has shared a photo or two of his process which allows him to replicate every single detail with extreme precision.

As Raf illustrates the ESB helmet looks to have been painted with some combination of the two methods. I think this gallery of the PP3 is worth examining as the helmets were likely painted using the same method:

Boba Fett Third Prototype

Also know as Boba Fett: Pre-Production #3, Prepro 3 or simply PP3.

www.thedentedhelmet.com

 

[Baruopa]

Layered means painting the paint in layers, masking off areas to be revealed later (for example, silver > mask > grey > mask > green > remove mask. Painting this way is realistic to how a helmet or armour would wear in real life.

Topical means painted in the reverse, so the base colour is painted followed by the damage (. Green > grey > silver). I think Superjedi has shared a photo or two of his process which allows him to replicate every single detail with extreme precision.

As Raf illustrates the ESB helmet looks to have been painted with some combination of the two methods. I think this gallery of the PP3 is worth examining as the helmets were likely painted using the same method:

Boba Fett Third Prototype

Also know as Boba Fett: Pre-Production #3, Prepro 3 or simply PP3.

www.thedentedhelmet.com

And how can you tell, from looking at it, whether a color was layered or topically applied?