1:1 ESB 4LOM head

[Howlrunner]

OT Bounty Hunters = Cool. Simple as that. So when I saw a run of 4LOM heads being offered on the 501st forums I had to have one. Made from rotocast resin by Iron Goblin Masks, this particular head is one of the reduced "bad casting" helmets (which is only really a "bad" cast if you want to wear it as it's pretty thick inside in places).

The head itself was cast well, but the resin tusks it came with left a bit to be desired....

So with only the SW Chronicles image of the 4LOM head to go on - http://www.heycomputer.com/4lomz.jpg - (couldn't find ANY other decent images of the tusks) I whipped up a 3D model in Sketchup and sent the images and measurements to a machinist in my local 501st Garrison who knocked me out some lovely new aluminium tusks.

And tonight I just finished off the paintup. I sprayed the head with automotive paints - a mix of metallic charcoal and a metallic midnight blue (as the Chronicles shows the head to have a slight blue tint) - and brush painted the eyes using various humbrol enamels.

 

[Pedro]

Cool, this is the first 4-LOM head I've seen! Great work on the tusks and nice paintjob! I haven't seen much of the original, but I think some washes and further detail painting would really bring it to life. Wish I had one!

 

[spacebob]

Ha I love it,
are you going to do any weathering? (i don't know if that's the right word in this case)

 

[Howlrunner]

Not sure on the weathering - any done would have to be very subtle. The original does not look that weathered to me.

I'm going to wait until the new SW Costumes book arrives to see if there are any new pics of 4LOM in there.

 

[spacebob]

Looks to me like a brown wash in the crevasses on the main part and a very nice speckled patina in the eyes, that could be achieved with some rattle can misting, or maybe some gentle sponge dabbing, if you get me.

 

[OldKen]

Never seen that close of a pic...

The eyes to me look like they broke a green beer bottle and glued the broken pieces together mosaic style...

Sounds dumb. But it is what I see!

Nice paintup HR. And KILLER job on those tusks Always enjoy your threads!

 

[Howlrunner]

Yes, there does appear to be a very slight brown in the crevices. The eyes are difficult though - I agree with OldKen - they appear to be made from green glass with a shatter pattern inside each piece - near impossible to replicate with paint. The eyes I have painted are not actually a flat green - there are 4 different shades of green, each stippled on top of one another, and all of that has a metallic blue wash over the top. It's very hard to photograph properly and does not show up well in my photos which were taken at night in artificial light.

 

[Coop]

Looks great, but he'll always be "Zuckuss" to me.

Also, the glass for the eyes looks like shatterproof glass to me. The kind you'd find on car passenger windows.

 

[Duncanator]

I think you are right. The eyes looks like shards of tempered glass.

- - - Updated - - -

The metal tusks really add the pop to make your mask look great!

 

[The Schlitzie]

That's pretty awesome!

could you replicate the look of the eyes with glass with crumpled foil behind it maybe?

 

[spacebob]

I can see the detail on the eyes now iv'e looked on a pc, still i think there is more going on, the shattered glass makes sense as a pattern.
I think I've seen formica printed with similar patterns.

 

[cymico]

Good job. Your tusks are very nice.
I got same 4-LOM head. I think same thing for quality
Did you make same for back tusks ?

 

[Howlrunner]

I did not realise at the time that 4-LOM had back tusks. I still have to get some.

 

[OldKen]

You guys are totally right about the tempered glass.

That's exactly what it is! Has to be.

I soo want to try this! I need to get a casting...