SonofJorEl
Well-Known Member
Hi! I'd love to polish mine a little bit. I saw that someone used Mother's brand car wax? I wasn't able to find it at my local parts store. Can you recommend any other types of polish or wax that would be good to try?
EFX DARTH VADER ANH PCR HELMETS (SPECIAL and STANDARD EDITIONS)
- Thread starter GINO
- Start date
jkno
Legendary Member
Novus polish can help
spacebob
Sr Member
I've taken a break from mine to decide how to apply the different gun metals and silvers, as I expected the new paint is livening up the black underneath making painting by hand very difficult so....
I'm thinking I'll spray the metallics on lightly and then add thin black acrylic washes to get the brush marks.
At least if I screw it up the acrylic will wash off?
Any other ideas?
I'm thinking I'll spray the metallics on lightly and then add thin black acrylic washes to get the brush marks.
At least if I screw it up the acrylic will wash off?
Any other ideas?
If I may offer my opinion: just brush the gunmetal on. Don't waste your time trying to imitate an effect when that effect is a by-product of the basic process. So many times over the years I've seen people try and dry brush or whatever their way around and it never looks like the real thing. The brushed look is just the way the light catches the peaks and valleys of the brush strokes, variable paint thickness, and variations in mixture. Why waste time trying to fake it? You can do it no problem :thumbsup
Cheers,
Dave
Cheers,
Dave
The Original was painted first black.They applyed the gunmetal later.I think the black lines in the gunmetal are because they used not so much paint.
You can see the black shining under the gunmetal paint strokes on the top of the mask and on the eyebrow.
You can see the black shining under the gunmetal paint strokes on the top of the mask and on the eyebrow.
I would agree with what Kroenen77 says -- but only up to a point. Unfortunately, in that picture, the helmet has been repainted post-production so while it is a fair representation of steakiness it's not all the original paint job. This shot of the screen used helmet I think provides a better illustration as it was done before the repaint. You can see that the gunmetal is fairly thick in application just by the tonal differences between the gunmetal and where it has been scraped away revealing the black paint underneath. Metallics painted with a brush are going to be streaky by the way the metal flakes in the paint lay. Screencaps too are your best friend as they tell you what direction the brushstrokes need to go. I wish to heck other photos from where this was taken would show up. Someone had to have taken more than just the one. As more stuff trickles out from LucasFilm no doubt we'll learn more.
ThomasBond
Active Member
Looks awesome!!! Can we get a pic with the dome? The big brushed forehead always throws me.
Thanks
Thanks
Peacefrog35
Sr Member
That looks fantastic.. Better than the legend IMHO. Great job!
vaderdarth
Master Member
Looking good. On the original facemask, the black and gunmetal paints did in fact blend together in several areas. If you look at the triangle on Vader's right side between the tusk tubes......the paint is a blend of black and gunmetal. Again on the forehead...you can see entire strokes where it's a blend. Don't try to change it just embrace it. 
The gunmetal seems slightly too light. There should be slightly less contrast between the gunmetal and black. That is nitpicky. It still looks fantastic.
The gunmetal seems slightly too light. There should be slightly less contrast between the gunmetal and black. That is nitpicky. It still looks fantastic.
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spacebob
Sr Member
Its really not that bright at all in person It's a shame. It's just so sunny here today that all I'm getting on the Iphone and the little camera that I've got is this bright contrasty nonsence.
Plus its not really finished yet, I just wanted to post todays progress after not touching it for a while but for those who asked, here it is with the helmet on and lenses (which have been cut in half to fit the new openings) and grills just temporarily stuck in place before it all comes apart again.
Plus its not really finished yet, I just wanted to post todays progress after not touching it for a while
but for those who asked, here it is with the helmet on and lenses (which have been cut in half to fit the new openings) and grills just temporarily stuck in place before it all comes apart again.
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ThomasBond
Active Member
Thank you sir
spacebob
Sr Member
It is a very interesting paint up though,
The bit between the eyes, and the upper right and left front cheeks are as bright as the inside of the nose which is generally accepted to be plain silver.
They are all a lot brighter than the outside parts of the grill bit which we know is itself a reasonably bright metallic.
I think even by esb the only bright silver at all was inside the nose.
The bit between the eyes, and the upper right and left front cheeks are as bright as the inside of the nose which is generally accepted to be plain silver.
They are all a lot brighter than the outside parts of the grill bit which we know is itself a reasonably bright metallic.
I think even by esb the only bright silver at all was inside the nose.
spacebob
Sr Member
Just had a idea for painting this thing,
well if there is going to be a problem with the brush applied metallics livening up the black paint layer, simply do it the other way around. Strip the original paint off and its black underneath.
Paint the metallic parts first and mask, then spray or brush on the gloss black ?
well if there is going to be a problem with the brush applied metallics livening up the black paint layer, simply do it the other way around. Strip the original paint off and its black underneath.
Paint the metallic parts first and mask, then spray or brush on the gloss black ?
