NeoRutty's Prop Projects - ANH Stunt Stormtrooper Bucket - Pointers requested?

[RoCKo]

Nice helmet, El!
Especially for someone who asserts to be unable to paint!

I did my latest weatherings by just soaking some newspaper (the one that leaves that nasty black residue on your fingers when finished reading), in warm water and gently rub the helmet/armor with it.
That leaves a nice but rather subtle black/greyish wash which can be removed by washing the helmet/armor with soap.




Btw. That’s not my ingenious invention, I think it was R2Dan’s iirc...

 

[NeoRutty]

Looks awesome El! Personally I like it the way it is! Though I'm in the minimalist weathering camp

Thanks It just needs to be brought down a bit... it's SO SHINY from the gloss paint.

 

[NeoRutty]

Nice helmet, El!
Especially for someone who asserts to be unable to paint!

I did my latest weatherings by just soaking some newspaper (the one that leaves that nasty black residue on your fingers when finished reading), in warm water and gently rub the helmet/armor with it.
That leaves a nice but rather subtle black/greyish wash which can be removed by washing the helmet/armor with soap.

That sounds EXACTLY what I was looking for... a wash feels like it would just seep in the cracks... I wanted to dull it a bit like it's been handled with dirty fingers for 40 years...

As far as wiping if needed... Did you use a clear coat first? I have a good gloss clear coat, but glossiness was what was making it look too new...

But then if I use a matte clear coat... it may be too matte...

if I get semi-gloss, I have to BUY... and I already have 50 cans of spray paint... don't need more in my tiny place...

I just don't want to clear coat this far in and it looks like crap.

But either way, that Newspaper trick should work well.... thanks!


As for painting (heh) I didn't use decals and just tried to do it all by hand or with stencils... there HAS to be things I'm doing wrong... cuz I always get leaking, and then my version of cleaning it up is NOT great...

in fact newspaper dirt would def hide some of my "fixes"

 

[RoCKo]

I did helmets with and without clear coats. For this weathering method it doesn’t really matter imho.
It will slightly dull the gloss down but don’t change the overall look.
Btw. glossy helmets look definitely newer but the screenused helmets actually were glossy which shows in various pictures.
I think the glossiness on your helmet looks good, no need to buy another spray can imho.

Same with the detail painting judging by the pictures you provided it looks very good!
I build around six TD/TK helmets and always had a point were I was a blink away from starting all over again.
But the more you look at the original helmets the more you see how imperfect these were, so don’t worry too much!

I still hate to paint the tube stripe, my personal nightmare....
I have two completely finished helmets except for the tube stripes, I can’t bring myself to paint them as I’m too afraid to ruin the helmet!

 

[xbadcardx]

I don’t remember where I saw this tube stripe tip, but it totally works. Use a coat of flat white paint in the stencils first, then when it dries apply the blue paint. The white paint will seal it and prevent the blue paint from seeping under the stencils. (If the flat white bleeds through you can’t see it.)

 

[NeoRutty]

I don’t remember where I saw this tube stripe tip, but it totally works. Use a coat of flat white paint in the stencils first, then when it dries apply the blue paint. The white paint will seal it and prevent the blue paint from seeping under the stencils. (If the flat white bleeds through you can’t see it.)

DUDE.

That's brilliant. Of course that would work.

Why wasn't that in the dozens of paint tips I watched... the damn tubes...

I had to scrape and carve it, then touch up, then use a fine liner...

I was a final line animator for 8 years! THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAKEWALK.

IT was not.

 

[NeoRutty]

this was the part I feared most and wanted to try before doing a hero... it went so bad I was considering decals for the next...

but that paint tip sounds dope

 

[kevin926]

Helmet looks great. Remember, mine was the one with the lining inside and idealized interior parts. I also went Sandtrooper instead , so my paint details are a little different .Mine was weathered a lot as well ,but I see you went time aged as we would find this buckets today.

Great job.