Painting tips? Make resin looked like rusted metal

decaturvader

Sr Member
I have an un-finished Predator bio helmet that I got from Sandy Collora as seen in this thread: Bio Helmet

I would like input from those with experience before I go attempting to paint this guy. I have painted cars and air brushed t-shirts before, so I have a little history with painting....just need some tips of how to make it looks like Sandy's rusted metal look.

Things I am probably overthinking would be like,
1) Would you paint the mask silver- let dry, then spray some black here and there to fill in pits, wipe the black off while still wet so all that remains is down in the pits?

2) use assorted materials to dab on rustic red, maybe mix a little dirt in with it to give texture?

3) Any particular primer or paint to use on Resin?

Hopefully, i am making some sense LOL
 
I have only had luck imitating rusted colors with thinned out water based acrylics. I just felt I had more control over the colors. If I didnt like it I could just wipe if off, you know?
 
I would first give a basecoat of a very dark grey. Then drybrush silver all over the entire helmet . Then airbrush spots of black here and there.And darken in the recessed areas of the helmet. Then apply the rust either in paint or weathering chalk form.. if you paint it, lightly airbrush it here and there or you can give the helmet a "Wash" of rust color by deluting it with thinner.. wash it on the helmet, then wipe it off with a soft cloth.
 
what street judge said.

I personally would weather the helmet, give a wash of something like burnt sienna then use different types of sponge and cloth to dab it off.

thats how i weathered my boba fett armour
 
my approach would be:

- paint a silver base
- use a black acrylic wash, maybe a few layers, to fill in the pits / dirty it up
- use some rust colored acrylic paints for the rust effect. maybe thinned down to a wash type thickness, maybe dry brushed on. or both.

usually when i'm trying to learn a new effect i attempt to find something sort of similar in texture to play around on first. if you can do that, that would be ideal.
 
In our shop we never use any sort of fancy products to simulate rust.

Its a matter of technique and you can make really convincing rust with simple acrylic paint. You can use an airbrush or just a paintbrush if you like.

Star with the bottom level of paint being metallic...whatever your base metal should be. You can use spraypaint or acrylic. Then you need to start a dark layer. Preferrably matte black. It should be in all the areas you intend to rust. Down in all the cracks and in the corners where rust would appear from trapped moisture.

Over that, a stippled layer of brown. Chocolate brown, rusy brown, whatever. It too should be as matte as possible. It should break up the black as a fine, subtle texture.

Over that, a watery wash of bright orange. REALLY watery.

Now here's a trick: If you want the rust to be really textural, you can start this process by stippling on your favorite putty compound. I use Bondo. By stippling it, you get a rough texture that simulates surface corruption by the rust. Go through the whole process above for painting it. Then, and this is the coup de grace, get yourself some nice chalky pastels. Use the orange pastel on the tip of your finger or a brush and brush across the tippy tops of the texture to pick them out in this bright orange.

That's the Minnefex industry secret of making rust for advertisng photography.

Your results may vary. :)

-Gordon
 
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