Vader helmet paint question.

[_Lee_]

Just wanted to ask a quick question about the paint on the OT Vader helmets.

We all know about the paint scheme and the reasons behind it,but was it applied freehand straight onto the helmet itself?or was the helmet stripped and then re-painted to the paint scheme.Part of the reason i ask this is because the paint on the ANH Vader especially seems to be very roughly applied.

Lee

 

[Too Much Garlic]

The ANH helmet was probably painted by hand... on the set, very quickly, whereas the ESB and RotJ were done a bit more professionally.

 

[Gigatron]

I believe the ANH helmet was done with a brush, on set, after they realized that none of the detail was showing up.

-Fred

 

[_Lee_]

Thanks for the replys guys.

Anyone ever decided to replicate the rough ANH look yet?

 

[Too Much Garlic]

<div class='quotetop'>(_Lee_ @ Aug 5 2006, 10:58 PM) [snapback]1294609[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for the replys guys.

Anyone ever decided to replicate the rough ANH look yet?
[/b]

Yes, many have tried... many have failed... a few on and off this forum have succeeded...

 

[Fatherless One]

<div class='quotetop'>(NoHumorMan @ Aug 5 2006, 09:00 PM) [snapback]1294610[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>(_Lee_ @ Aug 5 2006, 10:58 PM) [snapback]1294609[/snapback]

Thanks for the replys guys.

Anyone ever decided to replicate the rough ANH look yet?
[/b]

Yes, many have tried... many have failed... a few on and off this forum have succeeded...
[/b][/quote]

There is one chap (a former RPF'er who's name isn't allowed to be mentioned here on the RPF) who has done an amazing ANH brushed/weathered paint job on his helmets, I truly wish we could show you pic's.

 

[OldKen]

<div class='quotetop'>(Fatherless One @ Aug 5 2006, 07:06 PM) [snapback]1294685[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>(NoHumorMan @ Aug 5 2006, 09:00 PM) [snapback]1294610[/snapback]

<div class='quotetop'>(_Lee_ @ Aug 5 2006, 10:58 PM) [snapback]1294609[/snapback]

Thanks for the replys guys.

Anyone ever decided to replicate the rough ANH look yet?
[/b]

Yes, many have tried... many have failed... a few on and off this forum have succeeded...
[/b][/quote]

There is one chap (a former RPF'er who's name isn't allowed to be mentioned here on the RPF) who has done an amazing ANH brushed/weathered paint job on his helmets, I truly wish we could show you pic's.
[/b][/quote]


umm, it depends on who your talking about and whether or not the item in question is recast...

shoot a PM to jedirick or another mod, and see what they think, depending on who and what, a singly pic to show a paintjob might be allowed, again, depends on who we are talkin about.

 

[Darth Detroit]

I know one guy here on the RPF who HAS done the brush technique and it turned out great. i promised not to mentionhis name, but.... of all the ANH helmets I have seen here his was the best paint job ever. So as far as duplicating the authentic ANH mask, its very possible to do.

 

[SithLord]

Yep...hand-brushing does wonders. I don't know exactly how, or if it was done "quickly" for ANH...but likely by hand...probably not air-brushed...although were there air-brushes out by then? There was the question of black first, then gun-metal or the reverse...my guess is black, then gun-metal, then black patches on top of the gun-metal...but I'm not sure...and I haven't seen that attempted yet, although ya I've seen the brushwork done by at least a couple of people here and elsewhere (Gino? SPFX?) to good effect.

 

[yakcam]

I hand painted my GH, I did show pics of it a while ago. However my MKII version is about to be finished.

I would take pics, but there's a certain TIE pilot whos got a date with a sick kid in a couple of hours.

Cheers,

Kraig

 

[Darth Detroit]

Air brushes have been around for almost a hundred years, that I know of.

But yes, i have to agree and say the gray was added last, on top of the black.

 

[Darth Kahnt]

<div class='quotetop'>(yakcam @ Aug 5 2006, 11:33 PM) [snapback]1294792[/snapback]</div>

I hand painted my GH, I did show pics of it a while ago. However my MKII version is about to be finished.

I would take pics, but there's a certain TIE pilot whos got a date with a sick kid in a couple of hours.

Cheers,

Kraig
[/b]

Yes Kraig, I remember those pics. You did a great job.

I'd like to try that kind of paint job on one of my own helmets. I'd like to test it first on a Rubies or something to see how it would turn out. Perhaps Ill do it on my next Rubies mod project.

Anyhow, looking forward to those new pics of the MKII Kraig.

 

[gonk27]

It used to seem to me that both the black and the metallic grey were hand painted, but I'm nowadays I'm not so sure the black was.

The grey definitely seems hand painted but I'd say the black is just a single coat of gloss from a paint-gun without a lacquer on top. The paint layer doesn't seem thick enough to hide (possibly) sanding marks on the fibreglass, which I used to think were brush marks....

I think the highly skilled ANH artists among us are probably making life too hard for themselves and finishing their helmets TOO well.


Jeremy

 

[Too Much Garlic]

I don't think the black was painted at all. Wasn't the helmet cast by ship-builders? They would surely be able to make the cast shiny black gelcoat.

 

[yakcam]

Thanks for your kind comment Chris

Well, here's MKII paintjob on my GH, I just wished I had another mannequin torso, although it's a male one it's very feminine and a little lopsided so I had to do some padding here and there, it's not perfect but it'll do for now. Anyway, here's some pics......

Man I love my GH :love

Cheers,

Kraig

 

[Boba Frett]

That helmet looks sweet Kraig :thumbsup

 

[yakcam]

Thanks so much BF I'm pretty happy with it.

Although, in the pics, the gunmetal looks more textured than it really is......... weird :confused

I also believe what someone posted recently that the gunmetal was pretty dark on the original, I think they said that they had seen real helmets in the LFL archives. Whoever that was, I'm sorry I forgot your name. Anyway, I've had that suspicion for a while now and I did experiment with different shades, I'd paint something then take a pic of it to see how silver it looked. Believe it or not, the gunmetal on the armour and helmet is actually pretty dark, it just shows up as a silver in bright lighting conditions. Also in different light it can look shiny or dull, kind of like we see in the movie. The armour I did a few months ago, I used the same gunmetal again for the face.

Cheers,

Kraig

 

[yakcam]

I just thought I'd take a pic of him suited up. Please don't laugh at the inaccuracies of his suit and sundry, he was pretty good when I first did him a few years ago, although I'm about to start the process of upgrading him.....

Cheers,

Kraig

 

[RKW]

Can't imagine why anyone would laugh.

Authentic looking paint job :thumbsup

 

[The Manlet]

well done yakam