H3 Chief Armor - Build Progress
- Thread starter master_colt_117
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master_colt_117
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Crevasse charring all done along with the last brown wash. Moving on to all the scratch work and maybe a little dirt here and there. I will be matching alot of the scratches from the game using tons of in game theator screen shots.
master_colt_117
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Photo barf, been working hard! Boots are the only thing left... whew
Sean Anwalt
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New emojis needed.
Sean Anwalt
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Been looking. Can't find one good enough.
Seriously though, that is epic.
You've walked us through the basic technique you've used in previous posts, but I'm having trouble putting that technique with those results. If that makes sense. Did you do something differently?
Seriously though, that is epic.
You've walked us through the basic technique you've used in previous posts, but I'm having trouble putting that technique with those results. If that makes sense. Did you do something differently?
master_colt_117
Well-Known Member
Thanks man!! I can do a write up on how I did this paint job. Alot going on but honestly quite simple if you break down the steps and trust yourself. I honestly don't think it's possible to get any closer to halo 3 color and light changing characteristics. Literally holding these pieces in person up to the tv with halo3 theater on. It's identical, pics don't really do justice.
Process:
Essentially 2 coats for a good base coat of the enamel latex house paint directly on the leak seal, (sherwin William's oakmoss for halo 3). No need for primer, it just cracks. House paint is heavy bodied and covers everything it goes over
Next I high light the edges using my airbrush with light tan color acrylic, at this point it looks bad, but trust yourself! Then I go back over the tan lightly with the same oakmoss base paint. This will give a good green worn edge look more or less, but still look totally bland. From there, paint all your little different colored pieces on the armor like buckles, nose pieces, vents and whatever else. I use my airbrush for that as well with tons of different mixtures even did a little shadow shading on some detail pieces with the airbrush for added depth (hardly anything is just painted striaght black) From there I do 2 watery black washes and use these to essentially adjust the base paint to the somewhat final color I want the armor to have. Then I I simulate the grim and crevasse charring using black water soluble oil paint, that's important. Some lacquer base oil paints will strip any paint off previously laid. I just massage the oil paint into the crevasses with paint brush and blend it out to desire and rub it in and off with micro rags. If you mess up and get the black where you don't want it, alchohol doesn't take it off but I found spit and water takes it off fine. Haha Once totally done with that I brush on a watery layer of brown wash and let it dry totally from a wet state.
From there I use a variety of metallic paint pens, and upholstery foam to make scratches. Honestly I use the foam the most, It really makes the scratches look real. I build up my scratches in layers using a steel color, then a dark metallic silver and last metallic silver for scratches I want to pop. Sometimes I lay a base of black before the metallic silvers to make it pop more. Some scratches I sponge brown back over them to look like dirt settled over the scratches for age.
Once totally happy, I seal it with that deco art clear sealer. It's the lowest impact clear coat I've found and is pretty durable and very flexible , alcohol or paint thinner doesn't even strip it off. For the mud effect, once I clear coat the piece, I sponge on various mixtures of brown using a course pore sponge to build up layers of mud over the clear. And like real mud, I don't clear coat over it because if it wears off then cool, so does real mud. I want the mud to have that grimy matte dirt look and not have a glossy surface from a clear. Here is a pic of all the paints used on this build
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This is where I want to be. Challange accepted.
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Actually new plan. I really want to make one of these, and assuming you don't have a problem with it, after work I want to go through your whole thread and do a post-facto guesstimate "how he did it" writeup/summary in the hopes that those 26 pages aren't just full of Schankerz and that doing so will give me what I need in order to recreate this masterpiece to the best of my ability.
*looks at his goal*
*looks at previous work*
*looks at his goal*
Shush, I like crazy.
If that goes well, maybe I'll order foam so it arrives before I get back home
I hope my post doesn't come off as disrespectful, I just find this suit super inspiring.
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master_colt_117
Well-Known Member
Hahaha I know the suspense is definitely rising for me as well! Still have to wire lights, fans, finished knee, neck, and shoulder undersuit stuff. A lot to do but hoping to have it mostly done by the weekends end!
master_colt_117
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Thank you so much Matt for the support!!
master_colt_117
Well-Known Member
Not disrespectful at all man, I'm happy to inspire! I hope no one takes my excessive posting as boastful, because that is furthest from my intend. My goal has always been to bring a character I love to life and make it look as real as possible. I'm still fairly new to cosplay, but certainly not new to working with my hands and building things.. to say alot of the skills I've developed in this hobby have come naturally more or less just because of my extensive back ground in building things. I would be happy to do a write up or even take phone calls with tips and tricks. You can find me on Facebook or Instagram as well. I've got 8 long months in on this build so I cant totally guarantee the 26 pages of this thread don't have some shenanigans going on.. haha seriously though, you all are great and I've made alot of good buddies on here, cant wait to meet you all at Philly and hopefully add this suit to the completed thread here soon!I don't really want to reread through 26 pages to be honest, could you remind me if this was a foam or pep build?
Please be foam please be foam please be foam, *rolls dice*
Actually new plan. I really want to make one of these, and assuming you don't have a problem with it, after work I want to go through your whole thread and do a post-facto guesstimate "how he did it" writeup/summary in the hopes that those 26 pages aren't just full of Schankerz and that doing so will give me what I need in order to recreate this masterpiece to the best of my ability.
*looks at his goal*
*looks at previous work*
*looks at his goal*
Shush, I like crazy.
If that goes well, maybe I'll order foam so it arrives before I get back home
I hope my post doesn't come off as disrespectful, I just find this suit super inspiring.
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I don't find it boastful, we're all here because we're excited to share what we create.
I think I'll take you up on that tips offer once I put some questions together
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master_colt_117
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Absolutely, just dm me and Im willing to even jump on a call once it is all done!I don't find it boastful, we're all here because we're excited to share what we create.
I think I'll take you up on that tips offer once I put some questions together
PaiganBoi
Sr Member
Shenanigans.... here??? NEVER!!!
I've been following from the beginning. The quality of this build is mind boggling. I mentioned it on you instagram feed, this armour looks like its from a mold or printed. No one would believe its a foam build.
master_colt_117
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Thank you so much man for all your support throughout the build! You guys keep my fire burning! I need to start taking votes for my next build here soon.. lol
master_colt_117
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The moment I know I've been waiting for! Painting is DONE!! Finsihed off with matching the mud spatter or flood guts, which ever you prefer to call it, from halo 3!! I am Halo 3 Chief! Now time to wire electrical and finish undersuit details!
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Ok, I started reading this thread from the beginning earlier today, probably spent about 4-6 hours today just reading this. For those who are just joining us now and want to know the secret to how he pulled this off:
Edit: That first one is also pretty good life advice in general.
I must say, I think the first one is critically important. It's an entirely different way of looking at the build. ExCeLLuR8 truly is an 'about the journey' guy, and the results don't lie. In my next build I'm going to try to focus on developing and improving my process, and focusing on constant improvement, rather than delivering the next piece. I think this will be easier to do this time around, because I (hopefully) won't feel the pressure to have a suit. Tomorrow I'll try to write up RandomRanger's interpretation of ExCeLLuR8's process. I'm writing it for myself, but I'll share it afterwards because that's what we do here.
Edit: That first one is also pretty good life advice in general.
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