My first helmet finished helmet / incomplete armor build.

[strider521]

So i first saw foamsmithing by accident, and thought hey why not give it a try so i found a halo 4 helmet i liked, got the foam files for it then proceeded to cut out the jigs trace them on the foam then cut out the foam to where i realized the sharper the blade the better, then spent the better portion of 3 days cutting them out then i hot glued it together realizing again i should have payed more attention when cutting, and had to fudge my way through some things like the back of my helmet my least favorite
part on my helmet, and the top seams as well. once i did all that i sealed it with my trusty heat gun then put on a coat of grey primer i had, then 2 coats of true blue ( might add some white strips yet i don't quite know) then a silver acrylic paint for scratches, then cut some bullet marks in, then put a little black around the marks to make them look nice. also made a visor quite poorly i might, add using my heat gun and 1/16 plexi glass but haven't mounted it yet. and my photos tell the visible tale of this lovely adventure, now i have to by more foam ( next time i'm getting black foam ) for the rest. As i used what i had left to make a chest plate i'll post later as i'm not done it yet.

 

[RandomRanger]

Looking good!

 

[xXDashIVXx]

Where is the visor! Even though you said you dont think it looks amazing, i would love to see it! This is a great first build, and done fairly fast may I say!

 

[RandomRanger]

I think if you follow some of the tutorials on blackwashing, you'll see some more detail come out from the paint, you did a fantastic job with the construction!

Blackwashing is basically putting watered down paint on the helmet, and waiting for it to dry, but read the tutorial on it cause I haven't done it.

 

[Sean Anwalt]

Black washing is a great way to bring out detail. Take some black and brown paint (regardless of your paint color) water it down, and smear it all over your piece. Then, wipe it away. This will leave a small amount of dark color in the tiny recesses and add to the effect of your paint job. Depending how thin you water it down and how long it sits before you wipe it away, it can also add to your weathering and grime build up.

 

[RandomRanger]

Here's a before/after blackwash example provided by Phauxelate. Lighting isn't the best, but it works. He's also covering up his chest :\

 

[Phauxelate]

I will add in, I was very skeptical about doing a blackwash. Now that I did, I'm glad I made the decision to try it. It really brings the costume to together.

Think of it as adding shadows to a small model. The blackwash doesn't necessarily make it more worn, but gives it life.

What I did was mix water and paint with a very rough 3:1 ratio, lazily bruhed it on, and pulled most of it off with a paper towel. It took some learning to know how to do it this way and make it look good.

 

[Phauxelate]

Here's another photo of the blackwash. I've improved the wash a bit since then, but it gives a better idea of the improvement blackwashing can do

 

[RandomRanger]

Here's another photo of the blackwash. I've improved the wash a bit since then, but it gives a better idea of the improvement blackwashing can doView attachment 272459

Ah, there's the actual one I was looking for.

Anyways, you're obviously not obligated to do anything strider521, and if you can construct your suit the same way you did that helmet it's going to be amazing.

 

[xXDashIVXx]

Are we comparing weathering? Here is mine XD

A good wash not only makes your peice look worn and tested, but also covers up your mistakes, and/or makes them look intentional and organic.

Love the bullet Mark's by the way!

 

[RandomRanger]

Are we comparing weathering? Here is mine XD

View attachment 272460View attachment 272461

A good wash not only makes your peice look worn and tested, but also covers up your mistakes, and/or makes them look intentional and organic.

Love the bullet Mark's by the way!

Yeah, ditto on the bullet mark.

 

[strider521]

Where is the visor! Even though you said you dont think it looks amazing, i would love to see it! This is a great first build, and done fairly fast may I say!

As requested the visor in and out of helmet





And a look at the chest piece

 

[strider521]

So i made a knife for my armor emile inspired but with a bit of my touch

Made with - Maple (blade), Oak (handle), and Rich Mahogany (cross guard).



I'll post again when i make the shealth

 

[Lieutenant Jaku]

i think another thing aside from blackwashing that could make this come together just a bit nicer would be going and filling the seams, then sanding for smoothness. however you'd have to repaint it after.