ODST build - Paint color help

[Nuisance]

Hey guys! I am working on my first ever cosplay, the ODST armor. I am 3d printing the files from galactic armory and it is turning out pretty good. However I am having a hard time finding the right colors to paint the armor with. This helmet I attached is is kind of my test piece, and I think it looks really cool but the color is just way too shiny. I see other posts of ODST armor with a super clean matte color thats gray with like a hint of green/brown or something in it that looks soooo good, but I have no clue what colors to even look for or where to get it. Does anyone have any recommendations?

 

[N8TEBB]

Branfur studios does a very nice job painting his ODST helmets.

I know he uses fancy paint and a nice automotive sprayer, but I think to recreate this sort of look you could do the following:

Start with a base layer of a matte grey. Then, a darker grey or black for the area around the visor. After that, do a bit of weathering. I like to do a black wash, 50% paint 50% water, brushed on heavily and then dabbed off with a rag to leave paint behind in the crevasse and creases where dirt would naturally collect over time. If you want a cleaner look, closer to what Branfur used in those pictures above, use an airbrush and darken the notable geometry. After that, do some dry-brushing of silver or metallic paint to give the illusion of chipped paint. You could use other more involved methods to create authentic paint ships if you wish as well.

I think it's the combination of the matte paint, the airbrushed geometry, and the light paint ships that give Branfur studios' helmets that very clean yet well-used look.

After you've painted everything, seal it all in with a nice Matte or satin clear coat. Remember that the clear coat will ultimately determine the finish of your helmet. So even of you can't find a satin grey paint for the base coat, applying a clear matte coat over top a gloss coat will result in a matte finish.

 

[Rigel17]

I second the black and brown wash method N8TEBB mentioned as well. i kept my paint pretty simple, and i prefer the shiny armor a little more than just matte, but i agree i dont like it to be too shiny. when i used my main black coat of rustoleum "satin black", it started out really shiny, so i did some weathering with a greyish white acrylic dry brushing, which helped the dimensions pop out. then after a black and brown wash with around 30% paint and 70% water, there was a VERY noticeable difference. something something about acrylic paints layered seems to help dull the shiny of most those black spray paints.

the lighting is different in these but hopefully you can see the difference a bit. this is probably the simple method if you like how this turned out

 

[Nuisance]

I second the black and brown wash method N8TEBB mentioned as well. i kept my paint pretty simple, and i prefer the shiny armor a little more than just matte, but i agree i dont like it to be too shiny. when i used my main black coat of rustoleum "satin black", it started out really shiny, so i did some weathering with a greyish white acrylic dry brushing, which helped the dimensions pop out. then after a black and brown wash with around 30% paint and 70% water, there was a VERY noticeable difference. something something about acrylic paints layered seems to help dull the shiny of most those black spray paints.
View attachment 361644View attachment 361645
the lighting is different in these but hopefully you can see the difference a bit. this is probably the simple method if you like how this turned out

Thank you guys for the help!! I currently have a new helmet printing... The seams on this one werent lined up perfectly and the seams would crack the paint when being flexed. I will follow your guys' tips on the new one and give an update