Halo reach Jorge-052 Helmet Build (First Pep, be gentle)

[Dustycloudzzz]

Hey everyone, i'm new to posting on the forums here so i don't think anyone has really seen my name around yet. But i've been coming here to steal some inspiration from you all for some time now.

This is my first Pep, it's Jorge-052's helmet form Reach. It's already completed. I had worked on it for the past 4 months or so (I had to travel for months at a time for work in between). But it's finally done and i figured id share my work. I learned alot in the process of making this and will be applying ALOT of new tricks i learned to my next build (ODST Full). Hopefully i will have some nicer work on my next post. Also, sorry for the blurry pictures. They looked fine on my phone, but when i uploaded them i noticed just how much a little blur can junk a picture. Thanks again guys for just doing amazing work that really did inspire me quite a bit.

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The start of the Pep

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The finished Pep

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Bondo dried

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I used a dremel tool to sand the entire piece, which is a mistake i wont be repeating.

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The first layer of paint for the scratches effect i was trying to get. Didn't work out so well in the end.

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I used toothpaste to cover the areas i wanted to remain silver... also a mistake i wont be repeating. -_-

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After i rubbed away the toothpaste.

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I decided to put an acrylic enamel coat on the piece.

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After i dremeled out the visor area.

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Aaaaaand the finished product.

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You can see where i kind of butchered the visor area. It was an unfortunate side-effect of using fiberglass matte instead of cloth on the inside..... Definitely not making that mistake again.

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It ended up being scaled just right. If i had a full set of armor to wear it with, it would have fit even better. Thanks again everyone, if you have any tips or tricks i can use on my ODST piece i would greatly appreciate it! The visor in particular is confusing me.

 

[RTWHOCKEY]

Dang, that looks better than my Jorge helmet, and my Jorge helmet was my 9th helmet build! Keep up the good work!

 

[Satchmo III]

Welcome to the forums. Overall I think you got an excellent outcome for you first time out.

As far as your visor goes I think you just need to clean the opening up a bit and it'd look much neater. Using fiberglass matt (versus cloth) shouldn't really be an issue. You might think about filling in the gaps between the opening and the visor with something like rondo. Here's an example from another build on what I mean (http://www.405th.com/showthread.php...ld-work-log-(Satchmo-III)?p=551666#post551666). If there are some high-points on the inside fiberglass you could use your dremel to grind them down for a tighter fit. You could also build up a thin layer of bondo around the opening's exposed edges and sand it out very nicely to give it a clean look.

Good luck with anything more you do to this helmet and on your future ODST build.

 

[Halex]

First off, very nice helmet for a first build! Getting something to turn out that well is definitely a good start. In addition to what Satchmo mentioned, you could also try epoxy putty to fill the visor gap. It's a little drier compound and I found it to be very manageable. Wrap the visor in cellophane to protect the finish, cover it in packing tape to make sure nothing sticks to it, then putty around the edges. Once sanded, you'll have a perfectly form-fit opening for the visor with smooth edges.

Off to a great start and I look forward to seeing more!

 

[Carpathia]

As everyone else has said so far, excellent job, especially for your first helmet! Obviously, there are some areas that you need practice on, but you've followed through to completion, which is a lot more that many can say.

Now, the advice. One thing that would really help this helmet along is a more in-depth paint job. The green looks a bit flat and sort of lifeless IMO. A blackwash, followed by a subtle highlight layer would add tons of depth to the helmet. If you take a look at my own helmet, you can see the difference a blackwash and highlights make...

BEFORE BLACKWASH

AFTER BLACKWASH

Also, some of the areas around the visor, and some of the recessed areas, are supposed to be a flat black color. Painting those would also add more depth.

Overall, you've done a remarkable job here. A few more steps, and you'll have an incredible helmet. Keep up the work!

 

[Dustycloudzzz]

Thanks everyone! Your compliments are definitely appreciated. The tips you all gave as well will be very helpful and you will probably see me put them to good use on my next build.

Satchmo, thanks for the ideas but unfortunately i live in Japan for the time being and its very hard to get chemicals and things shipped over here and i cant exactly read Japanese so the local stores are out. But ive heard ALOT about Rondo, i just wont be able to use alot of the good products until i move back to the U.S. But again, thank you for the help!

Halex thanks for the tip. After im not focusing so intently on trying to get my ODST build done before Halloween i will probably try what you said and fix the visor.... if i can find epoxy putty -_-

Carpathiavh99, sorry if i sound a bit noobish when i ask but what is blackwash?

 

[RTWHOCKEY]

Ill answer for Carpathia here. Black wash is watered down black acrilyc paint. You paint it on your helmet, the immediately wipe off and it makes it look smudged and battle worn.

Like so, thanks to Adams handy tutorial vid:

 

[Mstruvmgc]

I think you did a great job with the helmet for your first one.
The only tip i could give you that the others have not is instead of useing toothpaste to cover the places you wanted to remain silver, which you said you wouldnt do again, use vasaline/patrolium jelly It works great

 

[Carpathia]

Carpathiavh99, sorry if i sound a bit noobish when i ask but what is blackwash?

RTWHOCKEY already talked about it, but I'll go ahead and explain how I do it (since I do it differently from the video). A blackwash is just what it sounds like, a wash with thinned down black paint (or in my case, black dye). It's a technique that allows the thinned black to wash into the crevices of the helmet (opposite of a highlight, where the high spots are brought out with a lighter color), adding depth to the paint job. More that just making it look battle-worn. Without a blackwash or a highlight, the paintjob is lifeless and cartoony.

My technique is so...

-Paint the helmet it's base color
-Apply two coats of flat clear coat and let dry overnight (the clear coats will protect the paint from the upcoming thinner wash)
-Wet a rag with paint thinner (NOT lacquer thinner) and rub it onto the areas you wish to wash (do this in sections for ease)
-While the thinner is still wet, put some thinned paint, or dye, on a rag and wipe it on, making sure to get the black into the tiny crevices
-Before the paint/dye has a chance to set in, wipe clean with the rag with paint thinner, don't worry if you don't get all the black off, the residue left behind gives the look you're trying to achieve
-Continue for the entire piece
-Let dry and apply one more coat of flat clear coat
-Drybrush highlights

This method takes practice, so don't try it out on your helmet right away if you're interested in doing it. Practice on something else first (an old bicycle helmet or something like that).

Edit: I second Mstruvmgc's suggestion. Petroleum jelly is much better to work with when masking off "damage areas." I still find toothpaste in some of my pieces from before I made the switch.

 

[Darthoblivious]

for your first, it is very good! i remade mine 4 times before finally being happy with it! as far as the visor, i think i posted a link on my thread somewhere... either way, the process involves covering the visor in cellophane, and securing it in place, then fill the gap with bondo, remove the visor, and sand smooth. then permanently attach the visor and you should be golden. i fill the small gaps with silicon to seal it, and i feel it makes a smoother transition.

as far as battle damage, petroleum jelly will do the trick, i find however that it leaves rounded ends and too hard a line to look realistic, personally after the blackwash, i dry brush a steel paint, as silver is too reflective for my taste as a realistic look and feel. you've got a good start and some skill! and the right place to improve! keep it up!

 

[Carpathia]

petroleum jelly will do the trick, i find however that it leaves rounded ends and too hard a line to look realistic

Not if you do it right...

Practice makes a difference. I still drybrush after the blackwash. It adds yet another level of depth. You can see in the second picture that it looks like fresh scratches over-top an older scratch that removed the paint and exposed the primer.

 

[Darthoblivious]

that is really good, i guess its just preference. to me, in the second picture, the upper right hand corner looks more realistic, rather than the center or the previous picture.

 

[Carpathia]

i guess its just preference. to me, in the second picture, the upper right hand corner looks more realistic, rather than the center or the previous picture.

I suppose it is preference. To me, it's the opposite. The upper right of the second picture looks more like something has rubbed off on the piece rather than scraped away the paint (which is actually what happened, drybrushing).

So, OP, it's all up to you how much further you wish to take the paintjob.

 

[Dustycloudzzz]

Again, everyone, thank you alot for the tips. I will be trying to apply the blackwashing to my current piece (which i know i said my ODST build was my next, but i took a simple side Pep for fun. It's the Iron helmet from Skyrim). I think its a good piece to try blackwashing for a more realistic effect. I was actually really worried that i wouldnt be able to make the "iron" part of the helmet look realistic at all without spending alot of time handbrushing it. That would have been a nightmare. But the piece isnt that important to me so it will give me a little bit of practice on my blackwashing.

Also i will definitely be using Vaseline for the battle scarring on my ODST build. I had seen some tutorials on how to do it before and it said to use Vaseline but i didnt remember to buy some and i wasnt going to hold my pep up from painting because i didnt have it. So i just used toothpaste.

Thanks again everyone for the tips. If anyone is interested ill put up a thread for my iron helmet side project, just let me know.