Sea Marshall: ESB Fett WIP
- Thread starter SeaMarshall
- Start date
SeaMarshall
Hunter
Regarding some paints, I have the following, but am open to other options, as there are lots of different approaches to painting. If I have to change the colors or method, I'm only out a couple bucks.
From left to right is Hunt Club green, Hunter green, and Spruce green.
I had planned to use Spruce green on the jetpack and gauntlets.
Hunter green as a base on the chest, back, and cod then Hunt Club green to add shade variation on the plates. (hand painting other colors)
That's probably the simplest and least creative method without investing into airbrush and paints. Looking into painting techniques on other peoples kits, airbrushing and mixing colors seems to be the most professional approach. It would be my second time lifting an airbrush, so to take that route will require some additional resources.
I have some spare material, I suppose I could crash course my plan and see how it looks. I'd hate to put down the green and dread the decision. Any thoughts on painting approaches? Thoughts on these rattle can colors? Ditch it all and go airbrush? I hear there is a TDH color map and key for shades.
From left to right is Hunt Club green, Hunter green, and Spruce green.
I had planned to use Spruce green on the jetpack and gauntlets.
Hunter green as a base on the chest, back, and cod then Hunt Club green to add shade variation on the plates. (hand painting other colors)
That's probably the simplest and least creative method without investing into airbrush and paints. Looking into painting techniques on other peoples kits, airbrushing and mixing colors seems to be the most professional approach. It would be my second time lifting an airbrush, so to take that route will require some additional resources.
I have some spare material, I suppose I could crash course my plan and see how it looks. I'd hate to put down the green and dread the decision. Any thoughts on painting approaches? Thoughts on these rattle can colors? Ditch it all and go airbrush? I hear there is a TDH color map and key for shades.
SeaMarshall
Hunter
Here's a quick rattle can test:
Spruce green on the left - used for gauntlets and jetpack base
Hunt Club green in the center - color comparison
Hunter green base with Hunt Club green misted on top to give color variation on right side.
In daylight the colors are easily seen. Under my usual painting lights it's difficult to see the changes.
Spruce green on the left - used for gauntlets and jetpack base
Hunt Club green in the center - color comparison
Hunter green base with Hunt Club green misted on top to give color variation on right side.
In daylight the colors are easily seen. Under my usual painting lights it's difficult to see the changes.
SeaMarshall
Hunter
Updates! The Spruce green colored items are masked with Hubrol fluid. I really like that stuff. Easy to apply, but say good bye to your brush if you don't have a solvent for the masking fluid.
I've decided to push forward with my choice of color simply because the MMCC and 501st requirements for entry level Boba Fetts are not dependent on exact screen accurate colors. While I will do my best to match the reference photos, the TDH community's next level dedication to screen accuracy and replication will be something that I will strive to achieve some day. If I try to achieve that now, I will never move forward. Additionally, I noticed that 501st recently updated their Level 2 requirements for Boba Fett to include options that I had not prepped for, and I'm not going to scrap my progress. While I will achieve what Level 2 reqs I can, it's an end goal, not a start.
That said, the color requirements for both costume clubs simply refer to "medium green" "olive green" "darker green" or "green that varies from the armor" and that is a whole range of colors. I feel the colors I have selected will move me in the direction I need for the time being. This isn't in reference to the helmet, which will be it's own challenge. For now, I'm prepared to knock out the armor and soft parts.
I am doing a layered approach instead of a topical application. I will be layering paint to give a realistic chipping or worn effect that will naturally occur to armor and paint. Topically painting will yield a more accurate depiction of the screen images, but as long as I stay within screen accuracy guidelines, I don't see why I shouldn't pass. And if not, hell with it, I'll have a sweet set of armor I can be proud of because I put the work into it and the goal is to have fun with it.
Here we go! First layers of masking fluid is down. I may consider changing the jet pack paint from a layer to topical because it appears that the silver is revealed from rubbing away the top coat versus a paint chip from a blaster bolt as seen in the helmet and armor.
I've decided to push forward with my choice of color simply because the MMCC and 501st requirements for entry level Boba Fetts are not dependent on exact screen accurate colors. While I will do my best to match the reference photos, the TDH community's next level dedication to screen accuracy and replication will be something that I will strive to achieve some day. If I try to achieve that now, I will never move forward. Additionally, I noticed that 501st recently updated their Level 2 requirements for Boba Fett to include options that I had not prepped for, and I'm not going to scrap my progress. While I will achieve what Level 2 reqs I can, it's an end goal, not a start.
That said, the color requirements for both costume clubs simply refer to "medium green" "olive green" "darker green" or "green that varies from the armor" and that is a whole range of colors. I feel the colors I have selected will move me in the direction I need for the time being. This isn't in reference to the helmet, which will be it's own challenge. For now, I'm prepared to knock out the armor and soft parts.
I am doing a layered approach instead of a topical application. I will be layering paint to give a realistic chipping or worn effect that will naturally occur to armor and paint. Topically painting will yield a more accurate depiction of the screen images, but as long as I stay within screen accuracy guidelines, I don't see why I shouldn't pass. And if not, hell with it, I'll have a sweet set of armor I can be proud of because I put the work into it and the goal is to have fun with it.
Here we go! First layers of masking fluid is down. I may consider changing the jet pack paint from a layer to topical because it appears that the silver is revealed from rubbing away the top coat versus a paint chip from a blaster bolt as seen in the helmet and armor.
SeaMarshall
Hunter
Updates!
Masked the armor parts using stencils provided from RafalFett. The Hero armor from Wasted Fett and the stencils are not sized to match. I suppose a I could have magnified the image before print with some testing, but meh. I ended up using the stencils as a guide line and free handed the markings, which will take from the accuracy, but will suit my needs. Also to note is masking and layering vs topical painting for weathering effects. For some parts I ended up opening the file on my laptop and sized the image to fit the size of the armor plate and matched the markings. Have a look and be the judge.
I could not, for the life of me, locate a single Humbrol vendor, and I went to 5 separate paint vendors in my area...Decided to stick with rattle can colors: Hunt club and spruce green. Will have to sort out some airbrush colors to dial in weathering.
The collar was the first attempt. I've masked the silver and gray portion as a single part and will hand paint in the gray as a middle layer between silver and green. This is when I discovered the stencils were proportionally incorrect and began to free hand instead.
Left chest plate masks yellow and silver and will hand paint yellow as the middle layer.
The right plate has very little silver weathering, but a large patch of dark gray (base metal), and a darker green/gray (lark gray). With the recommended colors, I didn't feel like it was a match and decided to mask the silver and dark gray area on the left. I will be painting over the silver area in gray to still give the chipped look and will topically apply the lark gray areas as a stain to the paint rather than a chipped layer. (added the masking in a later photo)
The back plate was pretty straight forward and just used the online image to guide the mask.
Same with cod and kidney.
Here's what I came up with before laying down the Hunt Club green layer.
Now I wait for the paint to completely dry and cure before I start peeling away the maskol and applying yellow and gray. Achieving the carbon scoring and weathering appears that I will need to airbrush on the damage to get the best effect, perhaps touch up the green to give it that brighter color I see from the Bespin hallway.
In addition to the first paint layers going down, I've sent out payments for the ESB Belt and Wookiee Braids. Still need to obtain boot spikes and jetpack beacon from Machine Prop Replicas, and need to sort out the EE-3, Pulce 40 and holster. Locking pin backs are in transit after I read through Fettastic's thread for attachment method. Ugh, and sort out the jetpack harness.
When I get the chance I can lay down Spruce green for Gauntlets and Jetpack. Next to mask are the knees and shoulders. Following that I can begin weathering the soft parts: girth belt, flightsuit and boots. It's getting there! It seems attainable. And... then the helmet. That's a whole another project by itself. When I get there, I'll be stoked because it's the cherry on top.
In the end I decided to go with my chosen colors and free handing the maskol because the requirements for the costuming clubs (which is my end goal) states: "Weathering reasonably matches visual reference", colors are "medium dark green", with exposed silver damage. Pretty mellow considering the amount of attention the Dented Helmet community puts into the detail. Part of the fun with this build is being able to do what I can without reaching out to others for assistance and doing the work for me. With that, I can accept any errors or mishaps that happen along the way, learn from it, and improve the skills for the next one.
Thanks for following along! It's a long journey for sure.
Masked the armor parts using stencils provided from RafalFett. The Hero armor from Wasted Fett and the stencils are not sized to match. I suppose a I could have magnified the image before print with some testing, but meh. I ended up using the stencils as a guide line and free handed the markings, which will take from the accuracy, but will suit my needs. Also to note is masking and layering vs topical painting for weathering effects. For some parts I ended up opening the file on my laptop and sized the image to fit the size of the armor plate and matched the markings. Have a look and be the judge.
I could not, for the life of me, locate a single Humbrol vendor, and I went to 5 separate paint vendors in my area...Decided to stick with rattle can colors: Hunt club and spruce green. Will have to sort out some airbrush colors to dial in weathering.
The collar was the first attempt. I've masked the silver and gray portion as a single part and will hand paint in the gray as a middle layer between silver and green. This is when I discovered the stencils were proportionally incorrect and began to free hand instead.
Left chest plate masks yellow and silver and will hand paint yellow as the middle layer.
The right plate has very little silver weathering, but a large patch of dark gray (base metal), and a darker green/gray (lark gray). With the recommended colors, I didn't feel like it was a match and decided to mask the silver and dark gray area on the left. I will be painting over the silver area in gray to still give the chipped look and will topically apply the lark gray areas as a stain to the paint rather than a chipped layer. (added the masking in a later photo)
The back plate was pretty straight forward and just used the online image to guide the mask.
Same with cod and kidney.
Here's what I came up with before laying down the Hunt Club green layer.
Now I wait for the paint to completely dry and cure before I start peeling away the maskol and applying yellow and gray. Achieving the carbon scoring and weathering appears that I will need to airbrush on the damage to get the best effect, perhaps touch up the green to give it that brighter color I see from the Bespin hallway.
In addition to the first paint layers going down, I've sent out payments for the ESB Belt and Wookiee Braids. Still need to obtain boot spikes and jetpack beacon from Machine Prop Replicas, and need to sort out the EE-3, Pulce 40 and holster. Locking pin backs are in transit after I read through Fettastic's thread for attachment method. Ugh, and sort out the jetpack harness.
When I get the chance I can lay down Spruce green for Gauntlets and Jetpack. Next to mask are the knees and shoulders. Following that I can begin weathering the soft parts: girth belt, flightsuit and boots. It's getting there! It seems attainable. And... then the helmet. That's a whole another project by itself. When I get there, I'll be stoked because it's the cherry on top.
In the end I decided to go with my chosen colors and free handing the maskol because the requirements for the costuming clubs (which is my end goal) states: "Weathering reasonably matches visual reference", colors are "medium dark green", with exposed silver damage. Pretty mellow considering the amount of attention the Dented Helmet community puts into the detail. Part of the fun with this build is being able to do what I can without reaching out to others for assistance and doing the work for me. With that, I can accept any errors or mishaps that happen along the way, learn from it, and improve the skills for the next one.
Thanks for following along! It's a long journey for sure.
SeaMarshall
Hunter
Just got a lesson in patience when I decided to paint on an overcast, relatively cold morning instead of waiting for the sun to be out... the rattle can decided to gunk up and spit debris into my top coat on the ab plate and pool with lack of heat to cool it fast enough...
The Horror: good job, noob.
Fortunately only the ab plate took the hit, but I'll have to strip it down and lay down new coats, which will likely set me back a week just on this one item. A lesson in patience indeed.
I decided to take the opportunity to test the maskol and started to strip it away. Here's a side by side of the result. Granted, I didn't wait for the paint to completely cure, but I'm scrapping the paint job anyway.
Not too bad. Definitely want to have thicker coats of the maskol for a better result, but even the pieces came off with little difficulty. Just rub a ringer across the top of the layer and it rolls right off. Obviously the longer you wait for the paint to cure, the less will pull up on the edges of the maskol; semi wet paint will pull on the edges and peel up more than intended - you can see the differences in some parts. That said, the result is good and detail stayed.
If I were to continue, I'd be painting the yellow along the green, but instead, I'll share my failures with you. One day I'll invest in an airbrush. Next armor upgrade for sure.
The Horror: good job, noob.
Fortunately only the ab plate took the hit, but I'll have to strip it down and lay down new coats, which will likely set me back a week just on this one item. A lesson in patience indeed.
I decided to take the opportunity to test the maskol and started to strip it away. Here's a side by side of the result. Granted, I didn't wait for the paint to completely cure, but I'm scrapping the paint job anyway.
Not too bad. Definitely want to have thicker coats of the maskol for a better result, but even the pieces came off with little difficulty. Just rub a ringer across the top of the layer and it rolls right off. Obviously the longer you wait for the paint to cure, the less will pull up on the edges of the maskol; semi wet paint will pull on the edges and peel up more than intended - you can see the differences in some parts. That said, the result is good and detail stayed.
If I were to continue, I'd be painting the yellow along the green, but instead, I'll share my failures with you. One day I'll invest in an airbrush. Next armor upgrade for sure.
Last edited:
Builder
Hunter
Its a little late to mention this but we built the same MOW jet pack kit.In our kit the piano keys parts were badly warped.In the process of rebuilding them
I ordered a set of 3-D printed keys. When they arrived I noticed that there seemed to be more keys then I needed. In checking reference photos I found that there are,in fact,four keys on each inside center division of the key strips. Not three as they are on the MOW parts. Something to change if you want to.
I ordered a set of 3-D printed keys. When they arrived I noticed that there seemed to be more keys then I needed. In checking reference photos I found that there are,in fact,four keys on each inside center division of the key strips. Not three as they are on the MOW parts. Something to change if you want to.
SeaMarshall
Hunter
That's a sharp eye! I looked at my references too and saw that. If it's not going to be a deal breaker, I'm okay with leaving it as is. Too much to go back and make the adjustment. Next kit.
SeaMarshall
Hunter
Updates!
After screwing up my rattle can paint job, I decided I didn't like the color after all and achieving the weathering would have to be airbrushed anyway. Add to that the Flight Suit, boots, and cape can all be airbrushed for weathering, so I broke down and invested in a relatively inexpensive airbrush with a few needles, compressor, and ordered the appropriate paints from Humbrol online.
I've finally finished stripping and sanding the original rattle can color and have started to prime the pieces back to masking prep. Fortunately the shoulder and knees are still primed. Here's the current state as of last night:
Never doing that again, and let me just recommend to other first time Fett painters: Just do it right, get the right colors, and invest in the airbrush... I've already dumped a bunch of money into the suit, what's another couple hundred bucks for a sweet tool that will be used on just about EVERYTHING. At least three other folks told me the same piece of advice and now I'm kicking myself for trying to cut a corner.
Other things in prep:
Fabric dye for the Man of War flight suit (I'm considering an Arkady suit in the future, but will work with what I have)
Locking back pins for armor attachment. Fettastic's post on attachment method seemed simpler, cost effective, and user friendly, so I jumped on it too. Should be an easy replacement if it doesn't work out, but appears this will be a great method.
Wookiee Braids! per Woodman, here on Dented Helmet. Fast turnaround, great product.
And finally got the ESB Belt! per Delta Leather Works, also here on Dented Helmet. Fast turnaround, great product.
Jetpack beacon should be shipping from Machine Craft Replicas soon, then will sort out electronics on that front.
Once the weather warms up, the last primer/base coats will be going down, masking again, and then I can take the airbrush for a spin. Progress is ramping up! Finish line is still a ways off, but it's coming down to the last laps.
After screwing up my rattle can paint job, I decided I didn't like the color after all and achieving the weathering would have to be airbrushed anyway. Add to that the Flight Suit, boots, and cape can all be airbrushed for weathering, so I broke down and invested in a relatively inexpensive airbrush with a few needles, compressor, and ordered the appropriate paints from Humbrol online.
I've finally finished stripping and sanding the original rattle can color and have started to prime the pieces back to masking prep. Fortunately the shoulder and knees are still primed. Here's the current state as of last night:
Never doing that again, and let me just recommend to other first time Fett painters: Just do it right, get the right colors, and invest in the airbrush... I've already dumped a bunch of money into the suit, what's another couple hundred bucks for a sweet tool that will be used on just about EVERYTHING. At least three other folks told me the same piece of advice and now I'm kicking myself for trying to cut a corner.
Other things in prep:
Fabric dye for the Man of War flight suit (I'm considering an Arkady suit in the future, but will work with what I have)
Locking back pins for armor attachment. Fettastic's post on attachment method seemed simpler, cost effective, and user friendly, so I jumped on it too. Should be an easy replacement if it doesn't work out, but appears this will be a great method.
Wookiee Braids! per Woodman, here on Dented Helmet. Fast turnaround, great product.
And finally got the ESB Belt! per Delta Leather Works, also here on Dented Helmet. Fast turnaround, great product.
Jetpack beacon should be shipping from Machine Craft Replicas soon, then will sort out electronics on that front.
Once the weather warms up, the last primer/base coats will be going down, masking again, and then I can take the airbrush for a spin. Progress is ramping up! Finish line is still a ways off, but it's coming down to the last laps.
SeaMarshall
Hunter
Updates! Some successes, some failures. Learning A LOT with this build. Posting WIPs helps keep my sanity and overcome hangups.
I decided to scrap my paint job with the rattle can, got everything back to masking prep:
Attached jeweler pins with locking backs for attachment method, using Fettastic's method. Haven't attached them to the vest yet, but used super glue and covered the bases with epoxy putty. Feels solid, looking forward to testing them on the vest.
Got the Spruce Green base coat down on the Gauntlets and Jetpack:
Drilled in screws for the rocket mount.
Then went nuts working on the Gauntlets into the wee hours of the morning. Calling it good for now, will likely revisit touchups before completion.
Also put some time into the jetpack:
Waiting on the beacon to ship and want to get some color variation with an airbrush soon.
Can anyone definitively say the Jetpack Beacon topper is Black or Brass? It appears to be brass. 501st has a brass topper requirement, Mandalorian Mercs has a black topper requirement. I'm confident that detail will pass or fail the approval process.
Also took a stab at dying my flight suit, which resulted in utter failure...
Turns out I could have used a quarter, or less, of the blue dye to hit the mark. Instead I used .75% of the bottle and the 100% cotton sucked up the color effectively making it Jango colored. I then took dye remover to the suit in an effort to fade it to nothingness using more than was recommended and discovered it was useless, even blotched the color in some places. Some weathering will save the blotches, but the overall color is a disaster. In an effort to salvage the suit, I'm going to try a bleach/water method to bring the color intensity down, but it's probably a lost cause. I had considered upgrading to an Arkady flight suit because the Man of War suit was tight around my arms, but now it's seeming more of a need to upgrade, haha.
Ah well, two steps forward, one step back.
I decided to scrap my paint job with the rattle can, got everything back to masking prep:
Attached jeweler pins with locking backs for attachment method, using Fettastic's method. Haven't attached them to the vest yet, but used super glue and covered the bases with epoxy putty. Feels solid, looking forward to testing them on the vest.
Got the Spruce Green base coat down on the Gauntlets and Jetpack:
Drilled in screws for the rocket mount.
Then went nuts working on the Gauntlets into the wee hours of the morning. Calling it good for now, will likely revisit touchups before completion.
Also put some time into the jetpack:
Waiting on the beacon to ship and want to get some color variation with an airbrush soon.
Can anyone definitively say the Jetpack Beacon topper is Black or Brass? It appears to be brass. 501st has a brass topper requirement, Mandalorian Mercs has a black topper requirement. I'm confident that detail will pass or fail the approval process.
Also took a stab at dying my flight suit, which resulted in utter failure...
Turns out I could have used a quarter, or less, of the blue dye to hit the mark. Instead I used .75% of the bottle and the 100% cotton sucked up the color effectively making it Jango colored. I then took dye remover to the suit in an effort to fade it to nothingness using more than was recommended and discovered it was useless, even blotched the color in some places. Some weathering will save the blotches, but the overall color is a disaster. In an effort to salvage the suit, I'm going to try a bleach/water method to bring the color intensity down, but it's probably a lost cause. I had considered upgrading to an Arkady flight suit because the Man of War suit was tight around my arms, but now it's seeming more of a need to upgrade, haha.
Ah well, two steps forward, one step back.
Fett 4 Real
Sr Hunter
Obviously the Prepro suit was blue... and the dye comes out to a degree....You can wash the suit with the RIT Dye remover and get a lot of the dye out.... Don't worry about it too much you might have just made yourself a PP2 suit....
SeaMarshall
Hunter
That comment made my day.
I'm going to take a few more boxes of RIT Dye Remover and hopefully get to the right color. After drying, it's a light blue and hopefully a wash or two will get me in range. Will find out by tomorrow morning!
