Axel's Guide to Painting Clone Helmets

First of all, this is a guide to paint custom clone helmets, and clone helmets ONLY. To continue with the guide:
You'll need: clone helmets, toothpicks, acrylic paint, tissues, methylated spirits, cotton bud, acrylic paint sealant.

Pour out a small amount of paint. Dip yout toothpick into the paint. When you paint the helmet, the easiest places to paint are the recesses and lower areas in the helmet. This includes the cheek ridges and the vertical slit and the back of the helmet.When painting, make sure to gently drip paint onto the area; don't paint like you're using a paintbrush. If the painting doesn't work out at first, wash the paint while wet to start over again. Go gently and take your time and make sure to change toothpicks when changing paint colour. If you drip paint into an unwanted spot, use a bit of tissue paper to wipe it away when wet. Also, if it's dry, you can use a clean toothpick to scratch unwanted paint away.

When you've finished painting, wait for around an hour for the paint to dry. Then dip the cotton bud into the spirits. Squeeze out the bud so that it's damp, but not soaking. Wipe away any paint flecks and spots with the bud.

Put the helmet onto a piece of clean paper. Spray the sealant as per the instructions. Keep in mind that the tiniest imperfections and dust particles will show up after sealing; this is normal. Let dry for 24 hours.

To finish this off, a piece of advice: Practise makes perfect!

NICE, I am deffinatly going to try this!

This is really a good guide! Though I don't paint my clones, I'll have to try something like this sometime... maybe on a extra clone I'll buy.

Thanks for this! I really need to extra clones, just so that I can experiment with this.

Good guide! I used a toothpick before, but not dripping like you said, I sort of smeared it, so it turned out like....CRAP!!!

You sorta drip it, then keep on poking lightly to move the excess paint away from the drop. It takes a lot of patience and time!

I never thought of using a toothpick instead of a brush. This is very helpful, thanks!

Do you have any referance pics? Also where do you buy the paint and paint sealent?

Thats great how you gave us a How To, but I think i'm going to leave painting to the pros.

Mike888 wrote:Do you have any referance pics? Also where do you buy the paint and paint sealent?

The helmet's in this thread: http://www.thecabg.net/wip-creations-f5/clones-wip-legion-yes-you-read-right-the-legion-is-a-wip-t634.htm were painted using this method.

The paint I use is called Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint, and the sealant is called White Knight Crystal Clear Acrylic Sealant. The sealant is a spray-on sealant, not a paint on one. I bought both items at Bunnings Warehouse, in Australia, so some of you guys might not be able to get it.

Use thin point sharpies! It works very well.

Monkeyshine wrote:Use thin point sharpies! It works very well.

Eh :/ sharpies aren't very pretty in my opinion.

Sharpies = no strait lines.

With sharpies, there is no way to make them looke professional. With paint, if done properly, and then sealed, it can look like it's actually Lego-legit.

I am using a mix of sharpies and stickers. I only use sharpies now for hard to reach parts like the cheek holes on a phase 2 helmet.

legorevolution wrote:

Monkeyshine wrote:Use thin point sharpies! It works very well.

Eh :/ sharpies aren't very pretty in my opinion.

I didn't know clones were supposed to be pretty! If you have a good hand and thin point sharpies, works like a charm

If you can find someone who can match my painting skills using sharpies, then I'll stop complaining. I know, I'm very cocky; so what?

I'm sure that Axel doesn't use those crappy normal sharpies, he probably uses those "special" non-stain nor bleed sharpies.

Axel uses paint...

(four, five)