BlueBookGuy Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share #26 Posted July 24, 2014 As a side note, media and procedures didn't change for airbrushing on supports like these metal sheets as compared to helmets. In either instances a primer must be present on raw material - for helmets, the basic paint itself is a good surface, even better if I gave another coat in case of repairing/refurbishing. A very light coat of nitro white paint must be given if wishing not to make any issues to the original helmet's paint (nitro is aggressive against non-nitro ones) after wich, the nitro white coat is ready for any subsequent color or scheme. The same for metal supports. Of course if wishing to give an "old" aged look to these sheets (like, if taken away from airplanes) no gloss topcoats will be given as a last touch. A more appealing semi-matt look (even if more delicate) is desired and this is the very look itself of an airbrushed nitro paint. Franco. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share #27 Posted July 24, 2014 As for contrast with the two painted girls, a double gloss topcoat is almost inevitable on this helmet wich "must" be as striking as possible. Synthetic/acrylic transparent coat also does enhance the rather subdued nitro colors - the way they appear when dried, but left in "raw" state. Since being, moreover, a presentation/collection HGU-26/P not intended to fly into any airplane the matter of being a relatively delicate thing is left aside. The same theorically for the above Pin Ups painted on metal sheets, but having them shining under an almost mirror-like coat would make much less sense for a piece .."removed" from an old warbird. Here the tiger stripes (free-hand done with smaller airbrush) on a basic reddish-gold (done with a larger airbrush). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share #28 Posted July 25, 2014 BTW, if remember correctly I counted at the time how many pieces make up a HGU-26/P helmet, could seem incredible but they must be around 102-104 pieces.. !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share #29 Posted July 25, 2014 Here a (slightly) different style of tiger: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted July 26, 2014 Author Share #30 Posted July 26, 2014 The old style, very thin edgeroll was a bit easier to tape-masking than the customized, very thick ones of more recent periods. This brand-new shell had the two holes in each side for those strings originally needed with the old spring-loaded earphones set. Almost invisible, after work was completed: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted July 26, 2014 Author Share #31 Posted July 26, 2014 Outside of mask's receivers I earlier painted the same orange as helmet's shell, in instances I originally proposed to customers or to F-104 pilots of 21th "Tiger" Squadron. They duly could have the black stripes intersecating them and continuing on... more work to do, appealing anyway. But for this display item I chose to have them in all-black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted July 26, 2014 Author Share #32 Posted July 26, 2014 As said before, final result on the following helmets was at my best and customers liked them really very much - at least for me, these schemes ('cause of their very nature) ended up being much less striking than the tiger helmet, especially the "Frecce Tricolori"s. Thunderbirds helmet still is colorful and does have a good degree of contrast - vivid Red against White, plus some other colours in team's badge at the center rear. In both helmets, actual difficulty was for me a scarcity of precise measures, proportions and closeup details in those pre-Internet years. Photos seen here and there on books and magazines were a fair source anyway, so the thing needed in great quantities was mainly the patience. Much work in shape of studying curves, circles, radius of arrows' turnings or badge's outside border - comparing, the tiny F-16s were almost a joke when it came to cut their shapes into the masking paper; ditto, fot the Thunder Bird. Not to mention the 26 stars in four different sizes. Arrows on the Italian helmets ended up being virtually perfect, but final result almost was, say, with no "soul" if compared to the amount of work's hours. This of course. in my opinion.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busternfo Posted July 27, 2014 Share #33 Posted July 27, 2014 Truly amazing talent on display here. Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share #34 Posted July 27, 2014 Very kind Buster !! Thanks for the appreciation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jagdpanther Posted July 27, 2014 Share #35 Posted July 27, 2014 Outstanding artwork..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxerdogi Posted July 27, 2014 Share #36 Posted July 27, 2014 I enjoy doing a little modeling, so I know how hard it is to master an airbrush. Those helmets are outstanding! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share #37 Posted July 27, 2014 Thanks to all you !! Here what should have been the early inspiring image, from a (signed) poster of RAF No. 74 Squadron, brought back home from England in the late '80s. But eventually I changed to a more symmetrical tigerhead, taken from the original one painted on the wall of 21th "Tiger" Squadron's room at their base in Italy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share #38 Posted July 27, 2014 This maybe.. the best "piece" sincerely speaking?! :love: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share #39 Posted July 28, 2014 Ehmmm... this last claim, maybe was a bit exhaggerated ?!? :rolleyes: Franco. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share #40 Posted October 1, 2014 btw, in the past a couple clients gave me the needed stencils 100% correct for a truly complete "Frecce Tricolori" HGU-2/P helmet. It is the bow fully pulled rearward with an arrow ready in place, often found on helmets actually used by the Italian aerobatic team. Virtually impossible to riproduce by hand, and nonetheless having absolute perfection if you see it really closely in photos of Team' helmets. So, it's really just a decal or similar. Never known where they got this stuff - was anyway the correct thing, meant to be slipped off support by wetting in water. Also, able to stand application of the overcoat clear (acrylic) finish, without going to wrinkle uselessly. I used it on not more than a couple helmets, this It.A.F. aerobatic team's helmet wasn't requested among collectors. Much more appealing the Thunderbirds', or the ever-liked tiger's head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fstop61 Posted October 1, 2014 Share #41 Posted October 1, 2014 Fantastic artwork Franco-you truly have a gift. Thanks for posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share #42 Posted October 2, 2014 Thanks so much Fstop61 - truly don't know whether it's a gift or not.. sure it does need (in my instance at least) some tons of concentration and patience. And, either of them is approaching to the bottom of... the stock!! ah ah :blush: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted October 25, 2014 Author Share #43 Posted October 25, 2014 Quick O.T. .... sorry! A car hood painted with a Tiger Hunt, back in late '800... a nice subject anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted October 25, 2014 Author Share #44 Posted October 25, 2014 Here a Helo helmet, had been painted for a customer: Here the ... MK VIII RAF Goggles, painted on a helmet: Again apologize for the previous car hood... Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share #45 Posted November 16, 2014 BTW, the above item isn't the only one I thought about subsequently, should the owner someday swap it for the original one again.. even re-considered my idea of having it back. Duly spoke of with him, reply was he would have pretty well thought putting the original hood on and preserving the painted one.. but, by having it displayed on a living room's wall! At least I had tried.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeeper704 Posted November 16, 2014 Share #46 Posted November 16, 2014 Amazing! I almost want to get me a flight helmet and let you paint a tiger's head on it. But a 1944 tanker with a flight helmet ..... Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share #47 Posted November 16, 2014 ...we could try anyway, why not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share #48 Posted March 3, 2016 Finished last week my most recent tiger-painted helmet!! Again a HGU-26/P model, again a bright colors tiger. This time the mask (here a MBU-12/P) was provided by the customer himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBookGuy Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share #49 Posted March 3, 2016 More close-up. Just with this one I've tried those water-based paints, many a airbrusher are enthusiast with them. I'm not - nice final result, but too difficult to handle and longer time to dry - job itself already is painfully lenghty.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItemCo16527 Posted April 7, 2016 Share #50 Posted April 7, 2016 AMAZING!!!! You do fantastic work. Love those tiger helmets! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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