Shae Vizla (PowerTech) Helmet
The Mandalore.
Even though I released the “Operator” helmet almost two years ago, I had never actually made one for myself, until now. Prior to casting (using a mix of Smooth-Cast 65D and ONYX resins by Smooth-On), the helmet mold was powdered with fine aluminum powder. The center ridge was then carefully wiped down and re-powdered with bronze powder; the ear caps as well as the key-slot piece at the back of the helmet were also powdered with bronze. All the cured resin pieces were then polished up to bring out the metallic sheen of both metals. (This process of infusing metallic powders with resin is known as “cold casting”). Therefore, the wear you see on the helmet isn’t painted on but is the result of scraping off the paint job to reveal the polished metallic surface underneath, which adds realism. If you’re interested in how I do these kinds of textured paint jobs check out the YouTube video explaining the process.