Halo Reach in 1/6 Part 1 - The not-so beginning

Disclaimer: "I am in no way affiliated with Bungie or its affiliates. The following is "fan-art" and is in no way intended for resell without prior approval from Bungie and its affiliates."


As promised boys and girls, the first photos of my custom Halo Reach Marine Soldier.

As you can see by the reference pics, there are some variances in design. One may wonder which one I plan on building. But because of these variances, however subtle, provides a measure of creative license for me, the builder.
As I mentioned in the previous post, there are some details I like more than others. And not one design incorporates all of these elements on its own. So rather than adhere to one design or the other, I am taking more a free-for-all approach and hope for the best.

Material used so far:
- Super Sculpy
- Magic Sculpt (two-part resin)
- Base head (HS) from a Hot Toys true-type body
- Styrene
- 2-part epoxy

My initial thought was to make a base helmet from Sculpy and (carefully) remove it from the base HS and then finish it with Magic Sculpt.
The first attempt did not go so well as the sculpy cracked and eventually broke.
Second attempt was to use Styrene and pull it over the HS once it was warmed.
This worked OK but did not provide a good, sturdy base from which to build on. It was flimsy and somewhat warped.
You may be wondering why not just sculpt the helmet without the HS and hollow it out later. Two reasons: 1. getting the helmet sized just right would have been a challenge and may have ended up with sizing issues long after it was too late to change anything. 2. I wanted the helmet to have a very snug fit as it shows in the reference pics. Anything other than a 'perfect' fit would not have been acceptable to me.

So now, the third and hopefully last attempt: sculpt directly on the HS and cast it once it's done.
There have been some challenges with this too. Namely, ruining the HS. But since it will be repainted anyway, I am not as concerned about it as I was in the beginning.
Since I want the finished helmet to be removable, I will roto-cast the entire piece and simply cut away the HS parts. This should yield the fit I want and enable the helmet to come off/on whenever the soldier wants. :)

So without further ado, the pictures.

Don't forget to check back often for updates.

Cheers!
-iz