This welding helmet with riveted metal plates is the first helmet where I used the airbrushing technique. Usually, all welding helmets are made from plastic, but I wanted a more heavy-duty look. Therefore, I decided to airbrush different shapes of metal plates riveted to the helmet.
The helmet was not new. So, I cleaned it properly, smoothened out all scratches and plastic bumps, and prepared it for a primer. To get a better result I applied the primer twice because the scratches were quite deep. When the primer was dry, I sanded it lightly. Then I covered all the parts that I was not painting with masking tape.
The first color that I painted was white. When the paint was dry, with a pencil, I marked the main lines of my design: the shapes of metal plates and the spots for rivets. The second color was black. I painted the rivets and the main lines that I marked. Finally, I took the white color again to make some highlights for the rivets.
The parts of the helmet where it covers the ears, I painted like a dust protection net. To get this effect I used a plastic net bag for garlic, which worked perfectly.
When I was happy with the design, I painted the clear coat lightly three times to get more protection and shine. Then I had to wait for a couple of days to be sure the surface was completely dried. The last step was to polish the surface.
