Does any one happen to have any pictures of painted great helms? I am trying to come up with ideas for paint jobs for mine.

If you just mean solid colors there are many examples in art, but if you mean highly decorated I haven't seen any. Here's some in solid. http://www.tforum.info/forum/index.php?showtopic=6141

There's this example, with black and gold decoration:

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The Maciejowksi Bible also shows many helms painted in solid colors. Here's just one example.

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Yes the black and gold one from the features page on great helms is the one I will probably end up doing. But I had seem some that were painted two colors half and half down the middle. Just not sure how accurate it is. To bad most illustrations are only from the side :)

You know that black and gold helmet is even more interesting than I thought. I was getting together all the images I could find of it and enhancing them and noticed all the black decoration. I had missed that before just glancing at it. So it was really black gold and metal it looks like.

My wife's painted great helm. Based on the Macky Bible. The crucifix is gold leaf.

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Thanks for the nice example Roderick.

Well I finally got around to painting my great helm. It is not just a plain paint job but aged a little since it is ment to be used as a prop for illustrations. The lighting in the photo makes the weathering etc look more pronounced than it really is.

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Custom painted great helm based on this example. http://www.myarmoury.com/view.html?features/pic_spot_ghelm01.jpg (photo now color corrected.)

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Custom painted great helm based on this example. http://www.myarmoury.com/view.html?features/pic_spot_ghelm01.jpg (photo now color corrected.)

Hi Patrick,

the paintjob looks very authentic. I really like the idea of painted helmets and will definitely paint my kettle helmet as shown in the Morgan Bible. I hesitated almost a year now, because I wasn't sure, if it will look "right".

Best wishes,
Thomas

Thanks Thomas authentic is exactly what I was going for :) By the way the choice was easy for me since this was a super cheap used helmet I had cut apart some and redone. I think I have a total of about $19 in it.

Oh and like you I really like the painted look. Plus I like the rust prevention.

A little late, but I did find some multi colored greathelms http://manuscriptminiatures.com/static/miniat...allery.jpg http://manuscriptminiatures.com/static/miniat...allery.jpg

Those are some interesting paint jobs Len. They are almost modern art like :)

So... since I had announced to paint my kettlehat in this thread, I thought, I could show the result here either. Well, it's no Great Helm, but nevertheless a great helmet ;) - at least for me. (If it's not suitable for this thread, please let it be moved).

I painted it with acrylic paint and applied a matte spray lack to make it waterproof. I gained some insight on how fast rust can work, while doing it. The day I began the paintjob was very hot and the sun burned down on my balcony and the paint dried almost immediately after applying. Well, then I ran out of white paint. The next day was somehow cooler, no sun shone at all... Well I applied the (waterbased) paint and after approx. 15 minutes there were small reddish dots of rust visible underneath the white paint! the metal had rusted while I painted it! So be aware if you use acrylic paint: do it only on hot days or use a hair dryer to dry the paint instantly.

Well, I let it dry and put several more layers of paint on it, and now it looks quite authentic, as if a medieval soldier had painted his helmet to protect it from beginning rust :D

I used the Morgan Bible as a guidance (as I did with my infantry shield, shown here: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/download.php?id=29551 )

So this is the result. As always are further suggestions appreciated!

Thomas

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From the Morgan Bible, look at the right side, there is one helmet painted in red and white.

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My kettle hat, freshly painted.

Very nice! Any pictures of you wearing it with the rest of your kit?

Hi Sander,

those will follow after the weekend. We are doing right now our easter camp - tomorrow and on saturday will be time to take some pictures of me in my kit.

Thomas

Thomas R. I like the look of your helmet.

The rust you mentioned is why I put on a layer or two of rustolem first. Then used acrylic gesso and paint on top of that.

Sam Gordon Campbell I agree plain steel gets boring at some point. And we have lots of evidence that they were painting and decorating their helmets.