After my epic residential move, I recently reached my Vader project box after month again.



It contains among other things a SPFX ESB II helmet, which I let paint with automotive paint. The gray is the BMW Sterling Grey 472.
This is probably not 100% authentic tone, but it's the color of my beloved Z3 and it plays wonderfully with the forms under different lighting conditions.
I know the helmet itself is something "notorious", but at the time of buying I didn't knew enough about the famous alternatives.
At the end I've got the helmet after some interventions...




A second Hasbro ANH Vader Lightsaber is dismantled and ready for conversion to ESB.
New perfect matching grips came from TCSS.



The DIY Chest Box at an earlier stage. Currently it is painted but dismantled.
I'm actually little playing with the idea of ​​making the switch row new by using 3D printing. But this is just a nice to have option.





In the meantime, I've rebuilt my CGI Vader by using a completely new base figure with bodybuilder dimensions.
Also been re-done, the suit, the boots and the inner robe, which now has the ESB pleats.
Unfortunately, the unfinished cloak currently falls under the armor on the right side, because I did not set the collision points 100% clean.




A here well known slogan of a DIY store advertisement reads: There is always something to do...
Oh yes, it is...

Looks like a promising start.

Looking very nice all-round.

If you can alter the digital mannequin body with measurements, you could use David Prowse's actual measurements, which are posted on the forum.

I still doubt the measurements are correct.

Thank you.
Without helmet the CGI figure is exactly 2m (6,56ft).
(What one could visually assess of course only in relation to other true to scale objects in the picture).

I'm still not 100% satisfied as well. He is a little too exaggerated muscular now.
But I can adjust this new type of character much better in detail than the first one,
recently shown here in a walking animation. So fine tuning will be the next step.

If you look in all these Star Wars coffee table box Vader has a height of 2,02m. The measurements and height of Prowse are different in every source you can get at the internet. The height i saw the most was 1,98m without costume which will add another 8cm to its height...2,06m in full costume. I tried to make my mannequin this height but failed. The space between the single costume parts is to big. Its much easier to get the proportions right if you go for 2,02m. Also its much easier to get a mannquin with 1,94m than one with nearly 2m. Hope you see my point.

I see your point quite clear. Especially the placement of the chest box between armor and belt is the moment of truth.

Coincidentally, I myself am 1.98m (but not nearly as muscular as Prowse ...), but that indeed tells us nothing about proportions.
Some people have long legs, others have a long torso. My "problem" is, for example, the somewhat long neck
At the end, there remains surely only the exact study of images, in order to get the best possible adaptation of proportions.

It would be best, one might ask Dave if he would be available for a photo shooting without armor. Although he is certainly now shrunk slightly.

You are absolutely right regarding the proportions. Take a few minutes and try a google search for pics of Prowse. You will find a lot and you will see that he wasnt that muscular during the filming of Star Wars.....good muscles, very sportiv but not bodybuilder framed like the guys today.
What would very interesting to know is the difference of muscles and weight of him from ANH, to ESB and to ROTJ. If you look at the armor in ANH and ESB ...there is a huge difference how the armor is sitting on his chest.....the angle is totally different. In ANH there is nearly no space between armor, chestbox, belt and codepiece. In ESB the chest is lookin more deeper (because of weight??) and the armor is sitting in a different angle on it. Between armor and box there is nearly no space but the space between chestbox and belt is huge.....perhaps 8cm or something like that. And the armor has nearly the same dimensions as in ANH....so how can this be. In ROTJ he is starting to lookin a bit fat......he looks so much more massive from the side that in ANH...so he must be a lot heavier.....to much beer and fastfood and less sports perhaps

That's where I'll start with the revision of the CGI character.



Very interesting research! I will focus my attention on it.



Hahaha, the usual suspects...
Unfortunately, I myself belong to the species that can eat anything and as much as they want, but not a bit increases.
One is never satisfied with himself ...

I just found this fantastic usefull research by Carsten.
http://thepropden.aokforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=56667#p56667
This helps me a lot
It will be a pleasure for me to provide the final 3D character for free here for interested.

Today, the boots for my ESB Vader have arrived.
They are brand NVA (former GDR), so-called "Parade Knobelbecher" and were hard to find in size 46 (U.S. 12).

That's all not worth mentioning, but they were original packaged and stamped with date of 1980.

Something can be more authentic?

Congrats mate Can you please say how tall they are?

Thanks Dude!

They are 43cm (16,929") in height from the floor.

Meanwhile, I arrived in the process of dome positioning on my SPFX ESB.
I studied the various valuable information from Darthvaderv and CSMcLaren on this topic.

Currently, the position is the alternative "Low", as described by Darthvaderv.
But I'll upgrade it to the "Higher" version, which I prefer as well.
Dome is raw again, since first filling/paint job wasn't completely satisfying.

Portrait shoots (SLR HP 50mm@SONY APSC, distance ca. 1.5m)










A wider shoot (Minolta 24mm@SONY APSC)




Macro shoot.




An ultra wide shoot for fun (Minolta 16mm@SONY APSC)
*huuuu.. my helmet has changed into a DPCA




Except for the fun pictures: Does this look plausible in your eyes?

Ah yeah, also my chest box is on the way to completion. I'm pretty happy how it looks now, although not 100% movie accurate.

Recently I made it for the first time into full costume (still unfinished dome).




While working now on the dome refinement, I encountered my unfinished Rubies mod... the poor guy
I had mercy and decided to turn a small interim project to get this mask finished.

Original Rubies facemask (picture by CSML);




Heavy mods of 2013:



Actual state: First primer coat to evaluate the surface shows some little issues with the nose, nose bridge and (wearers) left cheek.








But ultimately, you can do what you want, the guy is and stays an odd bird