Guys,
Thanks for the kind words. I think this has been about 2-3 weeks in the making, and it's getting heavy with the epoxy clay. I haven't transitioned to real clay yet, which will eventually be my goal. But one thing I'm doing differently is that I started to use some gutter wire mesh so I don't have to use so much clay, but to keep the clay from drooping. I still pack a heck of a lot onto it. And there is a lot of sanding. Ugh. I might as well call it "Sandy".
Using epoxy clay means I add a bit, wait a day or so for it to cure, and then sand. Sanding often shows an irregular surface so I may have to patch, wait to cure, then sand, and repeat it until it starts looking nice and smooth. (Now, if anyone asks me to sculpt a bumpy cap, I'll go Wookie on your a$$.
)
I don't intend to make armor, so cracking as a result of movement shouldn't be an issue, as there's nothing bearing pressure on the head. I'm actually trying to not make this ROTJ, but someone other than Finger had pointed it out that the forehead looked a bit rounded, hence the ROTJ look, so I'll have to check the forehead again. The screen used is an irregular shape, and I haven't quite figured it out. I was gunning for ANH. I also realize the stormtrooper is the most recast helmet in the fandom. Everyone has everyone else's features. But I'm not adverse to making this ROTJ either.
I realize the ROTJ is a taller and slimmer look, but I was gunning a bit for the Move Along proportions just a bit, but without the upward curving brow that everyone does.
I notice the ROTJ's wearer's left ear angles forward in a similar fashion to the SFS.
THanks to Troopermaster and Rob discussing the pinch on the side tubes, I'll have to factor those into the sculpt.
The face took me about a week to nail down. I may still tweak it a bit, but this was utterly fascinating to sculpt. The original is more organic than I had realized, and until I really looked up close I would not have realized what a splendid job the original sculptor, Liz Moore, did to this. A direct interpretation of the concept Stormies is, quite frankly, easier. There are subtleties she sculpted such as the bridge of the nose - the eyes normally overlap the face, but the nose arch sticks out more than the eyes. Her work was absolutely amazing.