DANDELION HELMET

This helmet started as a project for a 3D design class as an exercise in basic design principles using found objects. The concept I created was for a military surplus helmet being used by a scavenger in a post-apocalyptic future. In nature, dandelion seeds fan out from a central core, and are detached when caught by the wind. Similarly, the tubes on the back of this helmet function as air filters, with the idea that they would be regularly detached and cleaned, and easily replaced if damaged. This helmet was originally conceived as part of a collection of protective helmets with botanical themes.

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The grey version shown in the first five gallery photos was what was submitted for the class, and received a grade of 100%. I revisited the project in my free time during the Fall 2021 semester, with the intent to finish the helmet to a much higher standard.

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After stripping off all the original components, I was left with the base helmet, which had originally been constructed from an old hard hat, cardboard, epoxy resin, and Bondo. After several days of sanding, filling with more Bondo, and then resanding, I was happy with the base and able to attach the ears and rear attachment ports.

 

The intake and output tubes on the back of the helmet were originally plastic baseball bats, which means they're fairly light relative to the size of the helmet. The ports for the braided hose were made from small sections of PVC, with their ends rounded on a belt sander. After all the pieces were painted and attached, I weathered the helmet with various paint washes, dirt, powders, shoe polish, and sandpaper.

 

The final piece added was the "Dandelion-03" sticker, which I designed in Adobe Illustrator, and printed on label paper. I went with a paper decal rather than vinyl because I wanted it to really look worn and show it's age.

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The latest progression of this project is my Swamp Scavenger costume, which you can see photos of under the "COSTUMES" tab.