STARTING IN CLAY
I began this project by exploring the form, full scale, in clay. I found that working in 3D allowed me to quickly explore proportions and how the surfaces accentuate the character of the helmet. I knew early on that I wanted a prominent visor that would accommodate a HUD. I used foam to block out larger shapes and automotive clay to work out details. I decided to show a cut away on half the visor to show the inside of the helmet.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e8a6b332883a53dc06263309073d1d84/3a8155a3-65a6-4641-b5ab-74bad70eb1c6_rw_1920.jpg?h=b8efed2508110aec7368552408a1f0b5)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e8a6b332883a53dc06263309073d1d84/ddda286b-31fc-431a-b937-22f3644f4a3d_rw_3840.jpg?h=baf4108b077e91e37278854d75673037)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e8a6b332883a53dc06263309073d1d84/5a144466-5e51-44e6-bfb5-1b1cd4c01fe4_rw_3840.jpg?h=62abf706c1ed8fb8221d5b107d29b75f)
SKETCH OVERLAYS
Once I had a good grasp of the form and the relations of the surfaces, I transitioned to sketching. I used the rough layout from the clay model and began refining the silhouette. I used overlays to workout details as I developed the concept further.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e8a6b332883a53dc06263309073d1d84/b32bb2de-e4c2-4391-be07-658dd5ac26ef_rw_1920.jpg?h=82d7f66d33ba0a6b93b20003b5a77b52)
FINISHING WITH CAD
I knew that this project was going to require complex surfacing that would be slow to explore in Solidworks. So I self-taught Rhino, which enabled me to explore complex surfaces with relative ease. I used a reference head to ensure that the helmet stays proportionate and fits a human head. After the primary surfaces were where I wanted them I blocked out rough shapes get a feel for the composition of the various components and greebles along with testing where the visor should rotate so that it fits the geometry.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e8a6b332883a53dc06263309073d1d84/f64fed36-78d5-443b-adf1-b379587cee9d_rw_1200.jpg?h=4d05bae5ab28dfceffe33ecc6c6e2d92)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e8a6b332883a53dc06263309073d1d84/e747f085-5f79-4b10-9439-120d142e9173_rw_1200.jpg?h=8909fcb7d23d3c60ad0c232067064482)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e8a6b332883a53dc06263309073d1d84/20f13505-9689-44d4-b6d8-1e857ef4f83c_rw_1920.jpg?h=2fe4991edeced61b6e1ec01dda54bf41)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e8a6b332883a53dc06263309073d1d84/07b31e46-664d-43e5-993f-d2b781277f89_rw_1920.jpg?h=87d1258379c7463b6516936e321ddb6e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e8a6b332883a53dc06263309073d1d84/87b640c2-d4c9-4f1b-8ae8-b9c6bd90724d_rw_1920.jpg?h=c45bd288edaddeb1872bb8b66053be3e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e8a6b332883a53dc06263309073d1d84/74933a25-60d2-4533-910e-2f6f83755e4f_rw_1920.jpg?h=f3e0db912385ee5de2ff33b803e4433b)