HELMETS

Helmets. Clearly the first form of head/face protection, and one that's still used for the same purpose today. Also used as a form of decoration, or to intimidate, or display authority.

I want to include helmets in my character designs purely to enhance my theme of anonymity. They also give me the opportunity to display the human face in other ways, and hopefully allow me to experiment more with creative designs.

The famous decorative helmet found at Sutton Hoo is one of the most important Anglo Saxon finds of all time. It was buried in the grave of a warrior chieftain. Alongside it were a vast array of weaponry and a 27-metre-long ship. Although the above version is a reconstruction, it is clear that this was more for decoration and a display of wealth rather than for practical use in the battlefield. It has delicate inscriptions, images and precious stones inlaid in gilded gold and silver.

Middle ages, stereotypical 'Knight" full helm with mouth guard. Again, a symbol of a past life - conjours images of fairytales, jousting, knights and gleaming armour. This type of helmet provided heavy (literally) protection from sword, hammer and lance blows, with slits for vision and air. Often made from sheets of heavy steel or softer iron. 

Features often on heraldry or coats of arms, denoting noble lineage:

Hard angular lines, dramatic plume and rough-smithed bronze. The spartan helmet is known for being exceptionally intimidating and has become a symbol of age-old manliness and general badassery. The long nose-guard and extended cheek guards give any face a uniform, angry look, and the plume adds height to the wearer. 

Helmets in the present day have, in my opinon - lost their touch. They used to be a good symbol of an age gone by, and now all they seem to be for is for safety, as disparaging as that sounds - I cannot see people remembering our helmets in the same way that . This Mercedes McLaren pit helmet reeks of cool, though. I love how form fitting it is (very different to the normal F1 helmet worn until this one came in to , and the goggles sit perfectly flush with the visor gap. 

It actually quite reminds me of the recent mask worn by Chris Pratt (as Star Lord) in Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel Studios, 2014) 

I particularly fell in love with Star Lord's breather mask, as it not only looked great (cast in metal with shiny red eye-sockets), it completely removed him of any identity, like a wild western outlaw with a face mask (it also kind of fits his cocky personality).

 I think the humanity still stayed, however - with patches of bare skin and his hair left showing. This is in contrast to something like the the Tusken Raiders from Star Wars, or the Power Rangers:

Their costumes leave literally NO flesh uncovered (by lore, Tusken Raiders were punished if any skin was on show) and therefore have pretty much all aspects of humanity removed from them. What's interesting to me is that the helmets still have facial features - eye-holes and visors for sight, and filters/actual casted mouths where the mouth would be. This will be an interesting subject to explore further, especially different themes in Ranger helmets (which I am a massive fan of) that change and evolve over the series.