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Adam Savage’s Tested
How Wolverine's Mask Was Painted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
⏱ 11 min video · 2 min read7 May 2026Worth watching
TL;DR
Adam Savage visits FBFX in London to talk with head painter Anadora about the exhaustive iterative process behind painting Wolverine's mask for the MCU. The video reveals that 27 paint samples were created over several months, going through multiple rounds of stakeholder feedback before landing on the final blue-black metallic look.
Key points
1
Anadora created 27 paint samples for Wolverine's mask, sent in batches of 5-6 to avoid overwhelming decision-makers with too many options at once.
2
The approval chain involved multiple stakeholders beyond just one director, requiring broad sign-off given the character's franchise importance.
3
The final chosen look was a blue-black finish with metallic chipping effects suggesting real metal underneath, achieved through airbrushing and weathering techniques.
4
The leather texture on the mask was not painted on — real leather was wrapped onto the piece before molding, so the texture was baked in structurally.
5
The entire sampling process spanned several months, with art department references often not fully representing the final desired finish, causing the brief to evolve over time.
Actionable insights
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Limit option batches to 5-6 samples at a time to avoid decision paralysis among large groups of stakeholders.
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Avoid over-investing emotionally in any one sample — in high-stakes franchise work, the chosen option is rarely the maker's personal favorite.
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When replicating complex textures, work backwards from the material itself (e.g. real leather wrapped before molding) rather than trying to paint or simulate the effect.
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Coordinate closely across departments (painting, cutting, construction) especially on weathered pieces where airbrushing must be sequenced with other finishing steps.
Notable quotes
“They're going to choose the one you like the least. That's kind of like a rule in this thing where no matter what you do, they're going to choose the one you like the least.”
“I actually saw so many people online recreating this that I thought did a better job than me. So I was quite jealous actually.”
“Sometimes because when you do this many sometimes I forget what I've even done, and then it's kind of working backwards which is kind of crazy to say.”
Worth watching?
✅
Worth watching the full video?
Watch if you are into prop-making or costume design — seeing all 27 physical samples laid out while Anadora explains the feedback loops is genuinely fascinating, but the key process details are all captured here.
Saved you some time? The creator still deserves a like.
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