Weathering
No machine ever went to war showroom-clean. Weathering is how a finished build earns its history: Humbrol weathering powder for the dirt, weathering paint and washes for the wear. It's the stage that separates a model that was built from a model that has lived.
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Weathering powder: dirt you can control
Powders are the fast route to mud, dust and grime: worked in with a soft brush, they settle into recesses and around running gear the way the real thing collects. They need fixing before the model is handled: a pigment fixer from the thinners and varnish range does that job, and a final coat of varnish protects the lot. War-worn subjects are the natural canvas, tank model kits chief among them. Everything else in the finishing kit lives under modelling supplies.
Weathering paint and washes
Washes are very thin paints applied over the base coat: they flow into panel lines and shadows, and a fine brush with a cotton swab for the excess keeps the effect exactly where you want it. Dry brushing works the opposite edge, using a near-dry brush of ordinary Humbrol acrylic paint to catch raised detail; it takes a little practice, and rewards it. The brushes matter here more than anywhere, and a scene weathered as one, kits, figures and ground together, is what makes a diorama read as a single moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you weather models?
Three main ways, in rising order of subtlety: powders for dirt and dust, washes for shadow and grime in the recesses, and dry brushing to pick out worn edges and raised detail. Each works alone, they work better layered, and the method you lean on is a matter of taste rather than rules.
Will weathering powder rub off?
Yes, until you seal it: unfixed powder stays workable, which cuts both ways, easy to adjust and just as easy to wipe off with a careless thumb. When the effect looks right, seal it with a pass of pigment fixer and it will stand up to handling from then on.
When should you weather a model kit?
After the paint and decals, before the final seal. Weathering is a commentary on the finished surface, so it needs something to comment on; the protective varnish then goes over the top as the last coat. Weather first and paint after, and you'll be starting again.