Aging a pick up

My favorite trick is to grab the airbrush and mix up a custom batch of tan or light brown mixed with gray. In the right ratio, it looks very much like the nasty, chewed up dusty dirt in your driveway, which has a decided gray tone to it, almost like moon dust. I'll measure the windshield wipers in the kit and actually trace their sweep across the windshield. Then I'll cut a mask to fit so that I'm masking off a wipe pattern. Apply the mask, then point the airbrush dead on to the front of the model, giving it just a light dusting to simulate travel through the air stream at speed. Hit the sides of the model a couple times to simulate dust and dirt buildup on the sides, hit the tires, and lastly, dip a toothbrush in the paint mix and thumb it to spatter 'dried mud' behind the wheels. I've used this on an old International Scout model I did, Revell's '99 Chevy pickup, and a Jeep model. Hasn't failed me yet.

Chris

Flat paint is fine, but even gloss paints may appear flat with techniques used for weathering.  You can use pastels, or other powders, for weathering.  I usually use paint, drybrushed, or airbrushed with very fine, light spray.  I also use Talcum powder, flesh colored (available at drug stores) for dust, on tires and lower parts of body.  It is applied just like pastels and other powders, brushed on heavily and then excess brushed off until you get the amount you want.  Repeat if it is not enough.  Works on vinyl and rubber tires too, which paints do not work well on.

Some paint lines do have a dust color. If not, tan or "sand" color makes a fine dust color.