Way to show paint finish wear on modern aircraft

I use black basing and color modulation.

Don Stauffer

I use an airbrush to chalk the finish on upper areas.  I mix in some white with the paint I have used for the finish.  Then put a very thin coat, very transparent, on top of fuselage, top of wings and stab/elevator.  Like many weathering techniques, less is more.

This technique dulls and fades decals too, making them more realistic.

I do sort of what Don does, but I start with dry-brushing instead of the AB. Lighten your base color -- just a tiny bit to start, so you can barely see any contrast -- and sort of feather/scrub the color, concentrating on centers of panels and wear areas.

The 'hairy stick' lends itself to a slightly more 'random' look than the airbrush, but can produce effects nearly as subtle with a little practice.

BTW, I base coat with acrylics, and usually dry-brush with enamels. Easier and cleaner to remove a bit, if you're not happy with it.

I use an airbrush to chalk the finish on upper areas.  I mix in some white with the paint I have used for the finish.  Then put a very thin coat, very transparent, on top of fuselage, top of wings and stab/elevator.  Like many weathering techniques, less is more.

This technique dulls and fades decals too, making them more realistic.

Checkout a few youtube videos on black basing.  I'm super new to it so I dont have a lot of help here.  Others like lawdog can certainly help.