One of my favorite weathering wins was an old 40’ boxcar I faded with a light acrylic wash, then added grime streaks using artist oils. The trick that surprised me? Using a soft makeup sponge for vertical streaking—it blended the pigments way better than a brush. Totally looked like it had been sitting in a yard since the ’70s!
On the flip side, I once tried a “salt chipping” rust technique on a tank car… and let’s just say it ended up looking more like a moldy pumpkin than rusted steel. Lesson learned: less is more!
Let’s talk weathering—those beautiful grime stains, rusty wheels, sun-faded boxcars, and soot-covered rooftops that make a model feel real. Whether you’re using powders, washes, airbrushes, or even old coffee grounds, every technique tells a story.
Have you weathered a car so well it looked like it rolled straight out of 1974? Tried a new rust effect that totally worked (or hilariously didn’t)?
