If you like a dusty operational look to your AFV models and are quite handy with the hairspray technique, this process can create realistic looking disrupted dust and light mud effects. What we are aiming to do is to selectively remove, mark, and disrupt an airbrushed dust toned layer of a paint. We are effectively reverse ‘hairspray chipping’ the surface, by leaving larger deposits rather than creating small chips. This works best using acrylic paints over a layer of hairspray or chipping fluid.
All these images on this page show the effect on late war axis AFV's with a three tone camo, so you have to look close up as the effect can appear very subtle. Using these weathering effects on early war axis vehicles or green allied or Russion AFV's will produce a much more pronounced effect, with a starker contrast against the vehicle's paintwork.
I prefer to add any textured build up of mud before this dust layer effect is airbrushed on, as I like the dust layer to be the final weathering layer. This is just a method of application I used on these projects, so if the vehicle is to be portrayed as just having driven through fresh mud, that can just as easily be applied over the dust layer. Or you can mix and match if you find that visually more appealing. Likewise, adding pin washes before or after this dust layer, or both, will produce different results.
