So I got ahead of myself... totally forgot to apply the chipping paint before laying down a coat of Future so I can start doing washes, etc.

Is it too late to apply chipping now? Can I paint chips on top of the future and then just reshoot the Future over those areas?

I'll ask a follow-up question to my own question...

Same issue if I wanted to "dust" the vehicle with my airbrush to show a dusty bottom effect. Is it too late, or should I just spray it and then overspray Future again?

Chipping, drybrushing, pigments and dusting all fall in the after you finish your washes and have sealed with flat clear, category.

Best advice is to go to the painting forum and look through the entire thread of "Painting and Weathering". This "should" answer just about all the questions you might have as to when and how. Once you have read through that if you still have questions you can post them there or on the painting forum. Feel free to PM me as well, I am no guru like Matt Toms, but I can probably point you in the right direction. Cheers.

I would offer a different take on it.

To answer your question first, go ahead and do your chipping and don't worry over much about the sequence.

The matter of sequence is only important for two reasons, in my opinion.

The first is about compatibility or incompatibility between the products that you're using. That is, will a subsequent (later) product adversely effect an earlier one?

So, for example, will a mineral spirits based wash remove or disturb dust or rust streaks made with oil paints? If the answer is yes, then you need to either change the sequence of application or use a barrier coat (like Future).

If the answer is no, then product compatibility is not an issue, and you have nothing to worry about.

The second reason is about the overall look that you're trying to achieve. Think about your weathering effects as a series of layers. Each layer tells part of the overall story about your subject model. Older layers are under newer layers. What's happened the longest ago is what is generally applied first and the newest effects are applied last.

There are also sequence concerns here with scale-lighting effects which might involve pre- or post shading base colors, color modulation of base and cammo colors, and / or general washes and dry-brushing intended for shadows and highlighting. Scale lighting effects cannot be separated completely from weathering, so you should also include these (if you want) into your sequencing. These effects are usually, but not always, done earlier in the sequence since they effect the overall appearance. But the desired final look should be the determinant.

Not all of the same kinds of effects happen at the same time, either. You can have older chipping under layers of dust and dirt and newer, fresher chips right on top. Just depends on what YOU are trying to achieve.

You should concern yourself with sequence then in order to put the layers of weathering effects onto the model so that they tell the story YOU want to tell.

Are the chips and scratches old? Then maybe they should have darker older appearing rust streaks with layers of dust and dirt over them. Are your chips and scratches new or fresh or the result of continuous wear? Then they should appear to be "on top" of all the other weathering effects with little or no dust or dirt on them.

Perhaps your chips or scratches are not really that at all, but represent places where crew or other actions have wiped away the dust and dirt to expose a fresh layer of the underlying base coat. In this case, they would be applied after most (but perhaps not all) of your other weathering.

Let the story you want to tell determine the sequence that you apply the layers of weathering to your subject and not some "formulaic" process that says "Step 1 is always this and thus followed by Step 2 which is..."

So, again, unless you have a compatibility issue between the paints that you're going to use for your chipping, go ahead and apply them when ever it seems right. If there's a compatibility issue, simply apply another barrier coat over them.

HTH,

Chipping and weathering should be the last thing you do, before you lay down a buff cote. You will definitely want to do it after you have applied the decals. If you do it prior to this, the markings will not reflect the wear and tear on the rest of the kit.

Jake;
Mike is totally correct in his reply. You do not need to follow the "step 1" etc, but when you are starting out it helps. But again, he is spot on in that it is more about why the layers go on but this is something that you will hopefully figure out over time and then how each step works for you. I, personally, do some initial chipping and drybrushing before I seal with the clear gloss and start my oil washes. In my opinion some of the drybrushing/chipping looks better this way. It seems more integrated and blends better, but this was found by experimenting and deviating from "the plan". But if I didn't have said plan to follow the first time round, it would have been more difficult to achieve the results I got.

S the plan helps but it is not a bible and don't be dogmatic about it. Follow it the first few times to get yourself comfortable with how and why things work, then you can start experimenting with what you like and as mike says what helps you tell your story. Cheers.