I need help weathering, or at least starting to, a jeep chassis from a Tamiya kit I started recently, and started a build log of yesterday. This is what I have so far:










I'm wondering how the weathering is and what I should do/add to it to make it better. Unfortunately I have no pigments, pastels, powders, etc to choose from. Just enamel and acrylic paints and brushes.

it looks good to me so far, maybe a darker and lighter color rust color, multi tone you know? and perhaps a black wash

You may want to give it a dark brown wash then apply several lightened base color dry brushings to bring out some chassis details.....?

I would ( suggestion only ) seal it with a gloss coat ( future perhaps ?) before applying the washes in order to help the washes flow better into the crevices and not just discolor the base paint. also, the belt on the front of the motor ( attached to the fan ) should be all flat black, with maybe alittle grey drybrushed ( after the washes ) length wise along the belt. I say this because there is a touch of rust color on the belt and belts are made of rubber, so they wouldn't rust. Just trying to be helpful, not critical. you could also add a little white to the base color and gently with a small fine point brush or toothpick drybrush some scrathes on the vehicle frame or on the motor, as these would become scratched quickly thru use and service. your off to a good start.

I actually did try a slight black wash on the engine which didn't turn out all too good. It really is my first time with washes so I'm unfamiliar with how exactly to execute them.

I painted some brown on the fan belt to make it appear like it had some dirt or mud on it. And I will try that later. Thank you.

I understand what you mean. However, because a fan belt is in motion, it tends to throw off dirt etc. It is your choice, as the most important part is that you enjoy. as far as the wash thing goes, I would go to the top of the forum labeled "finishing and weathering sequence" and spend alittle time in there. lot's of good information. the basic's of washing just as an example apply them after you have sealed the color ( base coat ) with a clear gloss paint and let it dry good. make sure the wash and gloss coat are of 2 different types, i.e. 1 is enamel the other acrylic, so it doesn't bleed thru and alter the color coat. as far as making a wash, enamels and oils work and look a lot better. making the wash, I would start with 1 drop of paint and add about 10 - 11 drops of thinner, test it on a scrap piece or unseen area and see what you think after it dries. may need to add more thinner or less ? once again this is just the basic info. others explain it in more and better detail than me. I hope this helps though. Also in spare time, find some vehicles that you like the way they look and study them, try to figure the processes they used. doesn't have to be perfect but you could try 1 new technique every model you build and improve steadly like that. hope it helps