I am trying to paint the Tamiya M2A2 ODS to represent OIF service, does anybody have a recipe for a desert wash, I want the realism of desert use.

Welcome to the club Outlaw23!!!!!

First question back to you: what types of paint are you or want to use?

I like to use Acrylics. For my Desert Tan washes, I use Polly Scale Dirt, then I spray on a light coat of Tamiya buff on the lower half of the track to simulate the dusting affect.

I paint with MM acrylics and wash with MM enamels. When doing a wash on sand/tan vehicles I use MM field drab as my wash color. It is not as stark as your typical blackwash.

Thanks for the reply, I sprayed a base coat of flat black primer and then coated with Tamiya TS-46, how do you apply to highlight bolts etc..to look like dust from desert use show up. I have weathering powders, acrylic paints and airbrush.

Outlaw23,
I do the same, base coat of Flat Black, then primary coat of Desert Sand. I either use MM Acryl US Army/Marines Desert Sand or Polly Scale Modern Desert Sand.
After that is dried, I mix a wash of 80% water and 20% Polly Scale Dirt. You might want to try something different or try what Rob suggested. After the wash is dried, i will go back and dry brush with the base color again. After that, I like to use a very light sand/fleshy color and dry brush all the high spots (bolts,etc.) I will go back with one more dry brush with the light sand with white added. Once that is done, I will use the airbrush and spray a light coat of Tamiya buff all over the lower half of the track to simulate the dust settling on the vehicle.
I havnt had the opertunity to use pwders yet, but I now Rob has. He might be able to help you out on that.

Here are two of my models I did the airbrushing of Tamiya Buff on. There not painted Desert Sand, the the concept of dusting is the same.



Keep the questions coming.