Plastic model weathering basics: Mud
Make mud to dirty up your scale models
Sometimes a finished model comes out a little shy of your expectations, and you realize, after looking at references, that what you need is to dirty things up a bit. Let’s start with some mud.
Begin with a blank canvas, like this HobbyBoss 1/35 scale Coyote.
Premixed products, like Vallejo Industrial Thick Mud (No. 73.809), make dirtying up a vehicle easier, and it can be mixed with other water-based acrylic paints, like Reaper Basic Dirt (No. 9245). You’ll also need a small palette knife, a dish (like a disposable plastic lid), and a cheap brush for mixing and application.
Using the brush, start on the bottom and dab on the mud mixture. Make sure to get it into all the suspension areas where mud would naturally accumulate.
Next, apply it up under the fenders and along the bottom of the chassis and body, especially in areas where the mud would be splashed up by the wheels.
The wheels also need a good application of mud. Swirl the mud mixture around each wheel with the brush and use your finger to wipe it down. Mud typically does not stick to the sidewall of a tire, so this helps get a bit into the rims and in the tire tread.
Use a brush that is wet with water to wipe away the excess from the treads and settle the mud in the tire recesses. Make sure to eliminate mud from places it would naturally rub away or fall off when the vehicle moves. Studying references will help with this.