After having painted the lower hull I continued with weathering or mudding, to be more specific. For this I have used pigments applied using following process:

First I use large brush to wet the surface where the pigments are to be applied with the oil paint thinner. Then using medium-sized round brushed I applied the pigments by dabbing in onto the surface, without sliding the brush. This was repeated few times with different pigments – I have used 5 or 6 of different types – wet mud, dry mud, dust, industrial dirt,…

When I was happy with the look of it, I again applied the thinner to make the pigments adhere to the surface, This is done by dipping the larger brush in thinner and then touching the surface, letting the capillary action spread the thinner over the area. Once the thinner dries, the pigments temporarily adhere to the surface, but the effect can be corrected just using dry brush to achieve the desired level of mud/dust build-up. Then just use pigment fixer to permanently fix the pigments in place.

One interesting effect of using pigment fixer (I use the one from Mig Productions) is that it has eliminated the thin layer of pigments that were covering the area around the “muddy” surface. Pigments tend to “flood” the surfaces, essentially covering the paint jog and making it look dull and lacking depth, this has disappeared after I used pigment fixer. Not sure if it is the feature, but I quite liked the effect after the fixer dried.

To achieve consistent look, the pigments of course have to be applied to the wheels. I applied them trying not to completely cover them in dust and mud. I rubbed the pigments from the outer rims and tires just using fingers. Wheels are now bit too shiny and I think it contrasts too much with the dusty and muddy areas around, so I plan to fix this at the end.

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