Rust & distress
Balance rust, paint chipping, dust and streaking for abandoned and post-apocalyptic models based on how long it was left, the climate and the surface, with a step-by-step layer plan.
Layer plan
Less is usually more
The biggest mistake with weathering is doing everything everywhere. Rust starts where water sits and paint gets damaged: lower panels, seams, around trim and anywhere hands touch. Leave some panels almost clean and the rusty bits look even better.
Tell a story
Ask what happened to the object. A car left in the desert fades and gets dusty but barely rusts. The same car in a Dutch field rusts through the sills and grows moss. A wasteland war rig has fresh scrapes on top of old rust.
Mixing your own colours? Get the thinning right with the paint ratio calculator.
More tools
- Scale converterReal-world size to any model scale, and back again.
- Tire & stanceScale wheel, tire and ride-height numbers for your build.
- Paint ratioHow much paint and thinner to mix for your airbrush.
- Brick generatorScale brick grids and a printable, weathered wall texture.
- LED resistorThe right resistor to light your diorama without frying LEDs.
- Material weightHow heavy your diorama base gets, before you pour it.
- License platePrintable retro plates at exact scale size.
- Guitar & ampScale sizes for guitars, amps and stacks in your mancave scene.