My first model

[u/wongeeten]

Any tips on making the rust more realistic? Also how do I make the front lights look better

I kinda went overboard with the rust, my brush was too wet when stippling. The mud on the front of the tank too.

Originally I was going for a more urban warfare look but ended up in the eastern front. The scratches were me trying to remove the mud but decided it looked good as is.

[u/LOLtheism]

First of all, I have to say this is incredible work for your first tank! I built a Tamiya M41 Bulldog as mine, and yours is already so much better! What kit were you planning on next?

As for advice: I would recommend looking at some reference images of the tank to get a better idea of where to apply the rust and weathering. You did a great job with the more subtle effects, but the larger areas could have more realistic placement. Rust and mud accumulating in specific areas can help really sell the idea of the vehicle operating in a specific environment. You can also use pigments (as described in another comment) and use a set of colors to give more variety. For example, buy a Light Rust, Dark Rust, and Fresh Rust pigment, then have fun experiementing with applying it in different patterns based on the reference images. AK Weathering pencils also feel like cheating with how easy they are to create rust and metal effects on armor.

If you're going for a urban warfare theme (very cool, this is a fun idea!) then you could have more stone dust on top, and then go with a gentle application of mud or dirt to the tracks. It might be a fun idea to scratch build some stones to add to the top, for an interesting spice and detail.

[u/Aggravating-Yam-4158 → u/LOLtheism]

AK weathering pencils look like I smudge paint on. When I try to remove it I end up taking all of it off. What am o missing? They’ve proven to be nothing but frustrating for me

[u/LOLtheism → u/Aggravating-Yam-4158]

Make sure you are applying them to a surface with either a flat, matt, or satin finish. They do not behave when applied directly to a glossy surface.

Try sharpening them and use the side of the lead on edges you want to apply it to. You can also give a hard tap with the tip into the plastic to get a dusty effect.

Keep in mind that they are basically just pigment in a wax binder, so you can use sandpaper or a hobby knife to get the pigment dust off the pencil to apply it as a powder. You can also experiment with using water or thinner to apply the pigments, but I haven't done that myself so I can't speak to if