Step-By-Step Weathering

[BLOWHARD]

There's no real way to explain any of this. it's VERY subjective and more than any other part of the painting process, the many ways, methods and techniques that you can employ are endless.
Most importantly, have a good idea of how a weathered plane looks, what goes into making it look as it does, and then figure out how you can paint it to look right.
This step-by-step is really simple, it's almost a hack job. But this isn't really a good subject, it's hard to be analytical with the organic This will just give you an idea of what I do.

STEP 1
I start off using the panel lines to make a selection. I make a new layer and fill it with a warm dark brown color. I zap it with the gaussian blur, set to where I think it looks right, and then it's ready.

This is one approach. Loammo likes to do the opposite, he surrounds his panel lines with a light color. Both methods are valid and more importantly they both look good

STEP 2
Next, using the panel lines again, I select the inverse, reduce it by quite a bit and feather it. I fill it with a very light yellow. White will work as well but any where you can add more color to your plane, the better.


After getting the layer mode and opacity they way I want, it looks like this-


STEP 3
Next I want to make an overall layer of scuffs and/or dents. This brakes up the flatness of the surface and simulates all kinds of wear.
I do all sorts of funky stuff with the brush settings until I get a nice pattern that does the trick. Remember, there are a million and one settings here. I just do it quickly by eye until I see what I'm looking for.


Using that brush I do a quick random scattering.


I want a bit more depth here so I repeat that whole process and end up with a smaller fuzzier pattern-


Once I've got that I erase where the panel lines are and adjust the opacity and mode and-


STEP 4
Same drill here but I'm simulating dirty spots. The brush set up and application are about the same.


This time I zap the first application of paint with some gaussian blur-


And a secondary pattern-


Once I'm happy with it I set the mode and opacity and I get something like this-


This can be done easier by adding a texture filter but you'll end up without as much control over the effects due to the way the texture patterns are set up.
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STEP 5
With a 1 pixel pencil I do some paint chipping in white on a new layer. I do this pretty quick and sometimes come back and knock out parts with an eraser.


After I've got some chipped looking chips I selectively blur parts of them and then set the layer to look right.


STEP 6
Almost there...To get some variation in the panels I use the panel lines to select a few panels here and there to be lighter. I fill in these selection in white on a new layer-


After they're set very subtle It looks like this-


I do the same but with dark panels this time.


and

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So there it is.
BEFORE


AFTER


As I said, there are many MANY ways to do any of these things. Best thing to do is experiment.
The sample PSD file I used for this tutorial is only 312 KB zipped.
EDIT
You can DL the zip here-
weathering.psd.zip

[Ebo]

Hi Blowhard

I am indeed interested in your sample files. Weathering is one aspect I have very little experience with, and it is such a handy way to make your planes used.

Thanks for your help.

Ebo

[BLOWHARD]

I guess I can attach the PSD here now as a zip right? I'll try it

[BLOWHARD]

YES I CAN!
Grab it

[Ebo]

Thank you very much indeed.

Its downloaded. I'll check it out.

Thanks and regards
Ebo

[egypt]

.....nice simple tute thanks

[huub vink]

Very nice tutorial Serval. I found it very useful and I realy like the result!

Huub

[BLOWHARD]

Hehehehehehee, you've hi-jacked my tutorial Serval Of course it woudn't be here without you so it is yours in that way

[Serval]

Guess something went wrong with posting. I can post tutorials under someone elses name (I reposted it after the server crash), but this one got under my name
Anyway it's Blowhards

[BLOWHARD]

NP Serval, just glad it's here