Dust look on windows - How do you do it

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

How do you make that dust look on the windshields? Like where the wiper blades would wipe dirt clean?
Im doing a US 2 1/2 ton truck and would like this effect

Thanks

Pat

2

Just get some masking tape and cut it to look like where the wipers have been, put it where the wipers would go on the screen the lightly spray flat earth over the screen
take the mask of and thats how you do it

3

First off, an airbrush helps.
A ‘dustcoat’ is a coat (usually airbrushed) of paint that is the colour of dust (or close enough) that is very thinned. I use Tamiya Buff thinned approximately 4 parts water to 1 part paint. Close enough to a wash. This is ‘dusted’, ie sprayed from a longer distance and very quickly. THe paint particles will settle on as a layer of dust.
Now, to get the windshield wiper outlines, take a piece of masking tape and tape it down flat on something you can cut it on. Take a protractor, stick a pencil or whatever into it, then measure the distance from the wiper where it connects to the window to the innermost wiping portion. Draw this arc onto the masking paper. Then measure the distance from the wiper to the outermost wiping portion. Now, using the SAME center as the previous arc, draw this second one as well. This will produce the arc of the windshield wiper. Cut the shape out, and stick it onto the window of the model. After this, apply your dustcoat over the whole model. WHen the dustcoat is dry, take the masks off, and you’ll have the windshield wiper portion clean. If you want to add streaks, you can do this with a brush.

4

I’ve heard of it being done with a clear flat spray rather than a colored spray, but I’ll bet the colored spray would tie everything together better. Just thought I’d mention an alternative.

Thanks, guys. I always learn from you masters!

5

If you dont have a Airbrush you could try a Stiff brush and flick the paint on (but test first)
just put some paint on the brush and hold the brush and with the other hand bend the bristles back and let go, it could be messy but you need to test before you get it right

6

And if you only want a light dusting … mask it off as described by the others and brush on a little pastel chalk dust.