Something ive wanted to use but have been too scared to.

Dirty Down Rust is a water soluble paint that gives a varied rust pattern to your miniatures. I have heard all sorts of stories about this on the internet and received lusts of advice ono how to use it, but I just wanted a good old fashioned test model.

I recommend you read the back of the bottle and follow the manufacturers guidance as it produces flammable vapours

The Test

This is a base made for a walker. its several plates from various Ork and basing kits, it gives a varied texture to test the Rust.. the base was first given an all over with Leadbelcher base paint from Citadel.

I’ve heard about people having all sorts of issues getting this paint well mixed in the bottle it comes in. The owner of the model shop I purchased this rom told me to stick a paint brush I “didn’t care about” into it and give it a good mix. I shook it hard and after 5 minutes it was all well mixed, no sacrificial brush required. Step one was simple… slap it all over the base.

The first image above is a very light drybrush with the same Leadbelcher that was used for the base. the second image was a much more aggressive drybrush really bringing that silver back to the front. I would stop at the first lighter drybrush personally i like the look and contrast but this is a test after all.

Now for the pure test, layering and pooling more Dirty Down over the dry brushed panels, this is a great visual in person… it doesn’t quite translate into photography. I liked the look around the nuts and between the panels, the completely covered panels contrast nicely against the silver.

Conclusion and tips

I like this stuff, I can see its got a learning process and as with most things practice makes perfect. I will definitely be incorporating this product into some upcoming terrain projects for Titanicus and in an upcoming Ork project. I have played around with this stuff a bit more since I did this little test and below are some tips from what i have learned.

  • Shake shake and shake again, then maybe stir it. Making sure this product is mixed thoroughly will greatly improve the effect.
  • Slop it on thick. This product does work better if it isn’t just used to filter the object you are rusting but sits on the surface in an irregular pattern. This leads to a more organic look, it’s a bit weird when its uniform.
  • Water is your friend. You can use a wet brush to push this product around, clearing off areas you don’t want to be as rusted. You can create streaks by using a clean wet brush to draw it down multiple times, cleaning the brush between manipulations.
  • Be safe. Read the label and be safe, flammable liquids / solvents should be treated with caution.

Hopefully ill be able to add some links to this post in the future when I complete more projects using it.