"Weathering powders and using washes or the dip" Topic

I have collected a bunch of terrain to use as a ruined city, like an Osgiliath in LOTR and similar. Much of the stuff is gray, so I think I am going to prime it all white, then start weathering it to show age, damage, etc., to get that look of a City of Good destroyed by Evil.

I want to try and use some Modelmate weathering powders as well as some washes (maybe a brown for dirt and then a thin black for detailing). In what order should I do this? Is there any rule of thumb about applying washes over powders or vice versa?

Unless you are going to seal the powder somehow, my experience is that the wash will wash it away. So I would wash and then powder. A good rule of thumb with application far beyond modelling.

Generally, washes first and then powders, otherwise you'll mess up the finish. However, so long as you seal the powders, you can do it in any order.

Bob LOL

You can put the powders on first but will need to seal with a matt varnish. You could also do the wash first then powder but you will still need to seal the object with a matt varnish. Over time your fingers will run the powders off.

The dip is oil based (unless you buy a water based stain) and shouldn't wash away your powders. however the dip is a pretty dark, so it's likely going to obscure any work you have done with powders. If you decide to use the dip it should probably go on first.

Here's two posts with lots of buildings I dipped. they are bright and shiny porcelain christmas houses (some with a bit of repainting or dry brushing) with the snow covered over. After that, a dip and matte spray was all that I used followed by some flock. They probably could have benefited from some additional attention, but they were fast and look good to me.
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Powder + liquid often just turns into paint, for me. It isn't always a bad thing, and when it comes to powders I'm still very much in the "wow! look what that does!" stage.

As others have said: wash first, then powder. Or powder then seal thoroughly before continuing. Powders are just dry pigments so contact with liquid turns them into paint.