How do I break down weathered metal textures from a - drawing tutorial?

[LunaA]

I've been trying to follow a drawing tutorial on capturing the texture of weathered metal and peeling paint, but I keep ending up with a muddy mess instead of convincing decay. The tutorials jump from basic shapes to hyper-realism too fast. Has anyone found a good resource or method for breaking down complex, non-organic textures into manageable, practiceable steps?

[NicholasT]

Nice idea to break texture into steps The trick is to start simple then add textures one by one For weathered metal focus on edge wear surface grime and a touch of corrosion Then build up rust spots and peeling paint in separate passes Compare your practice to real photos and keep lines loose until you see the overall rhythm

[Ella_L]

Skip the hype and run tiny trials Build six small panels each two by two inches showing one texture element like chipped paint a rust bloom or brushed wear Then stack them later to simulate a larger surface The move is value first then color and texture over time not one big finish

[JackTW]

Find macro references from metalwork walls and machinery Save a texture library in your project so you can mix and match later Practice is about learning where light hits rough surfaces and where highlights live not copying every mark from a photo

[StephenA]

Here is a compact five day plan Day one copy a lone edge wear sample Day two add grime Day three add rust specks Day four combine textures on a small panel Day five review note what worked and what did not The small goals keep you motivated

[PaisleyQM]

Digital tools are your friend Build a grayscale base then tint with restrained color Test ideas with quick brush runs and layer masks Use a drawing tutorial as a map but focus on texture language not just shading If you want a reading list I can pull some good text based resources