Weathering is finishing
A glance at the pages of FineScale Modeler or any modeling website reveals that painting and finishing are the focus of the hobby. I think it is a function of three things. First, by and large, kits are better now than they ever have been. That means most of us have to spend less time finagling parts together with filling and sanding. Second, there are kits available for many more subjects than ever before. Take a look at an issue of FSM from the 1980s and you’ll see many articles about conversions and kitbashes to produce a particular version of a tank or plane. That’s a lot less necessary now. Third, there has been an explosion of weathering techniques and supplies; I have referred to it as a renaissance for modeling. I remember…