Painting and Weathing sequence help
I decided to finally build a model that had been sitting around for around 5 years, Meng's Merkava Mk.3d Early. I haven't built a model, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience as slow and as frustrating as it has been. I've spent lots of money of different paints, tools, mud and whatnot. Yet, I cannot seem to find a definitive sequence in how I should be doing everything.
I have not been the most happy with how the suspension, tracks and whatnot looks, but it's ok and mostly going to be hidden anyways. But I am ready to finish this up or actually make meaningful progress that makes me feel good about this first model. I took a reference model from some warthunder camo design I saw and am running with it, it's a two tone desert camo using a desert yellow base and a brown camo patch. I have a matte varnish, haven't used it at all, some say I should have used it already some say wait, and other say to use a gloss varnish. My first goal is to go back and do a pinwash, on everything other than the suspension, wheels, etc, just the turret and the hull. I have been all over the place, so I am taking a step back and trying to get the hull and turret correct. I only have acrylics paints to work with no enamels or oils, I have a thinner, retarder, graphite sticks, some plastic putty, diorama mud, a weathering master (makeup pallette kind of thing), graphite sticks and dry pigment powders along with the a binder for them, I have also picked up some proper stuff for decals, I have only done a few and they turned out... less than satisfactory with just water.
Tldr: I would really appreciate some guidance and direction to help finish/correct this model.