What Dry Brushing Is
Dry brushing means painting with a brush that holds only a small amount of paint and very little moisture. When you drag it lightly over a surface, paint catches on raised areas and texture and skips the recesses. The result is a broken, scratchy look that shows the surface underneath.
It is used in watercolor, acrylic, oil, and ink, and it is popular in tabletop miniature painting, where it picks out edges and details.
Where It Works Well
- Bark, grass, hair, and fur
- Weathered wood, stone, and rough walls
- Sparkle on water and sunlit highlights
- Edges and raised details on miniatures and models
- Adding texture to a finished wash
It is less suited to smooth, even coverage, and it can look messy on surfaces with no texture.
Supplies
- Paint: Watercolor, acrylic, oil, or ink. Use a lighter color over a darker base for highlighting.
- Brush: A stiff-bristled or flat brush. A soft makeup brush can also work. Avoid your best detail brushes, because this technique is rough on bristles. For watercolor brushes, see types of brushes for watercolor painting; for acrylic, see brush types for acrylic painting.
- An absorbent surface: A paper towel, rag, or scrap card to wipe off excess paint.
- A textured surface: Rough watercolor paper, canvas, or a primed model.
Step-by-Step
- Start with a dry base. The underlying layer must be completely dry, or the paint will blend into it.
- Load only the tips. Dip the very ends of the bristles into paint.
- Wipe off most of it. Brush the loaded brush on the paper towel until it leaves only a faint, scratchy mark.
- Test on scrap. Check the effect before touching your work.
- Drag lightly across the surface. Use quick, light strokes in one direction, building color gradually.
- Build in layers. Several light passes are usually better than one heavy pass. For highlights, you can step up to a lighter shade each time.
Dry Brush in Watercolor
In watercolor, the brush should be damp rather than wet, with fairly thick paint. Use rough or cold-press paper, since the texture of the paper is what creates the broken marks. See the best watercolor paper for surface differences. Dry brush works best once an underlying wash has dried, and it combines well with soft backgrounds made wet-in-wet. It is also a useful addition to the stroke set in watercolor brush strokes.
Dry Brush with Acrylic and Miniatures
For miniatures, painters commonly undercoat, apply a dark base, then dry brush progressively lighter shades over raised details such as folds, edges, and fur. Acrylic dries quickly and can stiffen brushes, so clean them thoroughly and keep them for this purpose. For more on working with acrylic, see acrylic painting tips for beginners, and for raised surfaces that suit dry brushing, see texture art painting.
Common Mistakes
- Too much paint on the brush. This gives heavy, blotchy coverage instead of fine texture.
- Wet base layer. Paint blends and the effect disappears.
- Pressing hard. Heavy pressure fills in the recesses and removes contrast.
- Using a good brush. Dry brushing wears bristles; keep an older brush for it.
- Overdoing it. Too many layers can flatten the effect.
FAQ
Can you dry brush with acrylic paint? Yes. Acrylic is one of the most common paints for dry brushing, especially on miniatures, models, and canvas.
What is a stipple brush for painting? A stipple brush has short, stiff, densely packed bristles, often with a flat or rounded top. It is dabbed rather than stroked, to create a textured or dotted effect. It can also be used for dry brush-style work.
Can I use dry brushing on 3D prints? Generally yes. Dry brushing is a common way to bring out raised detail on 3D-printed models, usually after priming and a base coat. Test on an unimportant area first, and follow the guidance for your print material.
How do I keep paint brushes from drying out while painting? Rinse the brush regularly, do not let paint sit in the ferrule, and for acrylic keep a little water nearby or use a wet palette. With dry brushing, you want a drier brush, so work in short bursts and clean the brush when you finish.