Drybrushing 101: How to Drybrush Successfully

Drybrushing is a simple technique and can come in handy in a multiude of situations. The idea behind drybrushing is to create a realistic, uneven, and textured look. Paint will stick to raised areas, creating a unique highlighting effect.

While this is a relatively easy technique, it's important not to overuse it in place of other techniques that may be more appropriate for the look you're trying to achieve. Still, there clearly are times when drybrushing is appropriate and highly useful in your miniature painting needs.

First, be sure to have a scrap piece of paper/paper towel/cardboard that you don't mind getting paint on. Second, be aware that drybrushing can harm the bristles on your brush. Your brush should be dry to begin with, so make sure you've removed any water from the bristles before attempting this.

Once you've got that, you're ready to go. Begin by dipping your brush in the desired paint color. Then dab the brush on your scrap paper until barely any paint is appearing on the piece of scrap.

To drybrush, you want to lightly move your brush over the desired area, allowing small amounts of paint to come off on the surface.

If paint seems to stop coming off, you can either increase pressure of the bristles on the surface, or reapply paint and use the scrap paper to remove paint before resuming drybrushing.