Advanced dry brushing Techniques

Advanced Dry Brushing Techniques for Miniature Painters

Dry brushing is one of the most versatile and satisfying techniques in miniature painting. It’s beginner-friendly, but with a bit of practice and experimentation, you can elevate your dry brushing to create stunning, professional-looking effects. Let’s dive into some advanced dry brushing techniques that will take your miniatures to the next level!

1. Directional Dry Brushing

What It Is: Instead of random strokes, directional dry brushing involves brushing in a specific direction to simulate light sources or texture.

How It’s Done: Load your brush with paint, wipe off the excess, and then apply the strokes in the same direction, such as from top to bottom or side to side. This mimics how light naturally falls on a surface. When I first started to learn to dry brush I was all over the place with my brush strokes and it wasn’t really an accurate depiction of my light sources. Lol

Example: Use directional dry brushing on a cape or robe to emphasize its folds, creating the illusion of fabric catching the light. This is an absolute game changer especially if you pair it with Contrast paints from Citadel or The Army Painter Speed Paints. You can achieve some really good results pretty quickly.

2. Stippling Dry Brush Technique

What It Is: A controlled, stippled application of dry brushing that adds texture and depth to surfaces.

How It’s Done: Use a stiff-bristled or flat brush and load it with a small amount of paint. Instead of sweeping strokes, dab the brush onto the surface in a repetitive motion. This creates subtle gradients and texture.

Example: Apply this technique to weathered stone bases or rusted metal to achieve a rough, realistic texture. This is my favorite way to add texture to fabrics or furs so that it can be differentiated from other cloth or clothing materials. It gives the appearance of depth and detail that you may not see otherwise.

3. Layered Dry Brushing

What It Is: A method that layers multiple colors using progressively lighter dry brushing to create depth and highlights.

How It’s Done: Start with a dark base coat and gradually work up through lighter shades. Each layer should cover less surface area than the one before it, focusing on the raised edges and details.

Example: Paint dragon scales by starting with a dark green base, followed by lighter greens, and finish with a light yellow or white highlight for dramatic depth. I find this technique really useful in painting terrain for our game boards. It allows you to create so much depth of color and really draw the eye in to pick out those unique details.

4. Overbrushing

What It Is: A hybrid between dry brushing and regular painting that uses more paint than typical dry brushing.

How It’s Done: Load your brush with more paint than usual, but still remove some excess. Apply it with firmer strokes to coat raised areas while leaving recesses untouched.

Example: Use overbrushing to add quick highlights to textured terrain pieces, like rocky outcrops or wooden planks. This looks really good across wooden objects like boxes barrels and bridges. It can really bring out the wood grain in your popsicle sticks and craft sticks for those scratch built terrain projects.

5. Two-Tone Dry Brushing

What It Is: A technique that blends two colors during dry brushing to create smooth transitions.

How It’s Done: Mix two complementary colors on your palette, ensuring they’re partially blended. Load your brush with the mixture, wipe off excess, and dry brush onto the miniature. This creates a natural gradient effect.

Example: Paint fiery effects on a weapon, transitioning from red to orange or yellow for a glowing look. This one I have not mastered but really enjoy trying to get just right. Some of my power weapons and plasma effects use this method. Harder to implement but looks so great when executed well.

6. Edge Highlight Dry Brushing

What It Is: A precise form of dry brushing that targets the edges of a model to create crisp highlights.

How It’s Done: Use a small, firm brush with minimal paint and carefully brush along edges and sharp details. This works best with light or metallic colors.

Example: Highlight the edges of Space Marine armor or the trim of Eldar weapons for a polished finish. I just used this method to finish off the Lava/magma and Onyx arm for my Giant Prometheon model for Conquest.

Tips for Mastering Advanced Dry Brushing

• Brush Quality Matters: Use dedicated dry brushes with stiff bristles for better control and durability.

• Control the Paint: Always test your brush on a paper towel before applying it to your model.

• Experiment: Try combining these techniques for unique effects, like using layered dry brushing with a two-tone approach.

• Practice Makes Perfect: Start on terrain or test pieces before moving to your prized miniatures.

Final Thoughts

Advanced dry brushing techniques can add texture, depth, and realism to your miniatures with just a bit of patience and creativity. Whether you’re painting armies, characters, or terrain, these methods will give your models a professional edge. So grab your brushes, experiment with these techniques, and watch your miniatures come to life!