Hi hobbyists, DipIt here. If you’ve watched miniature painting tutorials or browsed hobby subreddits, you’ve probably heard someone say “just drybrush it” like it’s the simplest thing in the world. If you’ve nodded along without fully knowing what that means - welcome. You’re in the right place. Let’s break down one of the most useful miniature painting techniques: drybrushing.
What Is Drybrushing (in Miniature Painting)?
Drybrushing is a miniature painting technique where you use a brush with very little paint on it to catch and highlight raised details on a miniature. Instead of painting surfaces directly, you gently drag a mostly dry brush across the model so the minimal paint on the brush only touches the edges and textures. It’s like dusting your miniature with a light touch of paint – think of it like sweeping a floor instead of mopping it.
The result is instant highlights, depth, and texture with very little effort.
Drybrushing is commonly used to:
- Highlight textures quickly
- Add contrast to raised details
- Speed up tabletop painting
- Make sculpted details pop
It’s one of the fastest ways to make a miniature look dramatically better.
In DipIt’s Own Words
Imagine you dipped your brush in paint and then wiped almost all of it off before touching your model with it. When you lightly brush across the miniature:
- Raised edges catch the paint
- Recesses stay darker
- Texture appears almost magically
By drybrushing, you reveal shapes and details. It’s incredibly helpful for beginners and a technique used by all levels of painters.
Why Is It Called “Dry” Brushing?
Because the brush is almost dry when you use it. With regular painting, the brush is wet and loaded with paint. With drybrushing, the brush has only enough paint to catch the edges and not cover other areas of your model. If the brush is too wet, the paint flows into recesses. If it’s dry enough, it only touches the highest points.
Other Names You Might Hear
Drybrushing is usually called exactly that, but you might hear some more nuanced uses of the term.
- Heavy drybrush – first, broader highlight pass trying to catch all surfaces evenly
- Light drybrush – softer finishing pass focusing on catching edges and very raised details
- Overbrush – technically a different technique but often associated with drybrushing, involves slightly wetter brush for smoother coverage
- Texture brushing – sometimes used in terrain painting
If someone says, “wipe most of the paint off your brush first,” they’re talking about drybrushing.
Why Miniature Painters Love Drybrushing
Drybrushing is a hobby staple because it solves several problems at once. It reveals detail quickly and easily. Whether it’s chainmail, fur, rocks, wood, armour — drybrushing makes texture visible immediately. Drybrushing:
- Speeds up painting - you can highlight an entire unit in minutes instead of hours
- Builds confidence because you see instant results
- Works well with washes and Speedpaints - drybrushing over a dark basecoat creates contrast that transparent paints enhance naturally.
It’s not a shortcut; it’s a technique to use as part of your painting workflow.
Common Drybrushing Beginner Mistakes
When you start drybrushing, it’s natural to go in with a heavy hand and overdo it. Watch out for these common errors:
-
Using too much paint
If the paint streaks or pools, the brush isn’t dry enough – wipe off more paint. Remember, it’s not meant to be a second basecoat. -
Pressing too hard
Gentle pressure gives highlights that pop. Heavy pressure gives chalky streaks. -
Skipping the wipe step
Always remove most paint first — more than you think you need to. -
Drybrushing over wet layers
Make sure all the paint on your mini is completely dry -
Removing all moisture from the brush
If your brush is entirely dry, you may end up with a chalky finish.
Remember: use light pressure and be patient.
Do You Need Drybrushing?
No Rules, Just Paint. No hobby technique is mandatory, but drybrushing is extremely useful, especially when starting out.
It’s ideal for:
- Beginners learning light and contrast
- Speed painting armies
- Terrain and basing
- Fur, hair, cloth, stone, carapaces, armour – any textures!
- Weathering and glow effects
Many advanced painters still use drybrushing regularly; they just may use it more subtly.
Where Drybrushing Fits in the Painting Process
Different painters use drybrushing at different stages, so you’ll have to experiment what best fits into your workflow. But usually, drybrushing happens:
- After priming and basecoating
- Before washes or glazes (you can use these to mute the drybrush highlights)
- As an early highlight step
- As part of the slapchop technique
Think of it as building your miniature’s first highlights before refining details.
DipIt’s Final Take
Drybrushing is one of the most forgiving techniques in miniature painting. It rewards experimentation, it gives quick results, and it helps you understand how light interacts with a model.
Like with any hobby technique, if it helps you enjoy painting more and stress less, then it’s doing its job. Here’s the definition one more time.
Drybrushing: A miniature painting technique where you use a brush with very little paint on it to catch and highlight raised details on a miniature.
Tools That Make Drybrushing Easier
Drybrushing works best with brushes designed to hold less paint and release it smoothly across textures. Our Masterclass Drybrush Set comes with three sizes of goat hair brushes ideal for adding subtle highlights.
