Dry brushing is the fastest way to make a grey plastic figure look three-dimensional. With almost no paint on the brush, you skim the raised edges of a model and leave color only where light would naturally hit. This guide covers how to dry brush miniatures properly: the right brush, how much paint to use, how to build layers, where it works best and how to avoid the chalky, dusty look that gives the technique a bad reputation.
Quick answer: Load a stiff, flat or round dry brush with acrylic paint, then wipe almost all of it off on a paper towel until the brush leaves only faint color when tested. Lightly flick the brush back and forth across the miniature’s raised details, so pigment catches only the edges. Start with a mid-tone over a darker basecoat, then repeat with progressively lighter shades using less paint and lighter pressure for each layer.
What Dry Brushing Does and When to Use It
Dry brushing is a highlighting technique. Because the brush is nearly dry, paint transfers only to surfaces that physically touch the bristles, which are the edges and raised areas. Recesses stay dark. The result mimics how light catches texture.
It works best on heavily textured surfaces:
- Fur, hair and feathers
- Chainmail and rough metal
- Stone, rocks and bases
- Scales and organic textures
- Terrain pieces and scenery
- Fabric with deep folds, used carefully
It is less suited to smooth, flat surfaces such as large armor panels or faces, where it can look streaky. For those areas, layering and edge highlighting with a fine brush give cleaner results.
What You Need
- A dedicated dry brush: stiff bristles, often flat or rounded dome-shaped. Old, worn brushes or inexpensive makeup brushes also work.
- Acrylic paints: standard miniature acrylics, or dry compound paints designed for this technique.
- Paper towel or a dry sponge for wiping excess paint.
- A primed and basecoated miniature.
- A wet palette or tile for mixing.
- Optional: a soft makeup brush for very subtle blending, and a fine detail brush for edge cleanup afterward.
Never use your good detail brushes for dry brushing. The scrubbing motion destroys fine points and splays bristles. Keep a separate set for this job, and save sable or high-quality synthetic rounds for eyes, edges and fine lines. If you need guidance on the brushes that should handle detail work, see our guide to the best detail brushes for miniature painting.
Choosing the Right Dry Brush
| Brush type | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small flat, stiff synthetic | Infantry miniatures, details | Good control on small areas |
| Medium round dome | Larger models, fur and stone | Covers more area evenly |
| Large dome or makeup brush | Terrain, bases, big monsters | Soft bristles give subtle, smooth highlights |
| Old worn brush | Practice and rough textures | Free, but results can be uneven |
Soft makeup-style brushes tend to give smoother, less chalky results than stiff hog bristles. Stiff brushes are better for very rough textures where you want crisp highlights.
How to Dry Brush Miniatures: Step by Step
- Prime and basecoat. Start with a primed miniature and a dark or mid-dark basecoat. A wash over the basecoat to deepen recesses before dry brushing improves contrast.
- Pick your first highlight color. Choose a shade one or two steps lighter than the basecoat. For a brown fur basecoat, a lighter tan works well.
- Load the brush lightly. Dip only the tips of the bristles into the paint. Avoid loading the ferrule.
- Wipe off most of the paint. Brush back and forth on a paper towel until the strokes leave only faint, powdery color. This is the step most beginners rush. If you see wet paint transferring, keep wiping.
- Test on your hand or a scrap. Brushing across your knuckle or a textured scrap shows how much paint remains.
- Apply with light, quick strokes. Flick the brush lightly across raised areas, moving in different directions. Let the texture catch the paint. Do not press hard.
- Build gradually. Go over the area several times rather than reloading heavily. Stop when edges show a clear highlight.
- Add a lighter layer. Mix a lighter shade and repeat with even less paint and lighter pressure, focusing on the highest points and areas facing your imagined light source.
- Final extreme highlight. Optionally, add a very light shade on only the sharpest edges.
- Clean up. Use a detail brush to fix stray highlights on areas like eyes, skin or neighboring materials.
Color Progressions That Work
| Material | Basecoat | First dry brush | Final highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grey stone | Dark grey | Mid grey | Light grey or bone |
| Brown fur | Dark brown | Medium tan | Light cream |
| Steel chainmail | Dark metallic | Bright silver | Very light silver on edges |
| Green scales | Dark green | Mid green | Yellow-green |
| Sandy base | Brown | Tan | Light sand or bone |
| Red cloth folds | Deep red | Bright red | Red mixed with orange |
Warm highlights such as cream or light tan on fur look natural. Pure white can look chalky unless used very sparingly as the final edge.
Brushing Techniques in Detail: Pressure, Direction and Coverage
Pressure: Light pressure produces fine highlights only on the sharpest edges. Slightly firmer pressure reaches lower areas and broadens highlights. Start light and increase only if needed.
Direction: Brush perpendicular to texture lines when possible. For fur, brush across the strands rather than along them so the bristles catch each ridge. For chainmail, use small circular motions.
Coverage: Concentrate highlights on upper surfaces facing your light source, usually from above. This creates a sense of overhead light and adds realism. Lower areas can receive less or no dry brushing.
Paint Consistency: Why Thickness Matters
Thin, watery paint is the enemy of dry brushing. It soaks into the bristles and floods recesses the moment the brush touches the model. Paint used straight from the pot, or even slightly thickened by letting it sit on a dry palette for a minute or two, gives better control. That is why dry compound paints, which are thicker and almost paste-like, are popular for this job.
Avoid using a wet palette for dry brushing. Wet palettes keep paint moist and thin, which is ideal for layering and blending but counterproductive here. A dry ceramic tile, a plastic lid or a piece of card is better. If paint starts drying on the palette before you have used it, that is usually fine; dry brushing works with paint that is close to dry anyway.
Dry Brushing Bases and Terrain
Bases are the easiest place to master dry brushing, and well-finished bases dramatically improve how a miniature looks on the table. A simple base routine:
- Apply texture paste, sand or grit to the base and let it dry.
- Basecoat in a dark brown or grey.
- Apply a dark wash to settle into the gaps.
- Dry brush with a mid-tone, using a larger brush and slightly firmer pressure.
- Dry brush the highest grains with a light bone or sand color.
- Paint the base rim in a neat solid color, then add static grass or tufts if you like.
For terrain such as ruins, rocks and walls, use large soft brushes and work quickly. Terrain benefits from heavier dry brushing than miniatures because it is viewed from a distance and needs strong contrast to read clearly on the table.
Common Mistakes and Fixes
Chalky or dusty finish
Too much paint, too light a color too early, or stiff bristles on smooth areas. Use softer brushes, smaller value steps and less paint. A glaze of the base color thinned with medium can tone down chalkiness.
Paint in the recesses
The brush was too wet. Wipe more paint off and use lighter pressure. Fix with a wash to restore shadows.
Streaky highlights on smooth areas
Dry brushing does not suit flat panels. Use edge highlighting or layering there instead.
Highlights on the wrong materials
Paint the textured areas first and dry brush them before painting nearby smooth areas, or clean up afterward with a detail brush.
Highlights too subtle
Use a lighter shade or slightly more pressure, and build more passes.
How to Clean Miniature Paint Brushes After Dry Brushing
Dry brushing leaves dried paint deep near the ferrule because the technique works paint into the bristles. Clean promptly:
- Rinse in water, working the bristles gently with your fingers.
- Use a dedicated brush soap or mild soap, lathering in your palm.
- Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear.
- Reshape the bristles and let the brush dry flat or bristles down.
- If paint has dried, use a brush cleaner designed for acrylics and soak only the bristles, not the ferrule.
The same routine answers the related question of how to clean detailing brushes, but detail brushes need extra gentleness to protect the tip. Never scrub a detail brush against a hard surface.
Dry Brushing vs Other Highlighting Techniques
| Technique | Speed | Best for | Look |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry brushing | Very fast | Texture, fur, stone, terrain | Textured, slightly rough |
| Edge highlighting | Medium | Armor, weapons, hard edges | Crisp, clean lines |
| Layering | Slow | Faces, cloth, smooth surfaces | Smooth gradients |
| Wet blending | Slow | Cloaks, skin, display pieces | Very smooth transitions |
| Zenithal priming | Fast | Underlying light and shadow | Light structure under transparent paints |
Many painters combine techniques: zenithal prime, wash, dry brush textures, then edge highlight hard surfaces and layer faces.
Tips by Skill Level
Beginners: Practice on bases and terrain first, where mistakes do not matter. Learn how little paint the brush really needs.
Intermediate: Use soft makeup brushes for subtle results, and combine dry brushing with washes and glazes for depth.
Advanced: Use dry brushing selectively for texture, then refine with glazes and edge highlights to remove any chalkiness and push contrast.
Batch Painting With Dry Brushing
Dry brushing shines when painting armies or large groups. Line up several miniatures with the same basecoat and wash, then dry brush them one after another with the same loaded brush routine. Because the technique is quick and forgiving, a whole unit can receive consistent highlights in a single session. Keep the color progression identical across the batch so the models look unified on the table, and save fine detail work for a final pass on each figure.
Clean the dry brush between color steps by wiping it thoroughly on a towel rather than rinsing it in water. A damp brush will pull too much paint on the next load. If you must rinse, dry the bristles completely before continuing.
How to Craft a Brush in Miniature Painting
Some painters search how to craft brush in mini painting because they want a custom dry brush. A simple approach is to trim an old synthetic flat brush to a shorter, stiffer length with sharp scissors, which gives more control on small details. Others trim makeup brushes into rounded domes. Custom brushes are not necessary, but they can help tailor stiffness and size to your models.
FAQs
Can you dry brush with regular acrylic paint?
Yes. Standard miniature acrylics work well. Dry compound paints, thicker formulas designed for dry brushing, simply make the process easier to control.
What is the best brush for dry brushing miniatures?
A stiff flat or dome-shaped brush is standard. Soft makeup brushes give smoother, subtler results, while stiff brushes suit rough textures.
Should you wash before or after dry brushing?
Usually before. A wash deepens recesses, and dry brushing then picks out raised details for strong contrast. A light glaze afterward can soften chalkiness.
Why does my dry brushing look chalky?
Too much paint, too light a highlight color or very stiff bristles. Use less paint, smaller value steps and softer brushes.
Can you dry brush metallic paint?
Yes. Dry brushing metallics over dark metal or black works well for chainmail, worn armor and weapons.
How do I keep dry brushing off other areas?
Dry brush textured areas first, then paint neighboring parts afterward, or mask adjacent areas and clean up with a detail brush.
Final Thoughts
Dry brushing is one of the fastest techniques for adding depth to miniatures, but it relies on restraint: less paint, lighter pressure and gradual layers. Use dedicated cheap brushes for dry brushing and keep your fine-point brushes for faces, eyes and edges. When you are ready to upgrade those tools, our guide to detail brushes for miniature painting explains which shapes, sizes and fibers hold the sharpest point for precision work.
