Drybrushing is probably the fastest technique in the entire miniature-painting hobby. One minute of work, and the raised parts of the model suddenly pop and stand out beautifully. It works on textures, metals, fur, feathers, bone, and terrain — and learning to do it right takes literally twenty minutes of practice. That said, getting to that fast, clean result still takes some repetition to build up the feel for it.
Even so, there's one very common way to get this technique wrong. The result doesn't end up looking like a typical highlight — it looks like dust smeared across the whole miniature. In this article, we'll cover how drybrushing works, how to avoid the biggest mistake, and how to use it for fast army painting as well as more advanced effects.
What is drybrushing, and why does it work?
Drybrushing — literally painting with a dry brush — is a technique where the brush carries only a minimal amount of paint. That thin trace of paint catches only the topmost points of the model — edges, textures, raised details — and leaves the recesses dark.
In terms of the physics, it's simple: liquid paint would run everywhere. Paint applied with an almost-dry brush only transfers where the brush physically touches the surface — that is, on the peaks of textures and edges, not in the recesses. The result is an automatic highlight across the whole model.
That's why drybrushing works best on:
- Rough textures — stone walls, bark, fur, feathers
- Metal surfaces — over a Nuln Oil wash it creates a convincing metallic look
- Bones and skulls — the classic combo of Agrax Earthshade + a light drybrush
- Basing and terrain — drybrushing brings out texture in sand, rocks, and rubble
- Zenithal highlighting — a quick light-colored drybrush as the final layer before Contrast paints
What you'll need
Brushes — why you need a dedicated drybrush
Drybrushing is a demanding, destructive technique. The friction against the model's surface wears a brush down far faster than normal painting does — which is exactly why you shouldn't use your good Kolinsky or premium synthetic brush for it. Always keep a dedicated drybrush (even an old worn-out brush works fine) set aside just for this technique.
AK Round Drybrush
Our best-selling drybrush. Stiff synthetic bristles, an ergonomic handle, and a great price. An ideal starting choice for anyone.
Citadel Drybrush Small
A smaller flat brush for precise drybrushing on details — faces, ornaments, small textures. Useful where a larger brush would be too coarse.
Citadel Drybrush Large
A large brush for terrain, big models, and basing large dioramas. Covers a big area quickly and evenly.
Paints — the Citadel Dry range, or ordinary paints
Any acrylic paint works for drybrushing — but Citadel has a special Dry range formulated specifically for this technique. Dry paints have a thicker consistency and less liquid content than regular paints, which makes it easier to get the right amount of paint onto the brush.
Necron Compound
Light silver. The most-used Dry paint — over Nuln Oil on Leadbelcher, it gives a convincing steel effect.
Terminatus Stone
Warm beige. Great for bones, stonework, desert terrain, and old walls.
Longbeard Grey
Light grey. Ideal for stone textures, grey armor, and highlighting dark surfaces.
Praxeti White
Nearly white. The final layer of a drybrush sequence for maximum light on the highest points.
Sigmarite
Gold. For gold armor, ornaments, and the sacred metals of Stormcast Eternals or Adeptus Custodes.
Stormfang
Light blue-grey. Great for Space Wolves, frost effects, and icy terrain.
Step-by-step process
Load the brush with paint
Dip the tip of your drybrush into the paint — a small amount, just a touch on the bristles. Drybrushing needs significantly less paint than you'd think. Less is always more.
2
Remove the excess and "dry off" the paint — this step is the key one
Wipe the brush against a paper towel or cardboard roughly 20 times. The brush should leave only a barely visible trace of paint — almost nothing. If it's still leaving a strong mark, go back and repeat. This is the single most important step in the whole technique.
Sweep quickly across the model
Use quick, light strokes across the model — movement matters here, not pressure. The brush should barely graze the raised areas. Repeat in different directions until you reach the level of highlighting you want.
4
Layer from dark to light
Start with a darker color over a broader area, then a lighter color just on the peaks. For stone, for example: mid grey across the whole texture → light grey just on the edges → near-white only on the absolute highest points. Each layer adds contrast and depth.
Check and repeat
After each layer, look at the model from roughly 30 cm away — the way others will see it on the tabletop. If you want a more intense highlight, add another layer. Drybrushing layers without any trouble.
When and where to use drybrushing
Metals and armor
Apply Nuln Oil over Leadbelcher, let it dry, then a light drybrush of Necron Compound. You get convincing metal in three minutes flat — one of the most efficient combos out there.
Stone textures and terrain
A dark grey or brown base → Nuln Oil → a mid-grey drybrush → a light-grey drybrush → a touch of near-white on the peaks. Works on walls, ruins, basing, and dioramas alike.
Bones and organic materials
A Zandri Dust base → Agrax Earthshade → a Terminatus Stone drybrush → a light Praxeti White drybrush on the edges. The classic combo for skulls, bones, and graves.
Basing and tufts
Drybrushing light brown or beige over a dark brown basing paste brings out the texture and preps the surface for tufts. Great to do right before applying Gamers Grass tufts.
Fur and feathers
Drybrushing works wonders on fur and feather textures — it naturally highlights every individual strand. Apply a light drybrush in the direction the fur grows. Great for animals, ork skin, fantasy beasts, and pelts.
Zenithal highlighting
A quick light-colored drybrush from above as an alternative to a zenithal spray. Not as smooth as a zenithal primer, but it works without a spray and can be done any time over white or grey paint.
Drybrushing combined with other techniques
The classic trio: Base → Wash → Drybrush
This is probably the most-used sequence of steps in the whole hobby — and for good reason. It works on almost anything and gives satisfying results for very little time invested:
- Base coat — the foundation color across the whole surface
- Wash — a Shade paint darkens the recesses and adds shading
- Drybrush — a light color highlights the raised areas and restores the original color on textures
Examples in practice:
- Leadbelcher → Nuln Oil → Necron Compound drybrush = quick metal
- Zandri Dust → Agrax Earthshade → Terminatus Stone drybrush = bones and stonework
- Mechanicus Standard Grey → Nuln Oil → Longbeard Grey drybrush = grey stone
Drybrush + Contrast paints
A less traditional but highly effective combo for fast-painting armies: zenithal highlight → a Contrast paint in a single step → a final light-colored drybrush on the raised areas. Contrast handles the shading, the drybrush brings the light back to the peaks. You can finish an entire model in 20–30 minutes.
Drybrush as the last step on terrain
For basing and terrain, drybrushing is an almost mandatory final step. Apply it before tufts and static grass. The correct order, then, would be: texture paste → wash → drybrush → tufts and decorations.
The most common mistakes — and how to avoid them
Too much paint on the brush
The result looks like dust or a grey film over the whole model. The fix: wipe the brush against paper a bit longer — until it leaves almost no trace at all. Only then move to the model.
Drybrushing with the wrong brush
The technique will ruin the tip of a Kolinsky or premium synthetic within a few sessions. Always use a brush set aside specifically for drybrushing — or an old, worn-out one.
Too light a color for the first layer
A white drybrush over a dark model as the first layer will be too intense — though that's not necessarily wrong on its own. It's generally better to start with a color just 1–2 shades lighter than the base coat, then work up to lighter tones.
Drybrushing before the wash
A wash applied after drybrushing dulls and suppresses the highlight. The correct order is always base → wash → drybrush. Drybrushing always comes right before basing decorations, never after.
Pressing too hard with the brush
Heavy pressure pushes paint into the recesses too, and you lose the contrast. Touch the model lightly — quick strokes with minimal pressure, without bearing down on it.
Drybrushing smooth surfaces
On flat, smooth surfaces, drybrushing doesn't do much — there's no texture to catch the paint. For small faces, skin, and flat armor plates, use layering or glazing instead.
Recommended product overview
| Product | Type | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| AK Round Drybrush L | Brush | An all-purpose drybrush for almost any model |
| Citadel Drybrush Small | Brush | Precise drybrushing on details and small models |
| Citadel Drybrush Large | Brush | Terrain, large models, basing |
| Citadel Dry: Necron Compound | Paint — Dry | Metals over Leadbelcher + Nuln Oil |
| Citadel Dry: Terminatus Stone | Paint — Dry | Bones, stonework, desert terrain |
| Citadel Dry: Longbeard Grey | Paint — Dry | Stone, grey surfaces, highlighting |
| Citadel Dry: Praxeti White | Paint — Dry | Final highlights on texture peaks |
| Citadel Dry: Sigmarite | Paint — Dry | Gold armor and ornaments |
| Citadel Nuln Oil | Wash (base before drybrushing) | Metals, grey and dark surfaces |
| Citadel Agrax Earthshade | Wash (base before drybrushing) | Bones, leather, terrain |
Summary — how to drybrush correctly
- Less paint than you'd expect — wipe the brush on paper until it leaves almost nothing
- Always a dedicated drybrush — or an old, worn-out one. Never a good Kolinsky
- Base → Wash → Drybrush — the correct order, always
- Dark to light — the first layer darker over a broad area, the last one near-white just on the peaks
- Drybrush before tufts and decorations — tufts would get damaged if drybrushed afterward
- Not for smooth surfaces — faces and skin need glazing or layering instead
- Leadbelcher + Nuln Oil + Necron Compound = the fastest convincing metal in the whole hobby
Drybrushes, Citadel Dry paints, and Shade paints are all available at our shop in Plzeň at Zbrojnická 116/2, open Mon–Fri 1pm–6pm. You can also order online — we ship throughout the Czech Republic and the EU.
obchod@coloursofwarriors.com · +420 737 281 727