How to Drybrush and Overbrush

This post is part of the Notts Hobbies 30 Day Army Painting Accelerator, Click here to get your free copy.

Drybrushing is an essential technique for any miniature painter to learn. Although it is considered a beginner technique, it is frequently used on Golden Daemon entries.

Drybrushing is used to pick out any raised details by removing most of the paint from the brush and then lightly brushing over the model. This is a quick and easy way to highlight any model, making it perfect for army painting.

When drybrushing, I recommend using a drybrush, texture palette and any acrylic paint for miniature painting.

First, you use an old brush to place your paint on the texture palette, and then you dip your drybrush in the paint on your palette. Before applying paint to the model, you wipe the paint off your brush onto your palette using circular and straight motions until no more paint comes off your brush.

Then, lightly start brushing over the raised areas of the model. When drybrushing, be patient and gradually build up the highlights over time. But if no paint is deposited on the model, gently increase the pressure on the brush until the desired effect is achieved.

Remember, it is easier to add more paint to the model than to fix adding too much paint.

It should look something like this, with all the raised edges picked out by the drybrush.

Overbrushing is similar to dry brushing, but it applies a mid-tone to a model instead of a highlight.

When you are removing paint from the brush you leave more paint on the brush than drybrushing.

You remove the paint until one pass over your texture palette looks like this.

As with drybrushing you should start by applying a small amount of pressure, then gradually increase the pressure as required to deposit enough paint onto the model.

An overbrushed model should look like this. The midtone has been applied quickly, leaving the primer in the recess and removing the need for washes or recess shading.

A model can be overbrushed and then drybrushed to apply the midtone and highlights.

This produces a high standard of painting in a relatively short amount of time. Below is a model we painted in a couple of hours using drybrushing and overbrushing.

You can try drybrushing and overbrushing with the Notts Hobbies Complete Drybrush Set and Notts Hobbies Drybrushing Starter Pack.

Tap the links above to purchase a drybrushing set and start drybrushing your mini’s.

This post is part of the Notts Hobbies 30 Day Army Painting Accelerator, Click here to get your free copy.

Glossary

Acrylic Paint – Is a fast drying water based paint used in miniature painting, made by brands including Citadel, Vallejo and Army Painter

Drybrush – Is a wide paint brush that doesn’t have a tip, designed for drybrushing

Drybrushing - a miniature painting technique where most of the paint is removed from the brush so it deposits paint on the raised surfaces of a model.

Highlight – painting the bright colours on raised parts of a model so they stand out.

Overbrushing - a miniature painting technique where some of the paint is removed from the brush so the paint isn’t deposited in the deepest parts of a model.

Texture Palette - is a non-absorbent surface where painters water down paints and remove excess paint from their brush.