Dry brushing is a technique usefull for creating highlights on textured surfaces.
If you paint a base colour on an object then mix up some of the same colour with some white mixed in and then almost dry the brush out on a tissue. If you now wipe the brush over the object the high spots will be slowly picked out softly in the lighter colour. A lot of people do not like the technique for figures as they see it as crude and does not have enough control.
It can be used in many ways though such as painting an engine casing with a base colour of gunmetal and then dry brushing a mix of gunmetal and silver over it. The effects here can be dramatic and very rewarding. If you look at the model of the Suzuki Gamma in the gallery you can just see some dry brushing on the engine casings. It is actually a bit crude but I was young at the time!!
I used dry brushing on the U-Boat deck for adding brown stains and the white salt residues. It can be more controllable than airbrushing in the right conditions but it is best used in conjunction with other techniques. |