As a novice modeller, I started to use all the techniques I learned here, on this site. Off course, it's trial and error, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I used future, pin washes, global washes, oils and everything went well, my armour looks much better. So now, I'm in the stage to start dry brushing. But whatever I try, I don't seem to get the hang of it. I've read many articles, but it isn't working.

Could someone give me a step by step tutorial on dry brushing? What colours to use, for allied WWII armour, which brush, size, which paints, maybe, a few photo's of the progress...

I'll be forever in gratitude!

The best paint EVA for this was the long discontinued Pollly S light olive. I'd let it get old and thick and htere you were. But that was then, this is now.

Use your base olive lightened with a litle yelow, not white, that's too stark. Lay some paint on a pallette, any flat surface will do. Do not thin, the thicker the paint the better. Take a wide flat brush, touch the tip to the paint, don't dip it in the paint, just touch the edge. Now gently wipe this on a rag, using a back and forth motion. When it appears there's no more paint coming off the brush, very gently drag it across the raised surfaces of your model. You should start to see some highlights. Repeat a couple times with lghter colored paint (more yellow to the olive mix) and successively lighter, more delicate passes on the model.
It 's a good idea to practice on a junker forst to get the feel of this.

Hope thishelps.

Al's nailed it. Some guys swear by oils only for drybrushing, I've used acrylics as well. The only way to tell what will work for you is to experiment. Nice thing is that if you overdo it you can either remove it or overpaint with the base colour and try again.

Thanks for the reply. Do I use a hard brush or a soft brush? How big does it has to be? Any suggestions for size?

I've been trying it a bit on a junk model, but it still isn't working... If there is no paint in the brush, how can I then have highlights?

How can I see if it's right? Like with a wash, if you see it flowing in the recesses you know you're on the right track, but drybrushing is getting me mad!

Hi Dave. I use Humbrols for dry brushing ... and sometimes add oils to extend the working time. As Al said, do not thin the paint. I use soft flat brushes ... one that is about 7mm wide and one that is about 15mm. The 15mm is used for most of the drybrushing, but I use the 7mm when Im near other details and want more control. How much paint you add originally to your brush is a matter of preference IMO, but the amount left after wiping away the majority of your paint is what makes the method successful or not. A rag is a good surface for wiping off the paint. Cheap toilet roll paper can deteriorate and add lint to the paint ... and give the effect a very harsh surface.

As I havent seen what you´ve done, I can´t explain why you cant see your drybrushing effect. Maybe the colours used, have not enough contrast to the base paint. Use some old left over sprues and spray/paint them black. Use a light grey as your drybrush colour. You´ll definately see the effect then. Experiment with how much paint should be left on your brush and how "dry" it should be.
When painting armor, I use drybrushing, but its the second step after base coating. I use a colour with a high contrast. The foloowing steps will tone this effect down again, but still helps small detail "pop" up nicely.

I use a SHORT wide brush, since it gives me better control over where the paint ends up. A brush that's on its last legs is often OK for dry-brushing - clip the bristles to half-length or a little less. But if you can afford it, a new brush will be cleaner and probably give better results.

I use a 1/4" red sable brush. I've only used it a few times, as I'm not a big fan of a ton of drybrushing, but it works quite well anyway. I used it on this model for the slight brown on the sides and rear.



HTH
Samuel

Hey Frank,

Thanks for all the tips! I've bought a new soft, flat, wide brush, and I'll try it out this week. I hope I will be able to master the technique finnaly. If it works out, I'll post some pics.

Thanks a lot!

I drybrush with oil paint and I use these brushes from Micro-Mark, they are specially textured and cut for drybrushing and are not a gimmick, they give excellent results:
http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=81082
These are well worth the money and I highly recommend them!

I, too, am a novice modeler. I do know a few tricks from experience.
I use any paint that i need the color in. Acrylics work the best for me, and the brush size varies due to the size of the area. I typicly use a 1/16 of an inch wide brush for most dry brushing. What you want to do is dip the brush in paint, and wipe the brush on a napkin or paper towel, just like you are painting normally (I actually made some pretty pictures on the towel ) do this until you can faintly see the paint on the napkin, then you can begin drybrushing. As with Sharmin toilet paper, less in more! If you dont have enough to satisfy yourself, just keep brushing in that spot and it will cover more. But be careful: it is tempting to over dry brush! as with all modeling techniques, practice will let you know when enough is enough. For more information, go to http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/ and look in the dark blue bar for "tools n tips", and scroll down to dry brushing, where you can find a tutorial. Hope this helps!

if u are geting into dry brushing u want a half inch wide brush with really short bristles.