Dry brushing.

[ChadVamp]

I'm new to the custom game and I don't know what dry brushing is. What is dry brushing and what are the best methods for this technique?

[Cloud Strife]

It's typically used to create shading and depth. Basically, you wipe most of the paint off of your bristles on a paper towel, and then go back-and-forth over the area you're wanting to paint. By applying a dark base coat, and then dry brushing it, it allows the recessed areas to retain a darker shade as the paint doesn't get into the recesses, and that's what helps give it shading, and it also helps the details of the sculpt to "pop".

Black is used in a lot of cases as the base coat, but you can use any color you like, really. Say you're painting something that's yellow, you might use a darker hue of yellow, or maybe even use a light orange color as the base color. For example, I recently painted a Road Pig head sculpt and used Dark Grey as the base coat on the hair, and then dry brushed the white on.

Here's a video that shows the technique:

How To Dry Brush Tutorial - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWl8-cozI5w)

I hope that helps!

[iDzBowl]

Here's a tutorial that might help.

Jin's Basic Custom Figure Painting Guide (http://www.angelfire.com/mech/jinsaotome/PaintingTips.html)

[GeneralxRon]

TTT makes some cool dry brushing customs

[Tauron]

I would only use dry brushing to a surface that you want to show a rougher texture on. Hair, drity or worn leather, dirty or ragged clothes, fur, rusted or fire damaged metal, etc. For a sleaker look to clean, undamaged surfaces I'd reccomend a wash. It's a opposite of dry brushing where you use a very watered down darker color to run over the area and darken in the recesses.

Whatever you do vary your technique to show different textures, otherwise the figure will look flat. Hair, cloth, leather, metal, etc. all have differnet textures within their own ranges and obviously between them.

[Tankster]

all the above tricks are what most of us use
Non Drybrushed
http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/DANWAYBAR/big%20guns/DSCN5138.jpg

Drybrushed
http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/DANWAYBAR/big%20guns/DSCN4695.jpg

if you want more realism in your painting Drybrushing is the best option but making somthing without it can still make it look real

[Slaymaker]

all the above tricks are what most of us use
Non Drybrushed
http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/DANWAYBAR/big%20guns/DSCN5138.jpg

Drybrushed
http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/DANWAYBAR/big%20guns/DSCN4695.jpg

if you want more realism in your painting Drybrushing is the best option but making somthing without it can still make it look real

Tank - I am confused...are these supposed to be pics of the same figure before and after drybrushing?

[Tankster]

oh and use stiff bristled brushes soft ones don't work very well and hold way to much paint the trick is to not waste your paint ;)

[Tankster]

Tank - I am confused...are these supposed to be pics of the same figure before and after drybrushing?

lol :D far from it just showing a comparison to reg paint to drybrushed paint

[Slaymaker]

OK - just checking. :D

[Tankster]

OK - just checking. :D

you had me thinking there for a minute ;)

[TR1ER]

Tank - I am confused...are these supposed to be pics of the same figure before and after drybrushing?

That never happens when I do it? lol

[Tankster]

That never happens when I do it? lol

I sprinkle a special powder on them and then they switch ;)

[fireflyguy]

I really appreciate the tutorial video. I knew what it was, but it's great seeing how to do it.

[Tankster]

I really appreciate the tutorial video. I knew what it was, but it's great seeing how to do it.

yes that always helps cause i wish i had seen video of it way back when would have saved me some ruined customs

[TheWilloughbian]

There is also the wipe. Which is like a wash ,but you wipe the paint of the raised surfaces while it is wet leaving it in the recesses. This combined with dry brushing make for a nice effect.