What is Dry Brushing?

Dry brushing is a coloring technique used to finish any surface in an uneven way that creates irregularity associated with aged materials. Proper dry brushing requires one to apply a first coating layer that is allowed to completely dry. The dry brushing technique can only be properly executed if the base coating is completely dry, otherwise the layers will mix to form an uneven paint finish that simply looks like poor quality rather than aged finish.

To dry brush, dip the brush into the paint then wipe all the paint from the exterior or the brush by dragging it across the edge of the paint reservoir. The removal of all visible paint from the outside of the brush hairs will enable only small amounts of paint stored between the hairs to be transferred to the surface, which will create an uneven and streaked appearance to the finished surface. The same effect can be achieved with stain by using an oil-based primer to create a first coating, then following the same dry brushing technique when applying the second coating of the same oil-based primer before applying the stain. Seal the finished dry brush effect with a final clear top coat layer.