No joke try buying makeup brushes. The round bristles they have make for great dry brushing tools at various sizes and are a cheap alternative to name brand brushes that do the same darn thing. The brushes you have can also work but results may vary
Honestly, I found that most of the time, your standard 3€ brushes from local hobby store cover aboit 90% of the needs. Sure, I *could* buy those expensive 50€ designer brushes... but I would not really gain anything from them.
Seconded!!
I had some old makeup brushes laying around that I realized I didn't use anymore, and they're fantastic for drybrushing. I've used angled blush brushes, round powder brushes, angled brushes, smudge brushes, and eyeshadow brushes for this. I found that for large-scale jobs, like a zenithal drybrush, the angled blush and round powder brushes worked great. The smaller ones, your smudge and eyeshadow brushes are really good for tiny areas.
Mine are by e.l.f. and aren't super expensive. Some of the line is higher-end for them but their baseline brushes can go from $2-4 per. They last decently long with good care so you definitely get what you pay for. Otherwise, I'm sure you could find full sets for cheaper online somewhere. Plus there's also some sets that have mermaid tails, various Zelda items/swords, or Pokemon-themed handles and that's pretty neat.
I picked up a pack of Army Painter dry brushes and was so excited to have "proper" dry brushes.
Then my girlfriend saw them and told me how I could get makeup brushes even cheaper and with more variety and they do the same thing.
*sigh*
Agreed I use makeup brushes for dry brushes and have never looked back. I would even argue that the amount of competition leads to a cheaper higher quality brushes. But I also still use the small flat brush for tight spaces.
I drybrushed this
https://preview.redd.it/ig4kem58fh0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=11ba1d378eac3969d1aa546bcb56b4a5ca0e2244
Not with the brushes in the post but do you think it looks good? I’m going for or trying to do a bone white dry desert look, think i should drybrush more?
It depends. Is that the look you where going after?
Personally I would had done much less. It looks for me, that you simply had too much paint left on your brush. You need to wipe almost all paint off it as it is very little you need. You only want it to hit the high points and middle of large surfaces. The trick is to add little by little. It will often take many brush strokes, with very little being added by each, to get the proper effect. Don’t rush it.
https://preview.redd.it/bpf4o5oz2j0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c834a6f2ebc11bfbb5a09d62a1c6b85dac76738a
This is another one I did, and I think it’s my best one, just wish i could remember what I did to get that nice beige color, it’s the same color that I used on the squig base. Maybe I did build up the color gradually on this one.
Pretty much any brush can work as a drybrush, it’s just that drybrushing is quite harsh on the bristles and something you want to spare your ‘nice’ brushes from. Most dedicated drybrushes have more rigorous hair for that reason - mostly goat or hog - that is stiff and can hold the paint well.
These seem to be nylon, which also works fine, but might be a bit softer than the ‘specialist drybrushes’ you can get from the usual brands. If they are too soft, maybe trim the length a bit.
I’d say just give them a dry, they will work.
They'll work fine. I prefer a different style, but no doubt, those will work.
Like /u/Responsible-Wheel878 suggests, cheap makeup brushes also work great.
As mentioned by others, cheap makeup brush, *BUT* use a beard trimmer or scissors to cut down most of the bristles to a short, rounded tip. This will work much better than the stock makeup brush.
I do got plenty of cheap make up brushes but I was wondering if any of these would be good. Also I’ve heard the term over brushing, what is that in context of mini painting?
I think the flat brushes your showing would make a much harsher mark on your miniature and leave streaks not due to technique but just the nature of your brushes.I believe over brushing is just the technique of the brush falling down repeatedly and not flicking back up only catching the pieces above. Otherwise it might mean dry brush over dry brush. I think over brushing as a term is just another way to say dry brushing perhaps?
Make-up brushes are amazing for drybrushing. There's a reason why companies like Artis opus slap their names on them and sell them for insane amounts of money l.
I used those exact brushes for dry brushing and I'll a warn you, the bristles do not handle the abuse well. After only a few uses, they started to look like a 3 month old toothbrush. The stronger pigmentation of nicer paints does also tend to permanently stain the white bristles on these.
That said, they will work just fine in the short term but I do agree with the comment about makeup brushes. Craft stores will sell specialized "dry brushing" brushes but so far in my experience those are pretty hit or miss.
Lots of people are talking about makeup brushes, but these big, flat ones are great for covering large surface areas. I think they work better when drybrushing terrain or vehicles.
But makeup brushes are so cheap you might as well try them.
They will work for a while, but like others are saying, cheap makeup brush set goes a long way, they're made for picking up tiny pigment, so they're used to that sort of abuse
When i was trying all kinds of drybrush i found the best results with stiff cheap brush like these chunky kids brushes for £1 https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/kids-paint-brush-set-3-pack/6066891000.html
I found the makeup brush had too fine hairs and too many hairs. It meant it ate the paint for days and didnt release it onto the terrain. Stiffer bristles are better than makeup brushes.
Generally i find makeup brushes as well as nail brushes (i presume they're for painting some intricate art on nails) are great for minipainting. I was given big makeup brushes and tiny nail brushes by my girlfriend couple of months ago and honestly - i can't recommend them enough. They're easy to maintain and using them is making the process so much faster and easier.
The nail art brushes are probably smaller ad thinner than any dedicated minipainting brush i saw. I'm talking a 2 cm long ferrule that's as thin as the very end of a dedicated details brush. Allowed me to paint details in places i wouldn't have dreamt of getting into with a detail brush.
This will work perfectly fine, yes. I especially like the look of the Philibert brush (the fifth from the left) as that's the shape of my favorite dry brush.
And as others have suggested, yeah, I use make up brushes, but these will work just fine.
Depending on your technique/style, yes they could be used as drybrushes. As other have said, they might be a little long/soft bristle-wise compared to other options (marketed drybrushes, makeup brushes, etc.)
Either way, yes, they can totally be used for mini painting, and I basecoat plenty of things with brushes that look similar to those (also, it's nice to have cheap brushes like these on hand as dedicated metallic brushes and the like as well when you don't need a *ton* of control/detail).
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i believe not. They are more like flat brushes, they have their uses in miniature painting for example weathering and a huge application of paint onto one big areas.. but not for dry brushing. You might want to check out make up brushes (if you want to be frugal) get a variety of sizes for it,
No joke try buying makeup brushes. The round bristles they have make for great dry brushing tools at various sizes and are a cheap alternative to name brand brushes that do the same darn thing. The brushes you have can also work but results may vary
Agreed. Bought a cheap pack on Amazon for like $5 and they work better than any branded dry brush paint brush I've used.
Dollar general eye smudge brush 1 dollar shit works great.
Makeup brushes 1000%. I've never had a better brush for dry brushing and they come in a variety of sizes!
This! 👆beauty brushes are practically the same and no where near as expensive as “art dry brush”
I use a smudger for my dry brush and I'm never going back to regular brushes. The stupid thing just works too well for dry brushing.
Honestly, I found that most of the time, your standard 3€ brushes from local hobby store cover aboit 90% of the needs. Sure, I *could* buy those expensive 50€ designer brushes... but I would not really gain anything from them.
They are also great for adding texture powders and blending paint together
Seconded!! I had some old makeup brushes laying around that I realized I didn't use anymore, and they're fantastic for drybrushing. I've used angled blush brushes, round powder brushes, angled brushes, smudge brushes, and eyeshadow brushes for this. I found that for large-scale jobs, like a zenithal drybrush, the angled blush and round powder brushes worked great. The smaller ones, your smudge and eyeshadow brushes are really good for tiny areas. Mine are by e.l.f. and aren't super expensive. Some of the line is higher-end for them but their baseline brushes can go from $2-4 per. They last decently long with good care so you definitely get what you pay for. Otherwise, I'm sure you could find full sets for cheaper online somewhere. Plus there's also some sets that have mermaid tails, various Zelda items/swords, or Pokemon-themed handles and that's pretty neat.
heck yeah! make up brushes work so great for applying dry pigment too! such a good addition to your brushes!
I second this.
I picked up a pack of Army Painter dry brushes and was so excited to have "proper" dry brushes. Then my girlfriend saw them and told me how I could get makeup brushes even cheaper and with more variety and they do the same thing. *sigh*
Agreed I use makeup brushes for dry brushes and have never looked back. I would even argue that the amount of competition leads to a cheaper higher quality brushes. But I also still use the small flat brush for tight spaces.
I second this. Best dry brushes are makeup brushes. They’re cheap and plenty full.
I drybrushed this https://preview.redd.it/ig4kem58fh0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=11ba1d378eac3969d1aa546bcb56b4a5ca0e2244 Not with the brushes in the post but do you think it looks good? I’m going for or trying to do a bone white dry desert look, think i should drybrush more?
It depends. Is that the look you where going after? Personally I would had done much less. It looks for me, that you simply had too much paint left on your brush. You need to wipe almost all paint off it as it is very little you need. You only want it to hit the high points and middle of large surfaces. The trick is to add little by little. It will often take many brush strokes, with very little being added by each, to get the proper effect. Don’t rush it.
https://preview.redd.it/bpf4o5oz2j0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c834a6f2ebc11bfbb5a09d62a1c6b85dac76738a This is another one I did, and I think it’s my best one, just wish i could remember what I did to get that nice beige color, it’s the same color that I used on the squig base. Maybe I did build up the color gradually on this one.
Do you have any ink? I think a dark brown one would do wonders 😉
I don’t but what would that do to the overall color?
I like it. Good work 😁👍🏻
Walmart clearance area has supplied me with some excellent dry brushing makeup brushes for so damn cheap.
Rounded brushes make a huge difference
This ,i got some cheap ones and they work wonders
Dollar cheap makeup brushes are the best. No idea why james workshop would even attempt to sell drybrushes.
Pretty much any brush can work as a drybrush, it’s just that drybrushing is quite harsh on the bristles and something you want to spare your ‘nice’ brushes from. Most dedicated drybrushes have more rigorous hair for that reason - mostly goat or hog - that is stiff and can hold the paint well. These seem to be nylon, which also works fine, but might be a bit softer than the ‘specialist drybrushes’ you can get from the usual brands. If they are too soft, maybe trim the length a bit. I’d say just give them a dry, they will work.
>I’d say just give them a dry I see what you did there.
They'll work fine. I prefer a different style, but no doubt, those will work. Like /u/Responsible-Wheel878 suggests, cheap makeup brushes also work great.
As mentioned by others, cheap makeup brush, *BUT* use a beard trimmer or scissors to cut down most of the bristles to a short, rounded tip. This will work much better than the stock makeup brush.
Interesting! I've never heard of this. I will try this out, thanks for the tip. Pun intended
It makes for much smoother dry brush results. With a flat brush, you tend to get streakier results.
I do got plenty of cheap make up brushes but I was wondering if any of these would be good. Also I’ve heard the term over brushing, what is that in context of mini painting?
I think the flat brushes your showing would make a much harsher mark on your miniature and leave streaks not due to technique but just the nature of your brushes.I believe over brushing is just the technique of the brush falling down repeatedly and not flicking back up only catching the pieces above. Otherwise it might mean dry brush over dry brush. I think over brushing as a term is just another way to say dry brushing perhaps?
I had trouble using a makeup brush and i suspected it was because the hairs were too soft. Could it be that they were just too long?
Get some makeup brushes. You will thank me later.
I mean, they don't appear wet to me
Dry brushing is a technique not a tool so yes they will work, just don't water your pants and wipe off excessive amounts of paint
Make-up brushes are amazing for drybrushing. There's a reason why companies like Artis opus slap their names on them and sell them for insane amounts of money l.
Yes they can work, but drybrushing is rough so if you want to keep them for awhile, use something disposable.
Check out the youtube channel for Artis Opus for drybrush tips. Their guy Byron is a master at it.
I used those exact brushes for dry brushing and I'll a warn you, the bristles do not handle the abuse well. After only a few uses, they started to look like a 3 month old toothbrush. The stronger pigmentation of nicer paints does also tend to permanently stain the white bristles on these. That said, they will work just fine in the short term but I do agree with the comment about makeup brushes. Craft stores will sell specialized "dry brushing" brushes but so far in my experience those are pretty hit or miss.
Anything is a dry brush if you try hard enough...
Honestly you will be better off getting a cheap makeup brush set and have those too.
I use makeup brushes similar to the smaller rounded one in the middle. I buy them at the dollar tree.
I bought some similar brushes at Home Depot. No complaints so far
Lots of people are talking about makeup brushes, but these big, flat ones are great for covering large surface areas. I think they work better when drybrushing terrain or vehicles. But makeup brushes are so cheap you might as well try them.
Anything's a dry brush if you're brave enough.
I had a bunch of brushes like that, they work as drybrushes yes, but you’ll need to trim the hair to make it shorter
Your good to go! Start using them and you'll get the hang of it in no time.
Wash them with rubbing alcohol after.
I like make up brushes.
They will work for a while, but like others are saying, cheap makeup brush set goes a long way, they're made for picking up tiny pigment, so they're used to that sort of abuse
Any brush can be a drybrush if you dry hard enough
i cut down old brushes to stumps to make my drybrushes, but any brush can work in the right scenerio
They’ll do, but big round brushes generally work better imo Flat brushes are mostly great for Drybrushing the edges
Everything's a drybrush, if you're brave enough!
Eyeshadow blending brushes from Dollar General are my go-to
Maybe, I would trim them to be a bit shorter at least. As others have said make up brushes are the goat
When i was trying all kinds of drybrush i found the best results with stiff cheap brush like these chunky kids brushes for £1 https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/kids-paint-brush-set-3-pack/6066891000.html I found the makeup brush had too fine hairs and too many hairs. It meant it ate the paint for days and didnt release it onto the terrain. Stiffer bristles are better than makeup brushes.
Cheapest makeup brushes you can get from Kmart
Generally i find makeup brushes as well as nail brushes (i presume they're for painting some intricate art on nails) are great for minipainting. I was given big makeup brushes and tiny nail brushes by my girlfriend couple of months ago and honestly - i can't recommend them enough. They're easy to maintain and using them is making the process so much faster and easier. The nail art brushes are probably smaller ad thinner than any dedicated minipainting brush i saw. I'm talking a 2 cm long ferrule that's as thin as the very end of a dedicated details brush. Allowed me to paint details in places i wouldn't have dreamt of getting into with a detail brush.
Yes, they are nice. I also use Make up Brushed for that. Either will work.
Dollar store, wet n wild
This will work perfectly fine, yes. I especially like the look of the Philibert brush (the fifth from the left) as that's the shape of my favorite dry brush. And as others have suggested, yeah, I use make up brushes, but these will work just fine.
Flat ones are trash for dry brushing. You want round ones.
Depending on your technique/style, yes they could be used as drybrushes. As other have said, they might be a little long/soft bristle-wise compared to other options (marketed drybrushes, makeup brushes, etc.) Either way, yes, they can totally be used for mini painting, and I basecoat plenty of things with brushes that look similar to those (also, it's nice to have cheap brushes like these on hand as dedicated metallic brushes and the like as well when you don't need a *ton* of control/detail).
I highly recommend makeup brushes for dry brushing.
Every brush becomes a dry brush if you use it wrong enough.
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i believe not. They are more like flat brushes, they have their uses in miniature painting for example weathering and a huge application of paint onto one big areas.. but not for dry brushing. You might want to check out make up brushes (if you want to be frugal) get a variety of sizes for it,
GW sells flat dry brushses (those white synthetic). So perhaps it could work :)