Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I dry brush my space marines completely. Even theasier flat surfaces. I heard some people it creates a chalky messy look and you are better off highlighting and glazing instead.

Dry brushing in my experience definitely creates a bit if a chalky look bit not necessary messy for me. The thing is I actually think the chalky looks good. It gives it this vintage stoney look in my opinion.

Just wondering if anyone else thinks this or am I just being ridiculous.

Nope. A great many people poo poo drybrushing as a beginner's technique, but it can be very useful in a variety of situations. My entire Raptors army was painted with mostly drybrushing and a wash over it to help tie the layers together.

Yeah nothing wrong with it. You can remove some of the chalkiness with glazes to give a smoother finish as well, which is easy to do. Might not be much to discuss though.

Yeah, drybrushing can look worse if you go at it too impatiently and roughly, with a brush that still has a bit too much paint on it. Like any technique, how it looks depends on how much care and time you want to put into it.

I find drybrushing can look relatively clean and smooth as long as you don't let the paint start to tack up in the brush. the trick is to keep the brush dry, ie: minimal paint, but keep the paint wet. This means having the patience to clean the brush, thoroughly dry it, and start over, continuously.

That said, I layer my marines, and it takes foreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeveeeeeeeeeer...

post pics

I have only dry brushed for bare metal effect, I must admit I have chickened out dry brushing a whole model in any other colour. @JadeDoo I would love to see some photos of your results to give me some inspiration. I may try dry brushing a whole Space Marine now, but I still reckon I would fudge it up though...

 Weboflies wrote:
This means having the patience to clean the brush, thoroughly dry it, and start over, continuously.

Multiple brushes are in order. One on, one in the wash.

The majority of my SM army is dry brushed.

I find it looks nice, saves time, and gives them the rugged look vs. sparkling new pristine look when I used layers. It worked for me at least.

I have been dry brushing the base weathered area, then pick out other solids later and highlight them separately.

JadeDoo wrote:
I dry brush my space marines completely. Even theasier flat surfaces. I heard some people it creates a chalky messy look and you are better off highlighting and glazing instead.

Dry brushing in my experience definitely creates a bit if a chalky look bit not necessary messy for me. The thing is I actually think the chalky looks good. It gives it this vintage stoney look in my opinion.

Just wondering if anyone else thinks this or am I just being ridiculous.

Post some pics!

Some 'em what you've got!

Nothing speculator bt here you go. This is the best one I could take with my phone. The image looks a more messy and blotchy than in real life probably from minor shaking. But it is very chalky.

Still can't decide if I want to highlight it any or glaze over it. I am leaning to a bit more highlighting but not glazing and retaining the slight chalky texture.

At least your stuff is painted! Better dry brushed than bare plastic! Looks pretty good too.

first picture looks bit chalky but not that bad. second looks better. I need to give it a go on my models aswell, the end result looks very neat. Have you given it a wash?

A quick glaze would eliminate a lot of that chalkiness. Having said that, considering the technique used it looks quite good

Cryocat wrote:
A quick glaze would eliminate a lot of that chalkiness. Having said that, considering the technique used it looks quite good

Agreed!

It looks nice 'as is' and with a few more steps, it could be quite good indeed - well done!

Duncan does it as well, but with a lighter drybrush:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_odi1c7ErCg

Being a member of the House of Shaking Hands, drybrushing is an important technique for me!

I've had people compliment my edge highlighting on models I've only (selectively) drybrushed... I'm never sure if they are being sarcastic or not.

Drybrushing can definitely look half decent if you put some effort in to it. It always tends to look a bit grainy, but sometimes that's an effect you want. A while back I had a crack at a Space Wolf scheme that was painted with drybrushing. This was just a test model, hence why it's not finished, I never followed through painting a whole force, but I think it looked okay...



It's a bit grainy looking up close but from 2+ feet away it looks fine, it's almost an airbrushed type look but slightly grainier and probably better directed.

OP, looks good to me!

I just started a Space Wolves army and am basecoating, drybrushing, washing, and then edge highlighting. Gives them a really interesting, well trodden look. I think Space Marines should look a little rough around the edges, not all smooth and shiny like a squire just polished their armor for them.

Paint your stuff the way you want, and get it in the table. I'll take any paintjob over grey plastic. Do your thing.

JadeDoo wrote:
Nothing speculator bt here you go. .

Nothing wrong with this at all. Like any technique, it can work if you're good at it. You're good at it.

Thanks for all the feedback guys

@Ninjapirate Only wash was black in the crevices in the very beginning.

 Vermis wrote:

 Weboflies wrote:
This means having the patience to clean the brush, thoroughly dry it, and start over, continuously.

Multiple brushes are in order. One on, one in the wash.

I like your style.