How to Use Dry-Brush Techniques for Flair When Painting

If you are looking for a technique that will help bring your paint job to life, using dry-brush techniques can be just the trick you need for that added bit of oomph. You can use it on an entire wall or you can leave the upper half of your wall one color, and use the dry-brush technique on the bottom half to add interest (or vice versa). If you have a chair rail in place, the latter is an even more ideal option. The work is easy and the results turn out really nice.

Gather your supplies. For this job, you will need the following:

Drop cloth for the floor

Step ladder if you are doing the entire length of the wall

Paintbrushes for the dry-brush technique (choose whatever size you like, depending on how you want your end result to look; make sure bristles are coarse and stiff, not soft and pliable).

Two colors of paint, one color that is light and another is a bit darker, in a sheen. The latter will be mixed with the glaze for your dry-brush covering. Both types of paint should be eggshell or semi gloss latex.

Glaze (If you purchase a water-based glaze and are doing the entire wall, you may want to get a life extender so the glaze does not dry too quickly while you are working)

Paint roller and covers (use small ones for half of a wall and larger ones for a full wall)

Painter’s tape

Rags
Bucket

Paint Mixer (the traditional wood ones that are used for stirring are ideal)

The first step is to protect your trim, ceilings (if you are doing the entire length of the wall) and floor. Carefully apply painter’s tape along the trim and baseboards and put your drop cloth down on the floor.

Now you are ready to paint Apply your base coat of paint onto the wall.

Pour a mixture of glaze and paint (the second color of paint) into a bucket. Make them equal parts. Mix well.

Start at the top of the place in the wall where you will be glazing and work your way down (in sections that are three or four feet wide) with a paint roller.

As soon as you have the strip painted, take your dry brush and fill in the top and bottom places where you would traditionally cut in the paint and fill in with the glaze mixture that is already on the wall.

Now you want to drag your dry brush from the top to the bottom, evenly, in one fluid motion. Start at the top and work your way down. Go over the edge of the previously brushed area very lightly so that the end result will come out clean.

Repeat this process on the entire area you will be glazing.

Be very certain that you keep your dry-brush dry as you go along. Use your rag to wipe the glaze off of the bristles each time you complete a strip.

If you are looking for a woven fabric look, you can pull your dry brush straight and then immediately pull it across the strip horizontally to create the small weave look present in fabric. You can also create stripes if you like, horizontally or vertically, depending on the look you wish to achieve. You could also create a variety of stripes that are repetitive, such as solid color, small dry-brush stripe, large dry brush stripe, or any other variety of striping patterns you like. Or you could stencil in small or large designs and dry brush those. You may also want to experiment by using different brush types or even sponges, until you find the perfect look for your wall. There are so many options for this type of painting and it really does create a textured finish that is lovely.