# Best Dry Brushing Paints for Miniatures Source: https://minipaintlab.com/best/best-dry-brushing-paints Updated: 2026-10-02 Publisher: Mini Paint Lab. Our score is an editorial rating out of 10 (fit 35%, features 25%, build 20%, value 20%), not a customer rating. Method: https://minipaintlab.com/how-we-research#our-score Dry brushing paints are thicker, heavy-body acrylics designed to cling to raised detail when applied with an almost-dry brush, producing instant highlights across textured surfaces like fur, chainmail, rocks, and ruined terrain. For tabletop miniature painters, dedicated drybrush formulas are a leap over standard paints, which often go chalky or streaky when used this way. Modern hybrid pastes blend smoothly and allow soft gradients straight from the pot, making techniques like slapchop and zenithal drybrushing accessible to beginners. When comparing products, look at how buttery the consistency is, whether colors blend into each other on the model, chalkiness when dry, tone range from deep shadows to bright top highlights, and pot formats that let you load a big flat brush easily. ## Picks ### 1. ARTIFY Drybrush Set with Dampening Pad and Brush Soap: 5 Sizes Professional-Grade Dry Brush for Miniature & Model Painting Our score: 8.2/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 8/10) ARTIFY drybrush set in 5 sizes with a dampening pad and brush soap, a care-ready kit for miniature and model drybrushing. Pros: - Brush soap included, so bristles can be cleaned of dried paint buildup - Dampening pad helps remove excess paint before each drybrush pass - 5 brush sizes match small infantry details up to terrain pieces Cons: - Extras add bulk if you only need a single drybrush - Professional-grade claim is marketing, so bristle life varies Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0BTGFCM8P ### 2. The Army Painter, Masterclass Drybrush Set, 3 sizes Our score: 8.1/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 9/10 · Value 7/10) The Army Painter Masterclass Drybrush Set, three dome-tipped goat hair drybrushes with round handles for gentle, even highlights on miniatures. Pros: - Dome-shaped tips apply a soft, even highlight without the streaks a flat brush can leave - Soft goat hair bristles allow a very light touch on fine detail - Three sizes cover single figures, squads and larger models or terrain Cons: - Costs several times more than budget drybrush sets - Natural goat hair needs gentle cleaning and drying to keep its dome shape Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0FP5KCKKV ### 3. Nicpro Dry Brush Miniature Painting, 7 Sizes Professional Acrylic Drybrush Set with Storage Case Our score: 7.8/10 (Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 8/10) Nicpro drybrush set in 7 sizes with a storage case, a broad range of soft drybrushes for minis and scale models. Pros: - 7 sizes give a brush for every model scale from tiny to terrain - Storage case protects bristle shape between painting sessions - Round soft heads blend drybrush highlights more smoothly Cons: - Several similar sizes may overlap in everyday use - Synthetic brushes wear quickly on rough basing texture Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0CP6ZJDLV ### 4. Citadel Colour: Dry - Dawnstone Our score: 7.4/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 5/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10) Citadel Colour Dry Dawnstone is a single pot of grey paint designed for dry brushing models. A neutral grey is a common highlight for stone, rubble, dark armor and terrain. Pros: - Designed specifically for dry brushing, so it is ready to load onto a drybrush straight from the pot - Neutral grey works over black and dark grey basecoats on stone, ruins, bases and armor edges - A single pot keeps the cost low when you only need one drybrush color Cons: - A single color, not a set, so building a range of dry paints means buying each pot separately - The listing has one line of detail and does not state the pot volume Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B018CIR0HC ### 5. GACDR Dry Brush Miniature Painting, 5 Sizes Drybrush Set for Miniature 40k Citadel Model Paint Our score: 7.4/10 (Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 6/10 · Value 8/10) GACDR drybrush set in 5 sizes, soft round brushes made for drybrushing miniatures with Citadel and other model paints. Pros: - 5 sizes handle everything from small infantry to large terrain - Dome-shaped heads spread drybrush pigment evenly on edges - Saves your good detail brushes from the wear of drybrushing Cons: - Budget brushes can shed bristles during early use - Brushes only, so paint and palette are bought separately Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0CDBWXLK7 ### 6. Games Workshop Citadel Drybrush: Ryza Rust Our score: 7.3/10 (Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10) Games Workshop Citadel Drybrush Ryza Rust, an orange Dry paint for quick rust, weathering and hot metal edges. Pros: - Instantly adds convincing rust over dark metal and armor - Also useful for glowing embers and heated weapon tips - Drybrush formula makes weathering fast and forgiving Cons: - Bright orange can look unrealistic if applied too heavily - Niche color compared with neutral drybrushes like white or bone Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B00GXAKU6K ### 7. Citadel Paint: Dry - Etherium Blue Our score: 7.1/10 (Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 5/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10) Citadel Dry Etherium Blue is a single pot from the Games Workshop Dry range, the paints made for drybrushing. A pale blue for highlighting blue armor, ghostly effects and cold-toned bases. Pros: - Part of the Citadel Dry range, the same drybrushing line as the other single pots in this guide - Light blue tone suits highlights on blue armor, spirits and ice or snow themed bases - A single pot is an inexpensive way to add a colored drybrush highlight to your paint rack Cons: - A specialist color with narrower use than a grey, brown or bone drybrush paint - The listing gives almost no description and does not state the pot volume Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B007RRUGVM As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.