Dry Brushing – The Easiest Painting Experience

Hey y’all! I hope you’re doing well! It’s been dark and rainy here, so the weather is perfect for Halloween tomorrow! (Let’s not talk about the fact that I am going to be running  walking a 5k on Halloween morning. Why do I do these things to myself?!) Hopefully the rain won’t deter Trick-or-Treaters though because Ethan and  I love sitting on the front porch passing out candy.

Anyway, before the rain set in, I completed a quick little project that is quickly becoming my favorite way to do things! I wanted to share this painting trick with you that really does save time, materials, and requires minimal experience (I always say that, but this time I mean it). Have you ever heard of dry brushing? It’s new to me, but I’m already obsessed with it, and I want to dry brush everything in sight! Here are the steps:

First, you need to choose your victim (or in this little basket’s case, its lucky day because this thing about to get a serious makeover). I chose this basket because well, just look at it, and you can tell it needs a little help. It’s a vintage picnic basket that I found while junkin this summer, and although it has some damage, I think it just adds some character. What I don’t like about it is the orangey color it has. Plus the top has a weird uncleanable dusty look. But for six bucks, you can’t ask much.

You can also see the brush and paint I used in this picture. These little brushes are available at Home Depot, and they are awesome! The handle is rubber and so it’s really comfortable to handle while painting.

Dry brushing is a technique that uses a very minimal amount of paint and a dry brush (cleverly named technique, don’t you think?). When I do this, I find the stiffest brush I can find and  I don’t dip the brush in the can. Instead, I just use the lid and dab a small amount on the brush. I try to keep the paint limited to the top part of the bristles and not the sides. Does that make sense? (I also apologize for the lack of clarity on some of these photos, I haven’t yet mastered the photography-while-painting technique).

I then blot the top of the brush on my dropcloth to take off any excess paint. You can see in the above photo just how little paint there is on the brush. If you don’t use dropcloths, a paper towel will do. Before you put the brush on your object, it should look something like this:

The trick is not to use too much paint. You can always add more, but once you have too much, it’s hard to get the desired effect.

When you’re ready to paint, you’ll want to use a short, side-to-side stroke. You’ll want to move quickly and paint lightly, as you don’t want too much coverage in one area. The look really lends itself more to a vintage, weathered look. Once you have too much coverage in one area, it becomes hard to fix it, so move fast! The awesome thing about it is that it uses practically no paint (I covered this basket just with what was on the lid of the can), and it dries super fast because it’s such a thin layer of paint.

Here is the finished product! I think this project took maybe thirty minutes (including dry time). It saves so much time, and also money because it’s such an effective use of materials. What more can you ask for than quick and cheap?

I placed this basket in the corner of my living room where I keep the coatrack and store blankets. This basket is pretty roomy, so it’s a good place to store odds and ends. I also really like how the white lightens up this space. The orange look definitely wasn’t doing itself any favors. She looks so much better now, don’t you think?

What do you think of this technique? Have you tried it before? I promise it really is easy – I’m not lying! I am thinking about dry brushing everything now…nothing is safe! Let me know what you think, and if you plan to try it!

I hope y’all have a great weekend and that you have some fun Halloween activities planned (hopefully not completing a 5k like myself)! That’s it for today friends, have a fabulous day!