Inspiring examples of dry brush technique examples in watercolor

Why start with real examples of dry brush technique in watercolor

Let’s skip the theory lecture and go straight to the fun part: how people actually use this technique in real paintings.

When artists talk about examples of dry brush technique examples in watercolor, they’re usually talking about moments where the paint skips and breaks over the paper’s texture instead of gliding smoothly. Think of:

• The scratchy edge of a weathered fence post
• The sparkle of light on ocean waves
• Wrinkles on an elderly face
• The dusty surface of a desert rock

All of those are classic examples include situations where dry brush does the heavy lifting. Instead of blending and softening, you’re celebrating roughness, grain, and broken color.

Landscape-focused examples of dry brush technique in watercolor

Landscape painters probably give us the best examples of dry brush technique in watercolor, because nature is full of irregular, textured surfaces. Here are some clear, real-world uses.

1. Weathered tree bark and branches

Picture a gnarly old tree trunk in late afternoon light. You can start with a light, soft wash for the overall bark color. Once that layer is dry, load a small round or flat brush with pigment, then blot most of it out on a paper towel. When you drag that almost-dry brush lightly across cold press paper, the paint catches only on the raised bumps of the texture.

That broken, streaky stroke becomes instant bark. If you tilt your wrist and vary the pressure, you can suggest cracks, knots, and age. This is a perfect example of dry brush technique in watercolor giving you texture without having to paint every groove.

2. Windswept grass and scrubby fields

Grassy areas can easily turn into flat green carpets if you only use smooth washes. Dry brush saves the day here.

Lay down a soft wash for the base grass color. After it dries, mix a slightly darker, thicker green. With a nearly dry brush, flick upward in quick, irregular strokes. Because the brush is dry, each stroke looks like a cluster of thin blades instead of a solid line.

These are some of the best examples of dry brush technique in watercolor for beginners, because you can be loose and messy and it still reads as grass. Add a few touches of warmer, golden dry brush strokes to show sunlit tips, and cooler, darker strokes for shadows.

3. Rocks, cliffs, and mountain faces

Rocks are another classic example of dry brush technique in watercolor territory. Smooth washes can suggest overall shape and light direction, but rocks need grit.

Once your base wash is dry, use dry brush to:

• Drag dark pigment across the surface to suggest cracks and ledges
• Skip the brush over the paper to create broken, chalky textures
• Add subtle color variation—tiny hints of warm brown or cool violet

Mountain painters often combine wet-into-wet for distant, soft shapes and dry brush for sharp, foreground rocks. This contrast is one of the best examples of how dry brush adds depth and realism.

Water and reflections: subtle examples include sparkle and foam

You might think water should always be painted with smooth, flowing washes. But some of the most convincing examples of dry brush technique examples in watercolor happen right where water meets air.

4. Sparkle on waves and ripples

For a lake at midday or ocean waves catching the sun, start with a graded wash of blues and greens. After that layer dries, use a small, fairly dry brush loaded with a lighter color (or even white gouache if you use mixed media).

Lightly skim the brush horizontally across the paper so it only touches the raised texture. You’ll get broken, glimmering streaks that read as light flickering on the surface. This is a subtle example of dry brush adding life without overworking the painting.

5. Foam, spray, and shoreline textures

Where waves crash on rocks or sand, dry brush shines again. Over a dry base wash:

• Use a dry, stiff brush with thicker pigment to tap and drag around the edges of rocks
• Let the brush skip to create the illusion of bubbles and foam
• Add a few stronger, darker dry strokes behind the foam to boost contrast

These examples of dry brush technique in watercolor show how you can suggest complexity without painting every droplet.

Portrait and figure: dry brush for hair, skin, and fabric

If you enjoy painting people, there are powerful examples include portraits where dry brush adds age, character, and realism.

6. Aging skin and fine wrinkles

Smooth, youthful skin works well with soft washes and gentle glazing. But older skin has texture, and dry brush is perfect for it.

After establishing skin tones with light washes, mix a slightly darker, neutral color. With a very dry brush, lightly drag along the direction of wrinkles—forehead lines, crow’s feet, smile lines. The broken, hesitant nature of the stroke feels like delicate creases rather than hard lines.

Used sparingly, this gives one of the best examples of dry brush technique in watercolor in portrait work: you get believable age without drawing cartoon-like wrinkles.

7. Hair texture and beards

Hair is another great example of dry brush technique in watercolor in action. For curly hair, beards, or textured hairstyles:

• Start with a soft base wash for the overall hair mass
• Once dry, use dry brush with darker pigment to create broken strands and clumps
• Vary pressure and direction to avoid a repetitive pattern

For beards and mustaches, a tiny, dry brush can create stubble and roughness around the jawline. The irregular, scratchy marks are perfect examples include moments where dry brush looks more natural than carefully painted individual hairs.

8. Worn fabric and denim

Clothing—especially denim, canvas, or worn cotton—offers more examples of dry brush technique examples in watercolor.

Paint the basic shape with normal washes. Then, when it’s dry:

• Use dry brush with a lighter color to suggest worn highlights on knees, elbows, or seams
• Add darker, scratchy dry strokes along creases and fold lines
• Let the brush skip to mimic fraying edges and stitching

This approach works beautifully for workwear, old jackets, or any fabric that’s been lived in.

Urban and architectural: brick, concrete, and rust

Urban sketchers give us some of the best examples of dry brush technique in watercolor in recent years. With the rise of location sketching shared on Instagram and YouTube in 2024–2025, you’ll see dry brush everywhere in street scenes.

9. Brick walls and old buildings

Instead of painting every brick, many artists:

• Lay a loose wash for the wall color
• When dry, use dry brush horizontally to hint at rows of bricks
• Add a few vertical, broken lines to suggest mortar gaps

Because the brush is dry, the marks are irregular and imperfect—exactly what you want for old brick. This is a practical example of dry brush technique in watercolor saving time while still feeling detailed.

10. Concrete, stucco, and peeling paint

Dry brush is a natural fit for rough, gritty surfaces like concrete and stucco.

Over a base wash, lightly drag a nearly dry brush loaded with a slightly darker or lighter color. The paint will catch on the paper’s tooth, instantly suggesting grain and pitting. Add a few stronger dry strokes where grime collects—around windowsills, at the bottom of walls, under pipes.

For peeling paint, use dry brush with a lighter color over a darker underlayer, letting the darker bits show through. These are powerful examples of dry brush technique examples in watercolor that give your buildings age and story.

11. Rust, metal, and industrial details

Rusty pipes, old cars, and railings are everywhere in modern watercolor urban scenes.

You can:

• Start with a flat wash of mid-tone metal color
• Glaze in warmer, rusty tones
• Use dry brush with darker browns and reds to create pitted, chipped areas

The broken, patchy quality of rust is tailor-made for dry brush. These are some of the most satisfying real examples of dry brush technique in watercolor because they look complex but are surprisingly quick to paint.

How to set up for the best dry brush results

All these examples of dry brush technique in watercolor depend on a few practical habits. You don’t need fancy supplies, but a few choices make life easier.

Paper choice

Dry brush loves texture. Cold press or rough watercolor paper gives the most dramatic effect because the paint catches on the bumps. Hot press paper is smoother, so dry brush will look more subtle.

If you’re curious about paper types, many art schools and community colleges share basic watercolor guides on their sites; for instance, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts has general advice on paper and brushes in their course materials (uncsa.edu).

Brush choice and moisture control

You can technically dry brush with almost any brush, but:

• Stiffer natural or synthetic blends work well for scratchy textures
• Flats are great for wood grain, bricks, and fabric
• Rounds are better for hair, grass, and organic shapes

The real skill is moisture control. Load your brush with pigment, then blot on a paper towel until the brush feels almost too dry. Test on scrap paper—if the stroke is still too smooth, blot again.

This kind of practice is similar to the way art programs teach brush handling basics in foundational drawing and painting courses; schools like Rhode Island School of Design discuss this in their continuing education materials (risd.edu).

Pigment consistency

For good dry brush effects, your paint should be thicker than you’d use for a wash—more like heavy cream than tea. Too watery, and it will flood into the paper instead of skipping across the surface.

2024–2025 trends: where to see modern examples

If you want to study current examples of dry brush technique in watercolor, social platforms and online learning spaces are packed with fresh work.

• Urban sketching communities share street scenes with dry-brushed bricks, signs, and power lines.
• Nature journaling groups use dry brush for bark, feathers, and rock studies.
• Portrait artists on platforms like Skillshare and university extension programs often include a dry brush segment specifically for hair and texture.

Many art departments at universities maintain public-facing resources or open lectures on painting techniques; for instance, the Smithsonian’s educational resources often highlight traditional media and methods (si.edu). These can give you more real-world examples include how working artists incorporate dry brush into their practice.

Common mistakes when trying these examples

When people first try to copy examples of dry brush technique in watercolor, a few things tend to go wrong:

• The brush is too wet, so strokes look like normal washes.
• The paper is still damp, which softens the broken edges.
• They press too hard, flattening the brush and losing that delicate skip.
• They overdo it, covering the whole painting in texture and losing focal points.

A good rule of thumb: use dry brush after your main washes are done, and mostly in areas where you want the viewer’s eye to linger—foreground textures, focal subjects, and key details.

Putting it together: a mini project using multiple dry brush examples

If you want a simple project that ties several examples of dry brush technique examples in watercolor into one scene, try this:

Paint a small street corner with:

• A brick building (dry brush for bricks and mortar)
• A tree in front (dry brush for bark and some leaf clusters)
• A figure walking by (dry brush on jeans and hair)
• A patch of sidewalk and road (dry brush for cracks and rough concrete)

Start with broad, light washes to block in the big shapes. Let everything dry completely. Then go back in with dry brush only where you want texture and interest. You’ll end up with a painting that looks much more detailed than the time you spent on it—and you’ll have several real examples of dry brush technique in watercolor all in one piece.

FAQ about dry brush technique in watercolor

Q: What are some simple beginner-friendly examples of dry brush technique in watercolor?
A: Easy starting points include tree bark, grassy patches, brick walls, and worn denim. These subjects are forgiving; even slightly messy dry brush marks still read correctly. They’re great examples of how a few scratchy strokes can suggest a lot of detail.

Q: Do I always need rough paper for good dry brush effects?
A: No, but rough or cold press paper makes the texture more obvious. On hot press paper, dry brush will look softer and more subtle. If you’re trying to copy strong, visible examples of dry brush technique examples in watercolor you’ve seen online, chances are those artists are using cold press or rough.

Q: Can I mix dry brush with other watercolor techniques in the same painting?
A: Absolutely. Many of the best modern examples include a mix of wet-into-wet backgrounds, smooth graded washes, and dry brush only in key textured areas. That contrast is what makes the dry brush stand out.

Q: Is dry brush bad for my brushes?
A: It can be a little harder on very soft, expensive natural-hair brushes because you’re often scrubbing or dragging. Many artists keep a few cheaper synthetic brushes specifically for dry brush work.

Q: Where can I learn more about watercolor techniques from reliable sources?
A: Look for resources from art schools, museums, and educational organizations. For example, the Smithsonian’s learning resources (si.edu) and university art department pages often share foundational painting advice. While they may not always label specific examples of dry brush technique in watercolor, the discussions of texture, brushwork, and paper types directly support better dry brush work.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: dry brush is about restraint. Less water, lighter pressure, and fewer, more intentional strokes. Study real-world examples of dry brush technique in watercolor, then experiment on scrap paper until your brush starts to skip and dance across the surface. That’s when the magic happens.