Wet Blending vs Drybrushing: Which Technique to Learn First

The community standard wet palette for blending work. Keeps paint workable for hours, reduces waste, and is essential for wet blending. The Evomini and Studio versions are both excellent — choose based on desk space.

Wet blending requires a brush that holds enough paint and moves it smoothly. A quality sable brush — da Vinci Maestro or Windsor & Newton Series 7 — makes the difference between muddy blends and smooth transitions.

Extends paint drying time for wet blending. A drop of medium in your palette keeps paint workable for longer, giving you more time to work the transition. Also useful for glazing and layering.

Dedicated flat brushes for drybrushing. Using a proper drybrush instead of an old round brush gives more controlled results. The Citadel Drybrush range or similar flat synthetics work well for this technique.

Diluting Contrast paints with medium creates glazes — perfect thin colour layers for blending without obscuring detail. A glazing approach bridges the gap between drybrushing and true wet blending for beginners.