What's this Drybrush Stuff?

Sometimes when I'm painting a piece, I step back and it's.....not to my liking. Here's my current project. One piece of a bedroom set for a princess-y girl (I imagine crystal chandys and twinkles) I started painting it Paris Grey.....and realized it needed "ooomph".

Enter the Drybrush.

If you've never drybrushed before, I would say it's an easy way to add that "ooomph" without going overboard. You can layer colors, or just stick to one as I did. I layered Old White with a drybrush .....

Top Before Drybrushing

Top AFTER Drybrushing
You see? It just gives it a nice marbled effect....nothing too emphatic. Just a smidgen of interest.

With the Pulls

Drybrushing (to those who've never done it) is just a fancy term for dipping your paint brush lightly in paint, squeezing most of it off with a rag, and then swatting away with the mostly dry bristles covered with the leftover paint. You can then rub it in with a clean rag (or not...). It works best with wood that already has some natural grain in it....not really super smooth.

I haven't waxed this yet (I'll finish the other pieces first, then 'wax on/wax off' in one fell swoop). However, I think it'll be grand ...in a smidgen-y way.