DIY Distressed Wood Look with Dry Brush Painting Technique

A distressed wood finish can give a brand-new look to a piece of furniture. This look can be achieved with a dry brush technique. Here I’ll show you how to do it.

Distressed wood furniture is perfect for rooms decorated with a rustic, cottage, or farmhouse style. 

How to Create Distressed Wood Look with Dry Brush Painting Technique cover

Distressed Technique is also perfect for flea market finds, thrown away pieces, or even those you might have kept from grandma around the house.

You might also love these other Woodworking ideas: DIY Limewashed look with Dry brush painting technique, DIY Easy Rustic TV Console Table, and DIY Rustic Wooden Headboard.

Create Distressed Wood Texture with Dry Brush Painting Technique

I donโ€™t know about you but thereโ€™s something so irresistible about pieces of distressed furniture or chippy painted wood that stirs up our imagination and takes us to another time and place.

Distressed wood looks beautiful in so many styles of homes from farmhouse, shabby chic, and country, cottage to even industrial and modern.

The great thing about this wood painting technique is that If you canโ€™t find authentic reclaimed lumber for your project, you can use new materials and apply surface distressing techniques to simulate centuries of use and wear.

The best part?

Distressed Wood Look with Dry Brush Painting Technique Details

Most of the time you wonโ€™t need to spend a fortune since you can use normal paint, stain, and brushes. Also, the piece you might want to transform probably didnโ€™t cost much either.

Iโ€™ve started my wood addiction journey a couple of years ago and Iโ€™ve fallen in love with all the possibilities. By all means, Iโ€™m no expert but the experience Iโ€™ve had has have taken me to achieve pretty nice furniture pieces.

After I published my Rustic TV Console Table I got many questions about how I painted it. I thought the best way to explain was through a detailed tutorial and a video.

Distressed Wood Look with Dry Brush Painting Technique on a TV Console Table

I used this technique for the bottom part of my tv console table and then simulated a Limewashed technique for the top part which you can find here.

Dry brushing furniture or any kind of wood piece is so much fun and, in many ways, even therapeutic. Although it might take up more time than just regular painting with a roller or spray paint, it just relieves stress and makes a pretty darn gorgeous result.

What I like the most about dry brushing is that, even though it takes time, you have control over how much you cover your piece. As you go applying coats, you get exactly the finish you want.

In my opinion, the most important factor of why dry brush painting is used is to make the painted surface “pop” with depth.

How to create this Distressed Wood Look

In this tutorial, Iโ€™ll show you how I created a distressed wood look by applying the dry brush painting technique to a wood board and a crate I used for my TV Console Table.

So, letโ€™s get started.

supplies:

  • Wood board.
  • Dark wood stain (I used walnut)
  • Cotton white latex paint
  • Chip Brush.
  • Plastic or paper plate
  • Paper
  • Sandpaper
  • Steel Wool (grade 2)
  • Gloves
  • Brass-bristle scrub brush
  • Piece of cloth
  • Spray Mate Clear Varnish
  • safety glasses.

Instructions:

I made this video tutorial for you on my painting process. If you are more of a step-by-step written detailed tutorial, just scroll down a little bit and keep reading.

Before we begin, be sure to follow us on PinterestFacebookInstagram, and YouTube, and also sign up for our email list (at the end of this post), so youโ€™ll never miss a post!

Step 1: Prep work

Firstly, letโ€™s avoid splinters from getting into our fingers. Sand all the edges. Only the edges because we donโ€™t want the surface of our board to get too soft.

opening the wood pores with the brass-bristle scrub brush

Once the edges are done, letโ€™s enhance the whitening effects of dry brushing by opening the wood pores with the brass-bristle scrub brush before applying it.

Work the brush along the wood grain to avoid unsightly cross-grain scratches, and clean the dust off thoroughly before applying the wood stain.

Clean each piece well to remove dust.

Step 2: Staining the wood

Stain your wood pieces with the base color of your choice. In my case, I used walnut.

A section of the wood piece stained with walnut wood stain

I like to rub a piece of cloth so the wood sucks the stain up more easily.

rubbing off the excess of stain with a piece of clothe

The best way to do this is by staining by sections until I cover the entire piece. That way you avoid weird overlaps in the shades of the stain.

A create completely stained

Let it dry overnight.

All the crates and boards stained and drying

Step 3: Applying the Dry brushing technique

Then dribble a mall amount of paint on the plastic or paper plate.

Stained piece of wood ready to start the dry brushing

Then very gently dab the tip of your dry paintbrush into the paint and dabbed it on a piece of dry paper or paper towel to remove excess paint.

A view of a crate partially dry brushed.
A couple of layers of dry brush applied to the wood board

You want to use just a small amount of paint to keep the tip of your paintbrush โ€œalmost dryโ€ and not oversaturated with paint, so I suggest starting off with just a tiny bit of paint and adding more as you get comfortable with the technique.

The secret to dry brush painting is to apply the paint with the very tip of your brush. You will notice the painting going up on the bristles but that’s normal as you keep brushing.

Use short, quick brush strokes in both directions (along the wood grain and across them) to give it a textured and accent the wood lines.

The key to getting an ideal dry brush effect is by using light pressure to go over the contour of the wooden furniture

Thereโ€™s no right or wrong way to dry brush; so get creative with your painting, you might discover looks you didnโ€™t even know you could love!

I kept brush stroking in layers until I got the coverage I was looking for.

A view from above fo the crate fully dry brushed
A closeup of the texture of the dry brushing technique on the crate

The thing about this technique is that you already get a distressed look without even sanding yet. At the same time, you are leaving your wood grand visible; which in my opinion is what makes the wood look weathered.

So, keep brush stroking until you get the finish you love.

Me pointing to the crate almost finished

Let it dry once finished at least 2 to 3 hours (overnight is best).

A crate and 2 boards ready.

Step 4: Finishing up the Distressed wood look

Finally, when your piece is completely dry, sand your pieces.

Both cares fully painted.

What I did was:

  • First, I sanded with steel wool harshly all over the piece. You definitely want to use gloves and safety glasses here.
  • Then I used sandpaper to distress edges and imperfections.
starting the distressed wood look with a sanding block sanding the edges

Once you are happy with the distressing grade, clean your pieces to remove dust.

Spray your clear matte varnish to protect and finish your masterpiece.

Why spray?

Because if you use a brush, the applied dry brushed paint will start blending. Even though it looks pretty too, itโ€™s not the final finish you are looking for in this case.

Let it dry and you are done!

All the pieces ready, painted and varnished and laying on the floor ready for assembling

Your distress look effect is ready to rock!

Crafting Tips

* To create a more pronounced distressed effect, sand the wood lightly before you start painting either with harsh sandpaper or a brass-bristle scrub brush. This will give the paint something to grip onto and create a more textured look.

* Experiment with different colors and techniques. You can use different shades of paint, or layer different colors on top of each other, to create a more complex and interesting distressed wood look.

* If you’re using a piece of furniture or decor item, always add some finishing wax or sealant to protect the paint and give it a more polished look. This will help your distressed wood piece last longer and maintain its rustic charm.

* Embrace imperfections: Remember, the beauty of distressed wood lies in its imperfections! Don’t be afraid to go a little wild with your brushstrokes and uneven application. Embrace the randomness and let it add character to your piece.

* When you need to let paint dry for just a few hours you can avoid having to wash your brushes by placing them into a zip-lock bag and sealing them well. That way the paint in your brush won’t dry out and you don’t have to wash them and wait until they dry to keep painting.

Isnโ€™t it super easy and looks amazing?

A view from the distressed wood look of a side of the tv console table
A view from the inside of the crate with Dry Brush Painting Technique
Front view of the TV Console Table made with the distressed wood look.

Now, itโ€™s your time to get creative and bring your crafty and creative side to use!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Distressed Wood Mean?

Distressingย (or weathered look) in the decorative artsย isย the activity of making a new piece of furniture or object appear aged, worn, and older, giving it a “weathered look”, and there are many methods to produce an appearance of age and wear.

What is Dry Brushing?

The dry brushing painting technique is aย coloring technique used to finish any surface in an uneven way that creates irregularity associated with aged materials. Iโ€™ve used it in so many different craft projects. Clay painting is one of them and, of course, wood which is my favorite medium.

What type of paint do I need for dry brushing?

Well, What I’ve learned is that quality matters. So whatever you choose make sure it’s good quality. Then I’ve seen that latex and acrylic paint do really well. However, I use special furniture paint because it combines everything I need, durability, varnish, etc, although I still use a wood spray matte varnish to finish.

Chalk paint is not really as good as acrylic or latex for a dry brush effect because of the nature of the paint mix, however, you can create a gorgeous distressed wood look just not with a dry brush technique.

More Rustic Woodworking Ideas to Try

If you liked this Distressed Wood technique tutorial, you might also love these other rustic project ideas too:

โœ‚๏ธ Tutorial

DIY Distressed Wood Look with Dry Brush Painting Technique

Diy Distressed Wood Look With Dry Brush Painting Technique Tutrial

Camila Rojas
A distressed wood finish can give a brand new look to a piece of furniture. This look can be achieved with a dry brush technique. Here Iโ€™ll show you how to do it.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Crafting Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Category DIY & Craft
Topic furniture, woodworking
Pieces 1 piece

Tools

  • Safety glasses.
  • Brass-bristle scrub brush

Supplies
  

  • Wood board.
  • Dark wood stain I used walnut
  • Cotton white latex paint
  • Chip Brush.
  • Plastic or paper plate
  • Paper
  • Sandpaper
  • Steel Wool grade 2
  • Gloves
  • Piece of cloth
  • Spray Mate Clear Varnish

Instructions
 

PREP WORK

  • Firstly, letโ€™s avoid splinters from getting into our fingers. Sand all the edges. Only the edges because we donโ€™t want the surface of our board to get too soft.
  • Once the edges are done, letโ€™s enhance the whitening effects of dry brushing by opening the wood pores with the brass-bristle scrub brush before applying it.
  • Work the brush along the wood grain to avoid unsightly cross-grain scratches, and clean the dust off thoroughly before applying the wood stain.
  • Clean each piece well to remove dust.

STAINING THE WOOD

  • Stain your wood pieces with the base color of your choice. In my case, I used walnut.
  • A section of the wood piece stained with walnut wood stain
  • I like to rub a piece of cloth so the wood sucks the stain up more easily.
  • The best way to do this is by staining by sections until I cover the entire piece. That way you avoid weird overlaps in the shades of the stain.
  • A create completely stained
  • Let it dry overnight.

APPLYING DRY BRUSHING TECHNIQUE

  • Then dribble a mall amount of paint on the plastic or paper plate.
  • Stained piece of wood ready to start the dry brushing
  • Then very gently dab the tip of your dry paintbrush into the paint and dabbed it on a piece of dry paper or paper towel to remove excess paint.
  • You want to use just a small amount of paint to keep the tip of your paintbrush โ€œalmost dryโ€ and not oversaturated with paint, so I suggest starting off with just a tiny bit of paint and adding more as you get comfortable with the technique.
  • The secret to dry brush painting is to apply the paint with the very tip of your brush. You will notice the painting going up on the bristles but thatโ€™s normal as you keep brushing.
  • Use short, quick brush strokes in both directions (along the wood grain and across them) to give it a textured and accent the wood lines.
  • The key to getting an ideal dry brush effect is by using light pressure to go over the contour of the wooden furniture
  • Thereโ€™s no right or wrong way to dry brush; so get creative with your painting, you might discover looks you didnโ€™t even know you could love!
  • I kept brush stroking in layers until I got the coverage I was looking for.
  • The thing about this technique is that you already get a distressed look without even sanding yet. At the same time, you are leaving your wood grand visible; which in my opinion is what makes the wood look weathered.
  • So, keep brush stroking until you get the finish you love.
  • Let it dry once finished at least 2 to 3 hours (overnight is best).

FINISHING UP THE DISTRESSED WOOD LOOK

  • Finally, when your piece is completely dry, sand your pieces.
  • What I did was:
  • First, I sanded with steel wool harshly all over the piece. You definitely want to use gloves and safety glasses here.
  • Then I used sandpaper to distress edges and imperfections.
  • starting the distressed wood look with a sanding block sanding the edges
  • Once you are happy with the distressing grade, clean your pieces to remove dust.
  • Spray your clear matte varnish to protect and finish your masterpiece.
  • Let it dry and you are done!
  • Your distress look effect is ready to rock!
Keyword distressed look, distressed wood, wood painting

Other Wood Painting Techniques from my favorite bloggers:

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Til’ next time…

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