What’s Inside the SET

The Notts Hobbies Complete Drybrushing Set includes:

Three Drybrushes

Small, medium, and large drybrushes, each designed for different applications, from intricate highlights to broad coverage for larger models. The brushes have black handles and fairly stiff bristles, providing a perfect balance of firmness and softness. The rounded tips glide easily over raised surfaces, even when the bristles are dry, allowing for what I experienced as consistent drybrushing without streaks. I’ve used countless drybrushes over the years, and these have held up well over a couple weeks of aggressive drybrushing.

The Notts Hobbies brushes come in three sizes: large, medium, and small. The large drybrush has a bristle length of approximately 3.0 cm (1.18 in) and a bristle diameter of around 14 mm (0.55 in). The medium drybrush features a bristle length of about 2.5 cm (0.98 in) with a diameter of 10 mm (0.39 in). The small drybrush has a bristle length of approximately 2.0 cm (0.79 in) and a diameter of 8 mm (0.31 in).

The dampening sponge is also made of a really durable plastic, so you can clean it when it gets too gunked up with old, dried up paint. Just pull the texture sponge out of the container, and rinse it off under running water. Let it dry, and then re-insert the sponge back into its holder. You’re good to go!

Brush Soap

The included brush soap is excellent for maintaining your brushes and prolonging their usability. It has a creamy, smooth consistency that makes cleaning feel effortless. It has a wonderful fruity scent, reminiscent of a gentle citrus aroma—very sweet—which adds a pleasant touch to the otherwise mundane task of brush cleaning. After using it, my brushes felt soft and rejuvenated.

A bit of time to let them dry out and they would be ready for my next session. I made it a habit to use the brush soap at the end of each painting session, gently lathering the bristles to remove all paint residue.

This practice ensured that my drybrushes stayed in great condition, preventing the buildup of dried paint and keeping the bristles flexible for the next use. Now, if you’re wondering how this brush soap compares to say, Master’s brush soap cleaner, I’ll only say that’s just soap.

Wooden Texture texture palette (or Hobby Tray)

The Wooden Texture Palette Tray is an essential accessory in the Drybrushing Set. It is a branded wooden board, engraved with the Notts Hobbies logo, designed for preparing your drybrush before painting. The texture palette is used to evenly distribute paint on the drybrush, allowing you to offload excess paint and moisture. This ensures that the bristles are properly prepared before you apply the pigment to your model. Unlike cardboard or paper towels, the wooden texture palette did not leave fibers or other debris in my bristles.

Pro tip: Always rub off most of the wet paint onto a texture surface before approaching your miniature. You want your pigments “dry” before applying them. This is a crucial step in the drybrushing technique, as it prevents overloading the brush, which can lead to blotchy or excessive coverage on your miniature.

A neat use I found with the wooden palette: It also served as my “hobby tray”. In my setup, for example, I used the wooden palette to move my stuff from one work area to another, e.g., to my airbrush booth, or to my photography studio (check out the photos below).

Dice Bag

A fun bonus, the dice bag featuring the Notts Hobbies logo adds a nice touch for the set. The bag can be repurposed to store your drybrushes, gaming accessories, whatever, when you’re on the move, keeping them all in one place. If you’re interested, I’ve reviewed some of the best dice bags for D&D and tabletop games in another article—check them out here.