Highlight your Powertex project in easy steps

A simple way to use Powertex Universal Medium is to use fabric or mixed media to create a project such as a figure, sculpture or canvas. Then highlight the textures to make them visible, which is very effective and feels like magic! This highlighting is often referred to as “dry brushing”. The steps are simple and I’m throwing in some hot tips to make the most of them.

Add highlights to your Powertex project

There’s nothing like having a tutor to show you how to use Powertex products but workshops aren’t for everyone so here’s my step by step guide to highlighting your textures.

It’s easy and lots of fun as you watch your project come alive with colour. This technique works best with dark coloured Powertex Medium, such as Black, Bronze, Lead Grey, Terracotta, Red or Blue.

For the dry brushing you will need Easy Varnish and powder pigments of your choice. Choose your favourites or pick a metallic Colotricx pigment if you’re a beginner! (If you need help with choosing a colour, try this article.)

Create your project

Create your project with Powertex Universal Medium. It will be all one colour from the Powertex. This technique works with any project but looks really impressive on figures or simple projects such as fairy houses or bottle art. Leave to dry.

Leave to dry

Mix your paint

Use a little amount of Easy Varnish on a flat brush and dip into the powder pigment such as Powercolor or Colortricx. Mix it up on craft mat.

Mix paint

Add the paint

Wipe excess paint from your brush on a paper towel and use long strokes over the textures. Be bold! Watch the colour bring the textures to life. Usually the more you add, the more impressive the effects, so keep going!

Highlight the textures

My hot tips

I have a some hot tips for you to make the most of your dry brushing technique.

• When making your project, keep your textures varied for best results. Try different fabrics, materials and sizes, layers work well.
• Mix a dry paint with Easy Varnish and powder pigments. This makes it easier to paint the raised areas only and lets you build up the colour slowly.
• More is more, don’t be afraid to add colour. It can be shocking at first but keep going.
• When highlighting the textures, keep your brush flat against your project and use long strokes in the same direction. This gives your project a professional finish too.

Dry brushing is a simple and easy to do technique that will give your projects some wow factor. As with most things, the more you practice, the better you will get and remember if you really don’t like the result you have, you can always Powertex over it and start again!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide. I have a whole series of articles for beginners to Powertex that you can find here.