kuivaharjaus

Kuivaharjaus is a painting technique used to create texture and luminosity by applying paint with a nearly dry brush on a dry surface. In Finnish art terminology, the term corresponds to the English “dry brush” or “scumbling.” The method produces a broken, grainy application that lets underlying layers show through, rather than a smooth, uniform color.

To perform kuivaharjaus, the painter loads a brush with paint and then removes most of it on a clean cloth or palette, so the brush becomes relatively dry. The artist then makes short, brisk strokes across the surface, usually at a shallow angle, allowing the texture of the surface and the previous paint layers to interact with the new color. The result is a soft, textured edge and subtle highlights, useful for modeling light and texture without completely covering underlying forms.

Materials commonly used include stiffer brushes (natural or synthetic) and paints of appropriate viscosity, applied on primed canvas, panel, or suitably prepared paper. The technique works with oil, acrylic, and, with adjustments, tempera. In oils, the brush is kept deliberately dry; in acrylics, moisture can be controlled by blotting the brush to achieve a similar effect.

Kuivaharjaus is closely related to, yet distinct from, scumbling and other dry-paint techniques. It is typically chosen to suggest texture—such as rough surfaces, foliage highlights, or weathered materials—while preserving the impression of underlying colors and forms. Mastery requires practice to avoid overloading the brush and to achieve controlled, incremental build-up of texture.