Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

What (generally speaking) are the correct water to paint ratios for the following stages:
1) Base coat
2) Highlighting
3) Drybrushing

My marine came out muddy, I used about 50:50 during each stage and it probably took 3 coats of blue to cover the black primer.

Same thing happens to me, especially with foundation paints.

Did you wait for the model to completely dry before moving on to the next layer?

I like my paints pretty watery EXCEPT when drybrushing (which I rarely do anyways). I find the paint needs to have a bit of viscosity to it while drybrushing so it doesn't go places you don't want it to (ie everywhere but the cracks).

I actually dry-brush almost everything on my models because it comes out really muddy.

What I do is I use a wet palette and occasionally add even more water; while one part is drying I'll work on another part on a separate side of the model.

Foundation paints are excessivly thick. 2-3 to 1.
Standard Cidital paints 1-1,2 to 1.

Reaper paints, 1-1.

Vallejo- 1-2 to 1.


I use a bathroom tile for my pallet, and a damp paper towel to keep my point on my brush. Take a little paint, put it on the pallet, and do not work right out of the paint pot. (Thick Paints that you work in the water too.)

Another tip is that you don't try to work with the new paints in 1 coat.


There is something different about the visconsity of the newer paints, then to the old hex pot citadel colors. They seem thinner to the point where, even after some colors are mixed, they go on in what can be described as a Glazey color.



The main issue here is the pallet. You use a thicker brush, put some paint on the pallet, then use your smaller wet brush to cut the paint with.

I use a damp brush, keeping the tip wet from a small cup of fresh, warm water, then dip a little, and put a couple of drops of water to the drop of paint.

The Paints are made thick. Using the water, you break them down to the texture of water, without overly adding too much to turn it into a wash.


Try it a couple of times, and paint a stroke or two on your pallet to practice. too much will give it the watercolor look, too little will give it the thick look.


Generally- Base coat- thickest. 2-3 coats, and mix in water at 2-3 to 1.

Highlight- thinner, but not to the point of overly glae thin, 1-2 to 1. depending on the surface, you may want to use slightly off of the color of the base coat of the surface.

Drybrushing- is exactly like it is called. Mix at 1-2 to 1 and wipe the excess off on a fresh , damp paper towel. SEVERAL coats make up for trying to cover it all in one go. It keeps the texture consistant, while doesn't overly cover the drybrush suface with too much paint. TAKE YOUR TIME!!

As for waiting for it to completely dry- yes. Wait, don't be in a rush. That is why people do several of the same troops in one go in a assembly line fashion.

The paint work is not an exact science, so it takes a little practice for you to get your prepwork and mixing techniques down, depending on the types of paints you are using.