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Hi, well i got my army and started to paint, but its not going so good. First thing is the Folk Art paint I am using is really thick, i'm trying to thin it down with water but not working too well. Then once after 40 minutes of painting one model I get the base coat good, I need to use a wash to darken out the creaves in the armor and clothes, but when I apply the ink, it basically ruins the paint I just did. I am a really new beginniner to paint, any tips on thinning out paint or getting ink to not ruin the paint job?

You might try something other than folk art paint. Not sure that it's really formulated for miniatures or models.

use washes instead of INK.
i use Vallejo, GW and PP paints, the Folk Art paint is too chalky when it is thinned down. I know it costs more for GW, Vallejo and PP paint but in the end it is worth it.
Also there are some great painting guides on the net. brushthralls.com and i am sure there are some on this site. Take a look around and if you need more help send me a PM or post here again.
Good Luck and happy painting

I do use folk art and other craft paints. You can buy a bottle of Acrylic Extender from most places that sell the craft paints. Use it to thin the paints. Try to get them to a milk like consistency.

Some of the craft paints do not cover well on the first coat, some do very well, you may need to experiment with them. I find using them over a white primer works best for me.

Good luck, the more you experiment and practice the better you'll et.

Jake

While ink has its uses, I suggest you uses washes like Kardos says. Dakka and other online resources are tremendous for painting.

Also, try to visit your local Games Workshop (or hobby) store to see some of the tips. Most will offer help, or at the very least you can paint at one of the tables and ask the staff for tips. Watching the basic painting techniques will let you learn 10x faster than reading them. Have fun!

Folk art paint is like poster paint, right? Really thick and sludgy.

It's not really meant for painting miniatures. If it's based on acrylic you will be able to mix it with acrylic media as CptJake advised. If it's a water-based paint it probably won't mix properly and it could peel or something.

I've used artists' acrylics which are much finer than poster paint but they still need some thinning and don't cover well.

The best advice is to buy some proper hobby paints. The pots are more expensive but they are ready made for painting on figures. You don't have to buy GW. There are several good quality ranges from makers like Tamiya and Vallejo.

As Groz said you will learn a lot faster from watching people paint than from a book. It's a craft skill that you need to practice to get better at. That's not to say you can't learn from books but practice makes perfect.