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so i have read that thinning paints is a good idea, but i'm at a loss of how to do it. i put just a touch of water in my white, and it ended up pooling in the crevasses (of a nid gaunt) like an ink wash. not what i wanted (especially from a light color!) how do i do this right? i have some Vallejo model color medium, but am unsure how to use it. is there something else i should use? how should i do it>

any help appreciated masters of painting!

-C6

Honestly, I think that it depends on the color. Metallics look better when thinned. Skull White, Blood Red, Sunburst Yellow and the Bright Orange do not need to be thinned......

I disagree, I need to thin my Skull White to be able to paint it smoothly (4 months old paint though).
For Skull White, I first dip my brush in the water, take a little bit of the water off, and dip it into the little container in the paint pots top part (preferably with paint in it). Then I check is it ink, if it is then I add some white and mix it with a drybrush.

Use a pallet and water dropper. Mix until paint is the consistency of milk (just a little runny, but not a solid bead that doesn't flow either). Add drops of water as necessary to keep paint fresh keeping the same consistency. Practice makes perfect. Or use Vallejo as in my experience I can get more coats out of it without adding bulk to the model.

catharsix wrote:so i have read that thinning paints is a good idea, but i'm at a loss of how to do it. i put just a touch of water in my white, and it ended up pooling in the crevasses (of a nid gaunt) like an ink wash. not what i wanted (especially from a light color!) how do i do this right? i have some Vallejo model color medium, but am unsure how to use it. is there something else i should use? how should i do it>

any help appreciated masters of painting!

-C6

The reality is you can thin your paints as much as the pigment allows; and still be good. GW and P3 paints can be thinned to almost nothing (slightly tinted water); Vallejo thins well, especially with some matte or glaze medium. Reaper paints will not thin nearly as much. They are all good paints imo - just different.

Now your problem is not that your paint is too thin; it's that you have too much (thin) paint on the brush. It does take a little getting used to but basically you just need to wipe your brush off on some paper towel before applying to the model - you will get the feel for it quickly. I also use a pallet, and personally recommend it but some folks don't like the extra cleanup. Imo it really makes the job easier (and better).

That said, sometimes certain paints, for certain task, don't require that much thinning. I always thin - it's just a matter of how much. Base coats and really light colors (white, yellow) I thin a little, unless the paint is already very thick. Highlights and shadow colors I thin a LOT.

I would recommend that if you do begin to use 'very' thin paints you will want to use some better quality brushes - like Winsor and Newtons Series 7 or Raphael 8404's.

Best of luck.

I like to cut my acrylic paint with a glaze medium and just a wee bit of water.

Try using a plastic bag or ziploc bag - put paint on the bag, then mix in water. As soon as surface tension no longer holds the paint (it starts getting a jagged edge where it moves in to itself, instead of just being a smooth blob), you have mixed in too much water. Wait for it to dry a little bit until it regains surface tension on the plastic and then you will be at what is usually the perfect level. Obviously it differs from paint to paint and colour to colour, but this is a good way to start practising and get used to the feel of the mix.

legoburner wrote:Try using a plastic bag or ziploc bag - put paint on the bag, then mix in water. As soon as surface tension no longer holds the paint (it starts getting a jagged edge where it moves in to itself, instead of just being a smooth blob), you have mixed in too much water. Wait for it to dry a little bit until it regains surface tension on the plastic and then you will be at what is usually the perfect level. Obviously it differs from paint to paint and colour to colour, but this is a good way to start practising and get used to the feel of the mix.

Considering I have real trouble working out what the consistency of milk is supposed to be (full fat, semi-skimmed?!?) this sounds like a damn good way of practising. Thanks!

How to thin paint..

Practice, practice, practice.

Try additives. See your local art store.

Use Flow Medium rather then water. Some of the pro's do anyway.

Search on YouTube.

Practice, practice, practice.

EDIT: Im still learning. Been mixing paints for a few months now and still learning. Good fun though.

wow, thanks for all the substantive replies folks! i have to get some time to sit down and really hammer out these techniques~!

I started using thinner instead of just water about a year ago. What I have been doing is mixing Tamiya thinner and distilled water 1:10 in a seperate container. Then i put too much on the pallet with pain so I have to keep adding paint. After a while, I have overly thinned paint on my pallet and will dip into the pot for more pigment.

It's totally wrong, but it is what I do. If you can leave out the screw up and just use the mix bottle, you should have fun.

Just a quick tip to help when working with thinned paint: Wick the thinned paint into the brush then point the bristles by gently (gently, gently) twirling the brush on a damp paper towel or an old rag. What is left on the brush is enough to paint with, and you will gain more control.

As another beginner painter, I also recommend the pallete (sp?) idea. You know, those white plastic things with the dimples in them where you can mix paint.

I drop some paint in, then just a tiny bit of water, and see what the consistency is like. If it's not good, I add more of one or the other. Then I paint

Just use water

For me, I turn on the tap, and shut it off 'til it's just a leaky faucet that drips every few seconds. Then, I open up my pot and let three or four drops of water drop in. Then I close it and shake it up so the water mixes in. That should leave you with some thinned down paint that won't flow in the reccesses.

I did this video quite a while back. It might be of use to you.

For me a general rule of thumb, as been taking an eyedropper and adding between 1 to 4 drops every time I open a pot depending on how long it's been since I used that paint. A month+ = 4 drops and shake for about 1 min, a day = 1 drop and shake for about 30 secs. the rest jsut comes down to painting a little and feeling like the paint is just too heavy and adding a drop or two to even it out.