Mixing Paints (noobtastic question)

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.

**alistarv**

I usually use vallejo paints for my models, which for mixing is just squirting them both onto a makeshift pallet (sp) and stirring. However, with GW (the few shades I like better) paints I've not found an easy and not messy way to mix the paints (without getting them in each other, or both colors on one paintbrush, etc.). Consequently, I'm asking you painting pros what a good way to mix GW paints is.

**AustonT**

Pipettes or droppers. I use color shapers because the rubber tip picks up a consistent amount and doesn't ruin a brush or make me clean one, wipe and go.

**IK-Painter**

Just use three (not too good ones mind) brushes - 1 for color 1 and the second one for color 2. Just add the paints on the palette with those and stir with the third brush.

Cheers,

IK-Painter

**Arctik_Firangi**

If it's a 50/50 mix, get a pot of each, mix them in a seperate container and pour them back into the two pots. Bam! Two pots of kustom goodness.

It takes the guesswork out of mixing paints down the track, but if I'm mixing colour by eye I just use a brush. I'm pretty used to producing even-sized brushfuls for recreating specific colour mixes.

**winterdyne**

I use cocktail sticks as stirrers, paint pickers, handles, toothpicks and more besides. A pack of a thousand is dirt cheap and should be on your desk.

**heavybolter**

How about transferring the GW paints to Vallejo dropper bottles and labeling them? You can get them online for $.79 to $.99 each. Drop a small ceramic bead and a few drops of flow aid into the bottle and your all set. Works for me every time.

**AustonT**

heavybolter wrote:How about transferring the GW paints to Vallejo dropper bottles and labeling them? You can get them online for $.79 to $.99 each. Drop a small ceramic bead and a few drops of flow aid into the bottle and your all set. Works for me every time.

This too, but then it's depressing to find out a full pot of citadel paint is less than half of one of these bottles.

**heavybolter**

yeah but leaves room for additives, thinners, etc. i shoot some acrylic medium in there to fill out the bottle and stretch the color quite a bit.

**PR03**

I use a 1mL syringe and empty paint pots, but make sure you clean it out thoroughly between uses as to not mix the different paints together, also with it being 1mL, it's easy to get the right amounts mixed together with precise accuracy...

**Uhlan**

I use Vallejo droppers exclusively. I even put my GW paints in them when I have empties.

The droppers are notoriously difficult to mix properly without destroying your shoulder so, I add a small ceramic (metal will rust) BB to the paint to help with this.

**AustonT**

@ heavybolter
Yes I do that too, I thin all paints I transfer to a brushable thin consistency, and some directly to AB. It is useful for that.

@Uhlan
I use small glass marbles they are a bit easier to knock around.