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IF NOBODY CAN BE BOTHERED TO READ THE SPECIFICS OF THE PROBLEM, REDIRECT TO THE BOTTOM LINE OF THIS POST.

Just recieved a few bottles of Vallejo game colour and they are amazingly thin. I have always learnt and heard that paint should be thinned, but these paints are a wash consistensy! I can't paint flat areas without it pooling up or dripping.

Just so that people know the paints were Gory Red, Bloody red, Sunny yellow, and Bald moon yellow.

So, does anyone know of anyways to thicken these paint. I have read a heap on thinning but haven't been able to find anything for thickening vallejo paints. The only solution I can think of is to open the lids and let them dry out, but that doesn't seem to healthy for the paints themslelves.

In a nutshell I need a simple way to safely thicken Vallejo Game Colour paints. Anyone?

I'm pretty sure I saw paint thickener last time I was at the local art shop.

If you transfer the paint to a different kind of bottle, i.e., not a dropper, and let it sit for a few days, the pigment will settle to the bottom and water will sort to the top. Then just take a spoon (or something else) and scoop out the excess water.

Liquitex makes a paint thickener, which could help you.

I've run into a similar problem with the red and orange Game Color tones. I found that it helps to thoroughly shake them or even drop a glass bead as an agitator into the bottle. Somehow the pigment was stuck to the bottom and had a hard time mixing with the medium.

As advised above, try thoroughly stirring the paints in case the pigment has settled out of the solution.

If this does not work, you can get acrylic media from art shops in various "thicknesses" from thin paint to sludge like. The last are used for creating 3D effects on paintings.

I've got the exact same problem with gory red, so bad infact I went and bought GW red equivlent and poured it into my gory red bottle. Problem solved, tho try leaving them sitting out with the cap of the bottle off? and take the dropper out too for an hour or two

It depends on how you are wanting to apply the paint and what you want it to do.
Gel mediums will make the paint a thicker consistency, but will also reduce opacity.

Store the droppers upside down, and shake well before use.
Its the carrier fluid seperating.

I got the same experience a few years ago with Vallejo, and going from GW paints, I felt like I was learning to paint all over again. Even the reds in general are off, more of a pinkish then red. I ended up just switching back to GW stuff. It dries out faster but hey Im used to the junk.

Over time those Vallejo paints have thickened and settled down so I can use them. The color is still off though.

When I use my Vallejo paints I put a few drops on a piece of ceramic tile I use as a pallet. Pick it up at any hardware store for about 20 Cents for a square. After a few minutes it will start to thicken as it dries.

Had the same issue with a Gory Red as well once. Seems like they didn't put enough pigment in the bottle. I ended up using it to thin other paints when I used my airbrush.

Definately an issue of the pigments setting. Shake for minimum 5 mins. Still the same issue, open the pot and stir those pigments up.

^^^ Agree, the pigments for these colours dont mix that well. Even after 5 mikn of shaking. the only way to do it is to open the pot and stir.

An example of this is if you turn the pot upside down and let it sit for a day or two, you find the dropper nozel blocked. Even after 5-10 mins of shaking the pigments still dont mix fully, and the nozel still blocked.

So stirring is a must

One of these will speed up the process

I have no idea why you'd want to thicken your paint. Most painters look for thin paints with lots of pigment.

To thicken a paint, you'd only need to open up the top. This is only bad for the paint if you let it stand too long.

Sometimes, I've added dish soap in very small amounts to my paint for reasons of surface tension, and it did thicken it a bit, but I am loathe to offer this as a solution to your problem.

I've left mine upside down for weeks without any problems.
You've gotta shake it rotationally as well as vertically, its all in the wrist action.

Uhlan wrote:I have no idea why you'd want to thicken your paint. Most painters look for thin paints with lots of pigment.

To thicken a paint, you'd only need to open up the top. This is only bad for the paint if you let it stand too long.

Sometimes, I've added dish soap in very small amounts to my paint for reasons of surface tension, and it did thicken it a bit, but I am loathe to offer this as a solution to your problem.

The paint I am wanting to thicken is at a WASH consistency, and not a paint consistency. When I try to paint with it it just acts like a wash and pools up in the recesses.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
It seems to be that the I have the same problem as others; The Gory red is WAY to thin for an acrylic paint although the gw one is actually quite thick...

Thank you all for the kind tips and words. I shall definately try these.

I'm totally buying one of these when they are back in stock. It kills my elbows to shake my vgc reds.

I bought one of those frother thingys recently
But forgot to check the size of the head which is far too big

Hopefully it will be okay if I chop it off