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Hey all, I am fairly new to the hobby and I usually use thick paints but my miniatures tend to look, in a word, awful. I want to be able to thin my paints for brushing and airbrushing without spending a fortune on dedicated products such as Vallejo and Tamiya thinner etc.

So my question what would be a good-for-beginner product that will thin paint reasonably well that I could buy for a cheap price that I don't need to order over the internet (I hate waiting for deliveries). Also what would be a good method for thinning the paint? I mean how should i mix the paint, how should I add the paint and "thinner" etc.

My friend told me about concentrated screenwash from Tesco's which apparantly when mixed with a little water thins well for airbrushing but I'm not sure about normal brushing. I did some research and found that it is also dirt cheap compared to the quantity of the stuff and of its lovely price of £1. could I use this or is there an alternative that I could use?

I don't want to know about products like Vallejo or Tamiya and the like, because I won't want to spend a lot and I'm never gonna order online because as I mentioned I hate waiting for deliveries. Plus there is no shop around my local area that sells Vallejo or Tamiya etc. products.

Cheers for helping me.

Can't see why you wouldn't just use water?

Some people like to add a little flow aid, but as a beginner I can't see that you would benefit. Aim for a consistency around that of milk as a good benchmark.

Sounds a little bit like you're trying to run before you can crawl just now.

Well, giving yourself these self imposed limits is only going to make things harder. The reality is, ordering things online can often be the best way to solve this problem. No one likes waiting for things in the mail, but that is life. That being said, if you want quality, you must often spend a little money.

For my money, it doesn't get better than Vallejo Airbrush Thinner. I think I paid $5 for an 80 mL bottle that I been using almost daily for months and have barely made a dent in it. Distilled water works okay (not really), but I wouldn't recommend it. Another alternative people swear by is Windex Glass Cleaner (it has a European counterpart, but I'm not sure what you Brits call it) but it has ammonia in it and that is no something you want to atomize and then inhale.

Good luck!


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Also, craft stores in the States sell Liquitex brand mediums and varnishes. Liquitex makes an airbrush medium and it works okay, just a little thick to me (mainly because it is not a true thinner). So there is something else you can look into.

water.




been painting for over 20 years and its worked for me :]

I rarely thin paints and only use the GW ones however when the need arises I either use water or window cleaner depending on what I have to hand, currently I use wizz window cleaner which has worked relatively well at reviving some of my less... flowy paints.

For painting with a brush: water.

For with an airbrush: windex.

There are chemical reasons about how windex (or other non water stuff) interacts with that paint (there are literally DOZENS of airbrush threads on here...check them).

If you want to spend a small amount more, use either 97% alcohol or "airbrush" medium from a craft store for your airbrush.

I use water in my airbrush, it's de-ionised but it's still water, and it's completely fine.

I would probably use expensive mediums should I ever buy an expensive airbrush, but I know of people who don't and get on fine.

In the end, this is your hobby, so do what works for you. I spent a lot of time worrying about thinning my paint but that isn't the answer. Practice, practice, practice, start with 50% water in your paint and work from there.

Golden rule: Keep painting!

I've only used water to thin my paints down. Unless you're using oil paints, I don't see why water won't work for you.

Regrettably I forgot to mention that water never has worked for me in the past. Everytime I try thinning, the water floats above the paint and no matter how much i mix the two were reluctant to mix. I found out why though, my tap has a large build of limescale and our water has heavy amount fluride in it. I did a bit if research before I came on Dakka to ask my questions and found tap water is a bad idea.

Anyway, would I be able to paint with a brush but using an airbrush mixture?

The nature of my question was that I wanted to find household thinners first that people have used before then if needs be i would go shopping online, something I hate doing Because of the waiting. I had a look round and found 5l of concentrated screenwash, still don't if I should use that. I also have some isopropyl (rubbing alcohol, surgical spirit) and some form of window cleaner. Any of those sound good for thinning paint for bristle brushing, not airbrushing?

I have painted 40+ models but i said im a beginner because imho that seems pretty beginner like.

Bluntly, do NOT try to cut corners with equipment, paint or additives. By all means look for cheap *equivalents* but that is just it; some stuff does not have a good equivalent. Get good stuff, look after it and it will serve you long enough for you not to care a tinker's cuss about the purchase price.

Tamiya thinner is not expensive; order the 250ml bottles, not the jars. About £7 normally, including postage. It's useful for a lot of stuff. Lasts for a long while unless you spill it. A lot of folks say Iso alcohol works in its stead, but I've found that I prefer how the Tamiya stuff behaves. And smells.

For general painting, some glaze medium and plain ol Nottingham tap water work fine for me. For airbrushing, I add a good whack of Windsor & Newton flow improver to water for most stuff. This delays drying a little, breaks surface tension and stops the airbrush clogging so much. If I want a dry application I use the Tamiya stuff.

You may want to try using boiled/filtered water (removes a lot of the limescale), but I think a touch of glaze medium will probably help tremendously.

You can hand paint with a brush with airbrush mixtures and paints. The Vallejo Air range in particular are lovely (hemp, sand yellow, sand are my three all time favourites).

If you're still pretty new to the hobby:
WELCOME!

I would settle for either ammonia free window cleaner (can be found in the automotive departments or stores, because it's safe on window tints) or distilled water. Both come dirt cheap, and work. When you get a better understanding of what's going on, and your painting progresses, then it'll be time to invest in better materials (imo).

If you do want a specific thinner that's cheaper, may I suggest mixing your own:
----From the kitchen of Les Bursley---
Mix Distilled water and FLo-Aid in a ratio 10:1 respectively.
(optional)Mix water/floaid 1:1 with Matte Medium

This recipe is the initial setup for homemade washes, but works just as well for thinning down your everyday acrylic.
Source! ---> http://www.awesomepaintjob.com/index.cfm/resources.recipes

Good luck dude

The ingredients found in most window cleaners (alcohol, especially) can actually work against you, as they cause the thinned paint to dry faster than usual. If you go the airbrush medium route, then yes, it can also thin paints for brushwork.

Honestly, though, I can't imagine being unable to mix acrylic paints with water. Sure, there will be some separation over time, but potable water, no matter how hard or fluoridated, should mix. If it truly doesn't, a jug of distilled water should cost next to nothing and last you years (plenty of painters prefer to use that over tap water, regardless). If that doesn't mix, you can be sure that the issue is either user error or a bad batch of paint.

yep a liter of distilled water is only £2 ish in halfords.

CURNOW wrote:yep a liter of distilled water is only £2 ish in halfords.

Definitely start with distiller water. I finally found it at my local pharmacy after checking supermarkets. A gallon will go a long way. Keep some in a dropper bottle. Put some paint in your palette and start with one drop of water. The "thin to milk level" advice is good for airbrushing but I find I don't need to thin that far to get a smooth finish, just enough to get a good flow of paint off the brush is enough. Sometimes the milky paint can get difficult to handle. Vallejo's website actually has some amazing guides on thinning and painting in general with there paints but it can be applied to other brands.

Do you have any art supply stores near you? If your looking to try airbrush thinners pick up either golden, liquitex or Windsor newton airbrush medium. You can thin your paints for brushes and maintain opacity of color. One bottld will last you for years. I've thinned my old foundation paints with AB medium and I'm quite happy with the consistency.

I also agree with winterdyne regarding using the Vallejo model air paints with a brush. I've grown to love the reds and Greys. The reds layer great and the greys are perfect for edge highlighting when painting black. They are so perfectly thin that they become addictive when you start to use them. They are amazing for layering.

I would recommend a wet palette to start with. I may run mine with a bit to much water in it as I've seen people saying that it is no subtitute for thinning paints, but I've had little need to thin paints since I purchased one, it's one of the best painting investments I have made apart from an Airbrush Kit. I just pull paint from the areas I need, with the middle part of the pool having the thicker paint and the outter edges having the thinnest, you can blend paints on it very easily as well. It also serves its original purpose and prevents the paint drying as a bonus.

Start with water.

You'll get an idea on how to mix your paints, and what consistency you like and are comfortable with. After that, move on to using mediums, thinners, etc.

It has been said, but I will say it again: you do not want to cut corners with your supplies. A substandard product can do far more damage than help, and then you're out not only the material but your paint, time, etc...

If your water is -not- mixing with your paints, and you found that build up, as folks said just get distilled water. You can get it extremely cheap anywhere (like a gallon for a dollar) and it will work fine.

If you're starting out, keep it simple. I've seen too many people frustrate themselves into quitting by taking steps they weren't ready for. That said, you can get excellent results without having to buy "professional" grade materials and/or supplies. I've used water exclusively as a thinner, and I'm almost always complimented on my painting where I game, and have even been approached to do models for others. I've also won two painting competitions, and while I do not think I am an expert I still feel I have reasonable skill. Frankly, the one time I used a medium was P3's, and simply due to lack of experience with the product I ended up ruining an entire mix of paint, and I'm not sure if it was the product or using it incorrectly.

Stick to the basics (buy a wet palette, my best investment ever), work your skill up, and you'll do great. You'll keep your costs down, and you can move onto different levels at your choosing. Walk, run, then sprint.

Water works when mixed into the paint.

You could always keep telling it that its too fat, wait for depression to kick in, and it should sort itself out from there lol

Anyway, i've decided that I'll get some distilled water and some dropper bottles to try thinning then i'll see about getting some proper thinners and mediums in a few months. I'm going up to town at the weekend so i'll visit either halfords or the chemists (apothecary) for some distilled water and dropper bottles. I'm also gonna pop in to my LFGS to get some models for my inquistor warband and necromunda gangs.

Would it be a good idea to trial/buy some Lahmiam Medium for thinning paint or does it only work for glazing?

Finally, this question goes out to residents of the UK, is there a good hobby retail chain of stores all over the country that sell these mediums/thinners?

I use the lahmian stuff to thin my paints and it works fine, I think it's the same stuff as the medium that they released with their eavy metal paint set.

As for the retailer, probably hobbycraft

Cheers that pretty much answers all my questions, dakka dakka i a great community. Only one left do i need to dilute the mediums or can i use them 2:1 paint to medium straight from the pot?

I go straight from the pot; one tip though (and its so obvious you'll think I'm being sarcastic, though I'm not - don't make the same mistake I did) - make sure you get ALL the paint off your brush before you dip back in to it. I got a microscopic amount in the pot and it keeps wanting to alter my colours ever so slightly


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once its in there, it won't come out

Alright okay, though i have some spare eyedropper bottles so i'll fill those up with the medium so no need to use the brush.

Good idea, I got a little pippet with an airbrush I bought and it's an absolute god send