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Is it mandatory to water down paint and if you don't water down your paint will your models become caked?

Short answer; yes, and yes.
But I would rather say 'thinning' than watering, as just water makes a poor thinning agent for acrylics, It will only thin so far before totally destroying the surface tension of a paint film.
Saying that, water is a good starting point for learning to thin acrylics. I would advise looking at acrlyic 'flow aid' and retarder, or possibly alcohol based thinners or a thin acrylic binder if yet lower viscosity is required.

HairySticks wrote:
Short answer; yes, and yes.
But I would rather say 'thinning' than watering, as just water makes a poor thinning agent for acrylics, It will only thin so far before totally destroying the surface tension of a paint film.
Saying that, water is a good starting point for learning to thin acrylics. I would advise looking at acrlyic 'flow aid' and retarder, or possibly alcohol based thinners or a thin acrylic binder if yet lower viscosity is required.

What are good flow aids and retarders and where can you find them online?

 Marine_With_Heart wrote:

HairySticks wrote:
Short answer; yes, and yes.
But I would rather say 'thinning' than watering, as just water makes a poor thinning agent for acrylics, It will only thin so far before totally destroying the surface tension of a paint film.
Saying that, water is a good starting point for learning to thin acrylics. I would advise looking at acrlyic 'flow aid' and retarder, or possibly alcohol based thinners or a thin acrylic binder if yet lower viscosity is required.

What are good flow aids and retarders and where can you find them online?

Liquitex is fine (available in australia at eckersleys and Riot), their flow aid is good, I prefer their matte medium or airbrush medium personally, but they all work the same. You could also try to find Derivan, they pop up in AUS too.

Just check an art store if you can find one.

Retarders, are not great for thinning paint with. Well they are, but they are used as they slow down paint drying time, so if you are doing an obscene amount of blends then they are good otherwise I'd be using something else to thin my paints.