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Hi Chaps,

I'm having some issues with my paints in that I currently have GW paints that, in my blind folly and in a bid to foolishly save time, I watered down (at seemingly random levels) and stuck into dropper bottles, this was about 2 years ago and after painting up a load of stuff got left and are sat still in their bottles. I've gone back now to painting but everything (pretty much) is the wrong consistency and I am finding it very hard to get nice smooth finishes even when I water paints down further. Add to that all my metallics are buggered... No matter how much I shake the bottles before usage, they stay separated.

Now I can get a much better finish if I use some newer GW paints that I have in the pots still, now I know how much to water things down, I use these and put some paint onto a wet pallet add a little water and go from there. I get a much better finished. Thing is I have maybe 40 paints in these dropper bottles that I watered down (why.... Jesus, I have no idea) so replacing everything is going to be a nightmare in terms of money... but eh... if I have to.

Is it the fact I watered them down or is it that they are simply 2 years old and were probs left out in the sun next to a window for a good while as well? Or a mix of the two?

Thanks,
Grady

Not sure about the watering down, but I have some GW paints that are about 10 years old and still going. They were used, then not touched for about 7-8 years. Some dried up, some are fine, some needed a little water and mixing to get them back. So in my experience it's hit and miss, although 2 years is nothing. Anything I've bought in the last 2 years I'd consider 'new'

The only comment I can make on watering is that if I use a wet pallette and leave it for a few days (with a lid on) the paint and water can get oddly separated. At that point it's often unusable (although if in a pot I think a good shake/stir would fix it).

I put the paint on a wet palet then I mash it together with a paint brush.

Not a good solution, but it kept me from buying new stuff except for the Mertallics.

I got new Metallics after getting a terrible bumpy finish even after some srrious paint mashing.

 StygianBeach wrote:
I put the paint on a wet palet then I mash it together with a paint brush.

Not a good solution, but it kept me from buying new stuff except for the Mertallics.

I got new Metallics after getting a terrible bumpy finish even after some srrious paint mashing.

I get the same finish with the metallics I have, really awful finish. Maybe I can get away with just getting new metallics.

I unpacked a bunch of old he paints that had been boxed up after our move for 10 years. All previously opened and used. There is at least one that is still a screw cap. Aside from some having dried out and gotten "thick" (nothing a bit of watering down at paint time won't fix) so i don't think it's because they sat for 2 years.

Go to a art store.
Get "matt medium".
Add to the funky paints.
They will be fixed, I promise.
You do not have enough acrylic "medium" to carry your pigment, adding water you can go too far.

If you're going to prethin paints (which I don't recommend to begin with) don't use water, use an actual acrylic thinner/medium.