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Hello Dakka,

I recently purchased a pot of Lamian Medium to add to my painting arsenal. After reading up on it, I know that it is a medium for thinning. What I can't figure out is what it is supposed it thin. Basically, I've heard it described as "paint without the pigment". If so, is it a base paint, a shade, etc?

While it's often described as a thinner, it's not actually as thin as water, so thinning paints with it will only take you so far. What it does do is thin the pigment, so you'll get less coverage of a colour. Effectively, it's spreading out the pigment so whatever colour you paint over will show through more easily. This can be used for all sorts of situations. If you want to turn a base or layer into more of a wash, if you want to create a glaze, etc. It also helps stop your paints drying so quickly on your brush. Another use of it is to create an even finish across multiple different shades/colours of paint. Quite often, different paints have different reflective qualities, so painting neat lahmian medium over the top of layers you've already painted helps to matte them all down to the same finish. It's quite versatile, really.

I think of as a flow enhancer, so you are thinning you paint with acrylic medium rather than water, so you get thinner paint but without making your paint water, so preserving the texture of your paint somewhat. And what the previous post said is true.

The main thing with this product is that you can get lots more of the same thing else where. It’s one of GW more expensive products and cos it’s i a paint pot it’s easy to transfer paint to it. It much easier to get acrylic medium or thinner or flow enhancer in a bigger bottle for the same money and you can squeeze out what you want. You wouldn’t want to waste it thinking down paint for an airbrush.

Don’t throw it out but next time you need something like this Have a look round.

Isn't it just medium without the pigment?

Something as having an pigment-less oil paint from tube, like liquin.

This comes down to the basis of what paint is. Paint is pigment suspended in a medium. If you add medium, your concentration of pigment decreases but the paint remains the same texture as before. Whereas adding water will dilute the medium, leaving you with more pigment than medium which is what you want. The end goal is to get as much pigment as possible with as little medium as you can use.

With that said, Lamian medium does have its uses. Using dry pigments with it allows you to make your own paints. It also can be useful for making a translucent paint by combining inks and medium. My favorite is to use a metallic medium and my choice of ink to make my own metallic paint.

TLDR, don't "thin" your paints with medium unless you're trying to airbrush GW paint pots. If you thin, use water. If your paint is breaking as a result of too much water, add paint or use a wet pallet.

If you're not using a wet pallet, I personally use this one.
https://www.redgrassgames.com/everlasting-wet-palette/everlasting-wet-palette-studio-xl/
It allows me to thin my paints further without breaking them. Well worth the money IMO.

hope this helps!

~Freya (AKA Tacocatra @ Reddit)

I use it to make glazes.

I add a couple drops to older paint pots to help return them to “original” texture.

If you want to make custom washes, 1 part paint, 3 parts Medium, and 4 parts water works wonderfully.

Adding medium to paint dilutes the pigment, as noted. This is handy if you want to see the colour “beneath”, such as glazing, or slowly building colour for blending (smaller and smaller area gives nice transitions towards a solid colour).

As noted above, there are cheaper sources for medium.

I love the stuff.