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So a couple weeks ago, I decided to transfer all my GW paints into dropper bottles, because that'd make it easier to get smaller amounts out, and to mix paints without having to constantly wash my brush. Problem is, some of the paints weren't flowing well when i poured them into the funnel that would get them into the dropper bottle, so I tried adding more water. And, well, it seems like I added too much water. Several of my paints now are so thin that they don't get any coverage. Instead they just bead up in small patches. Is there any way I can fix this, or did I screw myself over and will have to buy new paints to replace the ones I watered down?

I've had a little bit of success with adding lahmian medium to the paints when they're on the palette, but if theres something else I can do, I'd love to know.

Add more paint on your pallete? I mean like from a new bottle/pot.

Or you can also, have a bit of patience and just let some of the water evaporate. Put some paint on your palette and let it sit a bit, til you find it workable.

Also, re: the beading are you really sure it's the paint that's too thin? I mean, for instance did you clean your minis well and let them air dry? If they still have mold release on them that can also cause paint to not cover well.

Anyway, all I can think of good luck!

 Guildenstern wrote:

Also, re: the beading are you really sure it's the paint that's too thin? I mean, for instance did you clean your minis well and let them air dry? If they still have mold release on them that can also cause paint to not cover well.

The minis are all primed and clean, yeah.

You can leave your paint pots open for a short time to let them dry out a bit. Take this as a lesson for the future, thin your paints on a palette, not your bottle.

Lahmian Medium is basically unpigmented paint. if your paints are too thin this will increase the viscosity but reduce the saturation of color (so you may require more coats to get a good coverage.

The other method may sound kind of crazy, and you may want to test it out before committing to it entirely, but try PVA glue. It's basically an acrylic medium anyhow.

There are other suitable equivalents at art or craft stores.

Water in itself breaks up the pigment, you really can't add too much of it (in my opinion), or you risk damaging the pigments. In the future, if you absolutely must thin paints in a bottle, use an acrylic medium like the Lahmian medium. It thins the paint, without breaking down the pigments.

Which lies the problem, to a degree. Even if you thicken the paint, the pigments have likely already degraded. I would strongly advise replacing them, rather than risking ruining more expensive miniatures.

 HeadHunter67 wrote:
...but try PVA glue. It's basically an acrylic medium anyhow.

No it's not, PVA = polyvinyl acetate. Acrylic = acrylate polymer.

This question has come up before, how to thicken paints back up, I can't remember what the answer was.

BUT, in future when transferring paints, don't "water them down", use an actual acrylic thinner, it's more stable, less prone to beading up and will bind the pigment better. If you over thin by accident with an acrylic thinner it will be less of an annoyance than overthinning with water.

Once you've watered them down a big problem with trying to thicken them back up is the acrylic diluents that the manufacturer used will tend to evaporate off before the water.

Just saying, white glue has been known to work. It's not ideal, and it won't ever make them good as new, but if you can't afford to replace the paint, it might help thicken things up. Can't hurt to try, since the pot's not useful in its current state anyhow.

But I agree with the other advice about the proper way to thin a paint - water belongs under your wet palette, not in the paint pot.

Basteala wrote:Water in itself breaks up the pigment, you really can't add too much of it (in my opinion), or you risk damaging the pigments. In the future, if you absolutely must thin paints in a bottle, use an acrylic medium like the Lahmian medium. It thins the paint, without breaking down the pigments.

Which lies the problem, to a degree. Even if you thicken the paint, the pigments have likely already degraded. I would strongly advise replacing them, rather than risking ruining more expensive miniatures.

*sighs* yeah, I figured that might be the case. Well, hopefully I didn't screw up too many of the paints. The ones I had the most trouble with were older pots, bought before my move a year and a half ago, so I figure they might be due for replacing anyway. In the meantime, I guess I'll have to invest in some lahmian medium or acrylic medium or something.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

All paints have three basic components - Pigment (color), Vehicle (Enamel, Latex, Acrylic, etc.) and Carrier (water, spirits oil, etc.) By adding too much carrier, you have messed up the Pigment/Vehicle balance, Adding any 'medium' will only replace the Vehicle and the the Carrier, to a small extent. Since you have diluted the pigment (an important part!) letting it just 'dry out' will help remove the excess carrier, but that is really a shot in the dark gamble.

I think you need to buy new paints and use your dropper paints to thin the new paints slightly when needed.