Thin Paints and Space marines

[TheLastJoke]

Hi guys this is my very first post on here i was wondering what do you guys do to thin down paints or get your paints smooths on to your space marines from warhammer 40k? i seen a lot of videos and blogs talk about thinning down paints but to me it seems has if they are talking noncents.

the paints i am using is Citadel paints from games workshop, i want to hear what what you guys do it thin down paints or get the paint smooth onto the models

[interrogator_chaplain]

Lahmian Medium is the thinning medium that GW produces, take a blob of paint slap it on the pallet, wash brush and then take a load of medium and mix it in and then apply.

Vallejo also produces a range of mediums for different applications, gloss, matte, glaze, metallic and thinner. Also, you can keep your paints from drying out quickly on the pallet with what is called drying retarder. Definitely worth checking out.

[TheLastJoke]

I have drying retarder but i am not to sure how to use it, i seen people say if you use to much it messes up the paint it self or the paint never drys on the model.
i need to look into Lahmian medium never seen or heard of it before, thanks for telling me
What about using water to thin the paints any tips on that?

[Morgrim]

Just water works fine for a beginner. It's hard to give a precise amount of water to add since different people like different amounts, and I've found even the individual colours vary in what they need. A good rule of thumb is that the paint needs to be smooth and moving easily with no thick gluggy bits (you mostly find those when the paint has been sitting a while). You can sometimes get away with not thinning a brand new GW paint fresh off the shelf but being honest that's the exception.

If you're blending you want it about the consistency of milk. Since you're a new painter you'll want it a little thicker. Honestly it's hard to describe, watch a few videos and see how thick the paint is on their pallet and try to do that. If the paint doesn't move smoothly from your brush to your model or you can see brush strokes it's too thick. If it's running into the gaps instead of staying where you put it it's too thin. Fiddle around until you figure out what works for you.

[Deadlift]

I use a little dropper bottle, I usually go with a 3:1 water to paint ratio and that works fine for me, if I'm trying to blend a little more then I go 5:1. I found the trick is to dab the brush a little on some kitchen towel to stop too much paint pooling on the model but leaving enough on the brush to work with.

[Mr Mystery]

And pay attention to your basecoat. Get your basecoat right, and the rest should follow suit.

Citadel Base paints (other ranges are available, but I'm not familiar with those) are a little thick, but do thin down quite nicely. And being basecoats by design, they have a high pigment count which should ensure even a thin coat turns out the right colour. ESPECIALLY YELLOW.... They're also designed for the Citadel Spray Gun. Whilst not the greatest thing to happen to painting in the history of painting ever, it does what you expect it to do well enough, though if you're going for competition grade painting, you may find it a little too general purpose. Alternatives? Well, pretty much any airbrush.

Airbrushing is your friend for ensuring an extra smooth basecoat. And as Deadlift is Airbrushing's BFF, he's a good place to seek knowledge and stuff!

[Phototoxin]

The only thing I'd be wary of is if you live in a 'hard water' area. But generally water is the best way for regular 'brush' painting unless you need specialist airbrush thinner or whatever.

[Harley]

Don't waste your time. After many years of screwing around with thinning for good coverage with brushes and stripping models that didn't turn out right I finally bought an airbrush and will never go back.

Do yourself a favor and avoid all the frustration, time stripping models that didn't turn out the way you wanted or money hiring other people to paint for you.

Buy an airbrush, practice with it on cardboard, sprues, bits, and never stress out over getting good coverage ever again. Also, it's really easy and fast to get a 3 color painted army in hours if that is all you need/want. Any color you want, Yellow, Red, White, an airbrush can put on a clean, smooth coat without any problem.

[completeHook]

There is a video painting guide by StrikingScorpion82 on paint consistency here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KipDvdjiirg

If you haven't seen any of his batreps they are well worth a watch, amazing looking armies on fantastic scenery.


There are a ton of painting tutorials specifically aimed at novice painters on MiniWarGaming, I think you might have to sign up for a trial membership to view them but don't let this put you off, it's easy to cancel.

Hope this has been of some help.

[Mr Mystery]

Don't waste your time. After many years of screwing around with thinning for good coverage with brushes and stripping models that didn't turn out right I finally bought an airbrush and will never go back.

Do yourself a favor and avoid all the frustration, time stripping models that didn't turn out the way you wanted or money hiring other people to paint for you.

Buy an airbrush, practice with it on cardboard, sprues, bits, and never stress out over getting good coverage ever again. Also, it's really easy and fast to get a 3 color painted army in hours if that is all you need/want. Any color you want, Yellow, Red, White, an airbrush can put on a clean, smooth coat without any problem.

And on this, remember there's usually spare odds and sods on GW kit sprues, ideal for trying it on stuff with added texture.

[TheLastJoke]

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There is a video painting guide by StrikingScorpion82 on paint consistency here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KipDvdjiirg

If you haven't seen any of his batreps they are well worth a watch, amazing looking armies on fantastic scenery.


There are a ton of painting tutorials specifically aimed at novice painters on MiniWarGaming, I think you might have to sign up for a trial membership to view them but don't let this put you off, it's easy to cancel.

Hope this has been of some help.

I might do what he does in that video, it seems easy to do and it works well for him. Thanks for the video :)

- - - Updated - - -


Don't waste your time. After many years of screwing around with thinning for good coverage with brushes and stripping models that didn't turn out right I finally bought an airbrush and will never go back.

Do yourself a favor and avoid all the frustration, time stripping models that didn't turn out the way you wanted or money hiring other people to paint for you.

Buy an airbrush, practice with it on cardboard, sprues, bits, and never stress out over getting good coverage ever again. Also, it's really easy and fast to get a 3 color painted army in hours if that is all you need/want. Any color you want, Yellow, Red, White, an airbrush can put on a clean, smooth coat without any problem.
Funny thing is that i was going to air airbrushing soon. I got a nice air compressor as a gift from someone( history teacher). Also soon i will get a Airbrushes (a gift from my art teacher) . But before all that i am going to paint my models with a brush, This also gives me time to learn about airbrushing in the mean time.
What paints are good for airbrushing? i hear many good things about Vallejo , is there any other brands?

[DarkLink]

Airbrushing is awesome. Buy a good quality brush, which will probably cost about $150, get a decent compressor with a tank and moisture filter for ~$60, and a cleaning kit for maybe 20, and that's the vast majority of your investment.

Thin your paints with water and a little isypropyl alcohol, pour them in the brush, and start painting. Make sure to keep the brush clean as possible, and stick to new paints.

[Deadlift]

Here's a few pointers to help you get you started with airbrushing, but as you've said it's great to polish those hand painting skills too. Practice practice practice :D

http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?36597-Deadlifts-Airbrush-experiences


This guys tutorial is great for seeing how to get nice blending
http://youtu.be/wBYLLIG8l8Q

and how watering down paints correctly can help with blending and getting a great finish.

[Harley]

As others have said, also yes Vallejo paints are good for airbrushing. In addition to having eye dropper bottles which are better for putting paint into your airbrush, they make specialized air brush paint. You don't need specialized paint, as you can thin it with water, but it's a nice option.

I DO strongly recommend Vallejo surface primer. It's already a thin consistency perfect for airbrushing and doesn't destroy detail like spray paint will. Your models will look just as crisp as they do naked once primed with this.

One trick I've recently learned with an airbrush. If you prime in black as is the best option. Go back over any portion you plan to have a vibrant color with white first. It will make the color pop where as black primer gives a slightly more dull undertone.

[TheLastJoke]

As others have said, also yes Vallejo paints are good for airbrushing. In addition to having eye dropper bottles which are better for putting paint into your airbrush, they make specialized air brush paint. You don't need specialized paint, as you can thin it with water, but it's a nice option.

I DO strongly recommend Vallejo surface primer. It's already a thin consistency perfect for airbrushing and doesn't destroy detail like spray paint will. Your models will look just as crisp as they do naked once primed with this.

One trick I've recently learned with an airbrush. If you prime in black as is the best option. Go back over any portion you plan to have a vibrant color with white first. It will make the color pop where as black primer gives a slightly more dull undertone.

Thank you for the nice tip i need to look into getting Vallejo, The only problem i have with vallejo is the Cost of it, the shipping and no store near me (or around New york) sell vallejo paints its all online with kills me because of the shipping. If you guys know any stores in new york thats sells them let me know or if you know any good online stores with free to little or combine shipping would me great Thanks.
Also have any of you guys used Minitaire Paint by Badger Or golden Airbrush paints, can you guys tell me a bit about them with pictures or videos?

[DarkLink]

Another nice trick is to take something with a solid mono-color, say, Grey Knights, and airbrush them completely black. Do a moderate 360 degree zenithal highlight with a mid-tone, then an extreme zenithal highlight with your, well, highlight color. Then go back in and paint in the details. I've painted ~80 models in mere hours doing this, minus the fine details that naturally take longer since you have to go and pick them out model by model. Huge time-saver, though you have to have a paint scheme that works for it.

[TheLastJoke]

Do a moderate 360 degree zenithal highlight with a mid-tone, then an extreme zenithal highlight with your, well, highlight color. Then go back in and paint in the details.

UMMmmmm?? What is zenithal highlight?

[Deadlift]

I've used minitaire paints almost exclusively for the last 18 months or so, they are brilliant. Just as good as Vallejo with a much more vibrant choice of colours. I don't rate their metallics though, Vallejo have the edge with those.

Zenithal highlights are where you try to create an artificial light source to highlight the model.

Here's a link to "From the Warp" blog. He explains it very well. http://fromthewarp.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/how-to-do-basic-zenithal-highlighting.html