How to Thin Your Paints: The Secret to Smooth Coats

Why Two Thin Coats?

If you spend enough time in the Warhammer community, you’ve undoubtedly heard the golden rule handed down from the painting masters: “Two thin coats.” Applying paint straight from the pot is a rite of passage, but it’s a habit you need to break quickly. Unthinned paint is thick, goes on unevenly, leaves ugly brush strokes, and worst of all, obscures the beautiful, crisp details that Games Workshop sculptors worked so hard to create on your miniatures.

The Wet Palette Advantage

The easiest, most effective way to thin your paints and keep them workable is by using a wet palette. A wet palette uses a damp sponge and a sheet of hydration paper to keep your acrylic paints wet for days. Crucially, it naturally draws a little moisture into the paint, naturally thinning it down and extending its working time, which is especially helpful during a dry UK summer or when you have the heating blasting in winter.

How to Thin on a Dry Palette

If you prefer using a dry plastic or ceramic palette, the process is simple but requires a bit of feel. Transfer a brush-load of paint from the pot to the palette, then dip the very tip of your brush into clean water, and mix it into the paint pool. You are looking for the consistency of melted ice cream or full-fat milk. When you paint a line on the palette, it should flow smoothly off the bristles without shrinking back into beads or pooling uncontrollably.

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