As there have been a couple of threads involving thining paint, this thread on the Reaper forums is interesting:
Recipes for Thinner/paint extender
Sean
Recipes for Thinner/paint extender
Sean
Recipes for paint thinners
- Thread starter kmdl1066
- Start date
Ok I\'m no specialist on the question, but I think it has to do with water tension. If you put a drop of water on a flat surface, it\'s going to retain the shape of a drop due to the tension. That\'ll mess up your washes and such if you use only water.
Of course I guess there are ways to get around this since some great artist seem to use water only, you it seems, and then eric and allan too I think tough I\'m not sure.
Valander
Member
Originally posted by Equus
Me? I like to add the artificial fruity smell of Future to water.
Aaah, yes... that Future Flavor. lol
As far as \"what\'s wrong with just water?\", the basic answer is nothing, and lots.
A lot if it actually depends on where you live, and the quality of your tap water. If your water isn\'t too treated, you can probably be just fine. If, though, you have high mineral content, lots of chlorine (or, like El Paso water, lithium), then you probably don\'t want to use it for painting.
Obviously, the more chemicals in there the more chance that they\'ll react adversely with the acrylic binding in the paints, and you can get some weird stuff happenning. I\'ve seen paint change color as well as coagulate by adding high mineral-content water to it.
So, to be safe, use distilled water. This doesn\'t risk the reactions, but will slightly break up the binding in the paint. Not usually so much that it will be noticeable, until you get to insane amounts of dilution.
Personally, I use a mix of 75% distilled water, 12.5% Future Floor Finish, and 12.5% Extender. I also often use Vallejo Glaze Medium, and I\'m starting to play with the Matte Medium as well.
EDIT: I just realized that my percentages may be confusing, so here\'s the same recipe in proportions.
1 part Future
1 part Extender
6 parts distilled water
I use regular tap water, I like to keep things easy. Plus, when I use washes, I paint them on just like I would with an ordinary layer of paint. That is, I dip the brush in the wash, wipe off all excessive fluid on my thumb, and then paint on the wash. That way it doesn\'t pool and cause ugly stains.
Legacy Account
Active member
Good old water! Sticking stuff in it don\'t make you paint better!!
Almost forgot...
I haven\'t painted up a new resin in a while, so I almost forgot what I use for when I airbrushing acrylics. I usually mix the paint to the desired color, then thin with Windex. Haven\'t tried it with most brands, but it works fine with Gunze and the old GW acrylics. I\'ll soon find out how well, if at all, it works with Vallejo Model Colors.
I haven\'t painted up a new resin in a while, so I almost forgot what I use for when I airbrushing acrylics. I usually mix the paint to the desired color, then thin with Windex. Haven\'t tried it with most brands, but it works fine with Gunze and the old GW acrylics. I\'ll soon find out how well, if at all, it works with Vallejo Model Colors.
