Workbench Guides · Painting

How to Thin Miniature Paints

Thin paint is the single biggest step up most painters ever make. Here's how to thin miniature paints: why it keeps your detail sharp, what consistency to aim for, water or medium, and why two thin coats always beat one thick one.

Why thin Like milk On the palette Two coats

Milk for basecoats Thinner for glazes Never in the pot

How thin is thin? Consistency, from the pot to water

"Thin your paints" is the advice every painter hears first, and the one most of us ignore for a while. Then one day you try it properly, and the brush marks vanish, the detail stays sharp and the whole miniature looks smoother.

It sounds fiddly, but it's really just a drop of water and a bit of mixing on the palette. This guide shows you how thin to go, what to thin with and how to put it on, so you can skip the lumpy phase and get straight to the good bit.

What you need

Your paints.
A palette: a ceramic tile, an old plate or a wet palette.
Clean water, or a thinning medium if you have one.
A brush, and kitchen roll to wipe it on.

A wet palette keeps thinned paint workable for much longer. Our wet palette guide shows you how to make one.

Why thin your paints

Sharper detail and a smoother finish. That's the whole reason, and it's a good one.

Paint in the pot is thick on purpose. It keeps the pigment from settling and stops it drying out. But straight onto a miniature, that thickness becomes a problem. It sits on top of the surface instead of flowing over it, fills the fine detail and dries with ridges where the brush went.

Thinned paint flows. It settles into a thin, flat skin that follows every ridge, rivet and fold, so the detail the designer sculpted is still there when you've finished. Resin miniatures have a lot of very fine detail, so this matters even more.

Cross-section of fine raised detail: one thick coat of paint fills the gaps and leaves lumps and brush marks so the detail disappears; thin coats follow every ridge and keep the detail crisp — **Thick coat versus thin coats.** Thick paint fills the gaps and leaves lumps and brush marks. Thin coats follow the surface, and the detail stays crisp.

The right consistency

Like milk for basecoats, thinner still for glazes.

The classic advice is "thin it to the consistency of milk", and it's classic because it works. Milky paint flows off the brush smoothly, covers in two coats and doesn't leave ridges. That's the target for basecoats and most everyday painting.

For glazes, you go thinner, more like skimmed milk. A glaze is a see-through layer that tints the colour underneath, great for smoothing out a blend or deepening a shade. Go thinner than that and you've got coloured water, which runs into every recess and dries in rings.

A consistency chart for paint, each brushed across black and white stripes: straight from the pot is too thick and lumpy, single cream is a bit thick, milk is right for basecoats and covers well, skimmed milk is right for see-through glazes, and water is too thin — **From the pot to water.** Each stroke is brushed over black and white stripes. Milky paint covers well in a thin layer; skimmed milk is see-through, which is what you want for a glaze.

The stripe test

Paint a stroke over something black and white. Milky basecoat paint should mostly hide the stripes in one coat and fully in two.

Watch it come off the brush

It should flow smoothly from the tip, not drag, and not flood out the moment it touches.

Every paint is different

Brands and even colours vary. Whites and yellows often need a little less water, so judge by eye, not by a recipe.

Thin it on the palette

A blob of paint, a little water, a quick mix. Never in the pot.

Always thin your paint on the palette, a little at a time. Add water to the pot and you can't take it back out. The whole pot is now thinner than you wanted, the pigment can separate, and you've lost the thick paint you needed for next time.

Thinning on the palette in three steps: put a small blob of paint on the palette, add a little water or thinning medium with the brush, and mix until it flows like milk. Adding water to the pot itself is crossed out — **Three steps, all on the palette.** A small blob of paint, a little water or medium, then mix with the brush until it flows like milk. The pot stays exactly as it was.

Put a small blob on the palette

Take paint from the lid or the dropper, a pea-sized blob at most. You can always add more.
Add a little water

Dip the brush in water and touch it to the blob. As a rough starting point, try about as much water as paint, then adjust.
Mix and test

Stir it with the brush, then try a stroke on the edge of the palette. Too thick? A touch more water. Too runny? A touch more paint.
Wipe the brush before it touches the miniature

Drag the side of the brush on kitchen roll so it isn't overloaded. A loaded brush floods the detail, however well thinned the paint is.

Water or medium?

Water is all you need for basecoats and everyday painting. It's free, it's on tap, and it works.

For very thin layers like glazes, a thinning medium is worth having. Water thins the paint, but it also weakens the binder that holds the pigment together, so heavily watered paint can go patchy, chalky or bead up on the surface. A medium thins the paint while keeping the binder strong. Some painters mix a little of both. If you start using an airbrush, its paint needs thinning too, and our airbrush guide covers that.

Two thin coats, not one thick

The first coat looks patchy. That's not a mistake, it's the plan.

The moment most people give up on thin paint is right after the first coat. It looks streaky, you can see the primer through it, and the pot of thick paint is right there. Resist. Let it dry and go again. The second thin coat evens everything out, and you end up with a smooth, solid colour that still shows every detail.

One thick coat covers in one go, but it covers the detail too. It also dries slower, shows brush marks and can crack or peel on edges that get handled. The same idea works for primer, varnish and almost everything else on the painting table, and our first miniature guide puts it all together, step by step.

The knight painted blue three ways: after one thin coat he looks patchy, which is fine; after a second thin coat he is smooth and even with crisp detail; one thick coat covers but leaves him lumpy with blurred detail — **Patchy, then perfect.** One thin coat looks patchy, two look smooth and even. One thick coat covers, but leaves Bob lumpy and blurred.

Let each coat dry before the next. Painting into a coat that's still wet drags it about and lifts it off. Thin paint dries quickly, so it's usually only a few minutes.

Workbench guide Ready to paint a whole miniature? Prime, basecoat, wash, drybrush and highlight. Our first miniature guide takes you through every stage with six paints. Read the first miniature guide

Thinned it right?

Paint on the palette, not straight from the pot?
Water added a little at a time?
Flowing like milk for basecoats?
Thinner still for glazes, with a medium if you have one?
Brush wiped before it touches the miniature?
Two thin coats, with the first left to dry?

Never do this

Pour water into the pot

Now you own one pot of very sad, very pale paint, and no way back. Thin it on the palette.

Paint it on like icing

Bob had some lovely chainmail once. Now he has a smooth blue jumper. Thin coats keep the detail.

Flood it with water

If it runs off the brush and into every gap before you've finished the stroke, that's a puddle, not a coat.

Give up after one coat

The first coat always looks rubbish. That's the rule. Coat two is where the magic happens.

Lick the brush to a point

Paint is not a flavour. Roll the tip on kitchen roll or the edge of the palette instead.

Paint the next coat while it's wet

You're not adding a layer, you're stirring the first one. Give it a few minutes and a cup of tea.

Quick answers

QuestionAnswer

How thin should my paint be?Like milk for basecoats, more like skimmed milk for glazes

How much water do I add?Start with about as much water as paint, then adjust by eye. Every paint is different

Water or thinning medium?Water is fine for most painting. A medium helps when you thin a lot, like for glazes

My paint is streaky after one coatThat's normal for thin paint. Let it dry and add a second coat

My thinned paint went chalky or patchyProbably too much water. Add more paint, or use a thinning medium instead

It runs into the recesses and leaves ringsToo thin, or too much on the brush. Add paint and wipe the brush before each stroke

My paint dries on the palette too fastMix smaller amounts, or try a wet palette

Do I thin washes and contrast paints?They're made ready to use. See our washes guide and contrast paints guide

The short version

Milky paint, two coats

Put a small blob of paint on the palette, add a little water and mix it until it flows like milk. Go thinner for glazes, with a thinning medium if you're adding a lot. Wipe the brush before it touches the miniature, and never add water to the pot.

Then paint two thin coats, letting the first one dry even though it looks patchy. That's how to thin miniature paints, and it's the habit that makes everything else easier.

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