Thinning paints and overcoat.

[copperchange]

The paints that I am using now are sooo much thicker than the paints I used to use. What do you use to thin them most effectively without losing their color? And what do overglaze/sealer (type or what should I look for?) is effective without making the piece overly shiny?

 

[TKNY]

Thin your paints with water!

For sealing I use dulcote, I think it\'s the dullest but ymmv.

Keep in mind that any sealing is going to be a little bit shiny. Non finished minis always look the best, assuming you don\'t use any shiny inks or magic wash. Downside is you can\'t ever touch them; if you use your minis to game, gotta protect them!

 

[airhead]

what paints are you using? Where are you (humitity and temperature matter).

Start by thinning with water. One drop of paint to one, two or even 3 drops of water. Most decent mini paints will hold up to around 1:10.

 

[copperchange]

I am using Citadel acrylics, and I am in Alaska, so the weather is pretty variable, pretty dry this time of year though. Thank you- I wasn\'t sure if you could use water or if it had to be thinner. I appreciate any help I can get after all this time!

 

[Ritual]

In that case, plain water. A good varnish, as have been mentioned, is Testors Dullcoat. It may be a good idea to use a stronger varnish first, and then finish with Dullcoat to create a matte finish. This gives extra durability, but also avoids some potential trouble that the Dullcoat can cause with your paints (see another topic here to see what I\'m talking about).