The medium is used mostly in the now popular art form of acrylic pouring. Remember, it is a careful and deliberate process. If you still need to even the surface out more, you can add a final layer of varnish. The choice of acrylic painting medium is popular all over the world. If you thin the acrylic paints with water, you will lose saturation of the color depending on how much you use. Carefully work the water into the paint using your brush, adding more water if necessary, until the paint becomes more liquid. Acrylic paint is water-based and thus water-soluble when wet, so water can be used to thin it. Some other characteristics of acrylic paint include: Acrylic paint is mainly made of color pigments, binding agents and occasionally others contain added agents, which provide properties like durability. As discussed, acrylic paint is made of color pigments and other constituents. The most common reason artists thin acrylic paint with water is to improve how it flows so that it can be applied in thin washes similar to watercolor. While the Tamiya brand of purpose made acrylic thinner is the best choice for thinning Tamiya acrylic paints, many modelers have said that they can also thin and airbrush Tamiya acrylics with isopropyl alcohol and also distilled water. When it comes to acrylic pouring, which is fluid art, obviously the mixture has to be easy to pour! To create your glaze without problems, blend your water and paint in a small cup so the water cannot run or leak anywhere. However, if you're painting a large surface, like a home's exterior, you often need to thin the paint before loading it into a spray gun. Water can be used to thin acrylic paints but its best if you use distilled water, and you use it sparingly. However there are few things to keep in mind when diluting paint with water. I have been using Flow Improver for thinning more often lately. The paint was rather thick and it kept clogging the airbrush tip. The most common ratio to use is 50% water to your paint, but some say 30% is sufficient. After adding a small amount of water and mixing it in, see if that is the consistency that you want it to be; add more water if necessary. Well, from the outside looking in, it would seem water would be just fine to use for thinning acrylics. When we talk about consistency, we’re talking about the flow and texture of your paint, medium, and additive mixture. Color pigments are what gives the paint its vivid color. Although water is okay but using the shop bought reducer is a lot more effective in producing better results. Using water to thin acrylic paint can be done, but is preferred using distilled water. Let us now consider the various ways you can thin acrylic paint. You can use your paints straight from the tube, or you can thin acrylic paint to obtain another effect. If you need to thin acrylic paint, you need to get a medium specifically for thinning acrylics. Using an acrylic painting medium like an airbrush medium might be a better solution. Acrylic paints can be thinned by adding water, a pouring medium, or using an acrylic binder. Water breaks down the binder in acrylic, thinning the paint so that it looks like watercolor and allows it to sink into the surface, resulting in a matte finish. Adding binder to your paint will decrease the paint’s viscosity, helping it to become more liquid. Therefore, most paints, in particular, the better-quality acrylic paints will not contain these types of additives. Thin and clean with water. Rather you most likely will be fine using a little amount of water to reduce your paint. (Thin, Use & Clean). Dip your paintbrush in a cup of clean water and then gently tap the water from your brush onto the paint. Here are some easy instructions on how to thin acrylic latex paint successfully. I'm currently just thinning it with water because I don't have the means to go to a hobby shop or buy online, and it doesn't give a good result. Don’t get me wrong, water can be used, and typically is, even in the paint manufacturer’s specific thinners. You can then add a gloss after the paint has dried, to enhance your painting further. If you are using a palette, you can try dipping your paintbrush into some water and then add a few drops to your paint. Your paint will begin peeling off the surface. By adding more binder, the paint will soak up less into a substrate. Acrylic paint dries rather quickly, so using too much can result in wasting paint, When painting on a primed canvas or non-absorbent surface, it is recommended you use 30% water added to your paint. Guidelines when Thinning Acrylic Paint With a Thinning Medium. However, this isn’t always the case. All you need to create these effects is to know how to thin acrylic paint correctly to get what you want. Add water. Some additives can be included, which can lengthen the shelf-life of the colors. I’m talking Graco here, but nothing smaller than a #4 needle will really be large enough for acrylic paints. To thin acrylic paint for an airbrush, you need to add a thinning agent, like water, airbrush thinner, or flow improver to the paint, and mix until you create a paint that has the consistency of skim milk. Especially, if you are heavily reducing the paint. To properly thin acrylic latex paint, add about two to three ounces of water per gallon, depending on the starting condition. To get the correct consistency, you need to take a few things into account. Once you stir the paint, observe the viscosity of the material. When painting on surfaces, these binders will not affect the paints hiding power abilities. That is why there are a few additives that I like other then just straight water. The paint could become unstable, and difficult to achieve desired outcomes. Now, you can add small amounts of water, but the absolute max that you would want to add is about 50:50 water to paint. You only need to add 10% to 20% medium to your paint. If you'd like to learn more about me, be sure to check me out over on my About Page, Airbrush Cleaning Equipment (Solutions, Tools & Supplies). However, these additives could be harmful to your health. This ensures that your paint will not begin to peel off the surface. Those are: more about the makeup of acrylics at: liquitex. Guidelines when Thinning Acrylic Paint with Water. Water Is known To Break Down The Paint Simply put, water is known to break down the binder within acrylic paint. Thinning Acrylic Paint The general rule of thumb for most acrylic paints is to reduce them with distilled water or airbrush reducers until they flow like milk. The homemade recipes are also better than water alone. If you have any further questions regarding the airbrush do be sure to take a look around the website. 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