Thin Any Acrylic Paint for Airbrush

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Thinning your paints that are not specifically airbrush paints can sometimes be a pain. In this video I show you my process of how I thin my acrylic paints. This method can be used for thinning paint for airbrush even those cheap craft paints you get at your craft store.

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Here are the things I use when thinning my paints:
Thinners:
Tools I use:

DISCLAIMER: This video is not sponsored. Some of the links are affiliate links in which I will receive a small commission.

[swagner]

You're the first person I've seen that gives a good benchmark for how much to thin. Most others say something like " thin to the right consistency", which for a noob like myself is next to useless. And I love those little medicine cups, I've used them for mixing resins and epoxies for years.

[chuckspoor]

Dude thank you so much for this video. At 43 and both of the kids out of the house, I have picked up building models again after 25 years! Having to buy most of the supplies and paint got expensive quick. I was wondering if I could use some of the craft paints for base coats and large surface areas, so I am so thankful I came across your video. Also thanks for being transparent and not editing your video, show your flaws and all. Those are things we can all learn from. SUBSCRIBED!! Keep up the good work

[willienelsoncash]

Thank you for this video!! The visual example with the coffee stir stick and the side of the cups was exactly what I needed! I'm wasted hrs with a inconsistent airbrush painting

[rickswizzle]

Sir, you are a great teacher. Extremely thorough without being boring.

[nethus]

Been watching videos all day trying to understand how to thin craft paints and this was easily the most helpful one yet!

[loco]

I have been painting model trains with craft acrylics with beautiful finishes. I put isopropyl alcohol into the paint cup first then ad the craft acrylics AFTER the alcohol so it doesn't glob up in the bottom of the cup and plug up my airbrush. It is pretty easy to do. Multiple light coats work well; don't try to cover the model with 1 coat. The tiny detail is preserved this way. I find 25 lbs pressure works well and I like a single action airbrush best because it is EASY to clean. I have not found a double action airbrush to be any better in painting models. It is very important to have a good primer or painted surface because craft acrylics don't adhere to plastic or metal well alone. I use 123 Zinser Bullseye and dilute it also with alcohol. I mix the paint and alcohol or primer with a small model paintbrush, rinsing it in a water. Alcohol dries quicker than water and a blow dryer speeds drying up if needed. Sometimes it is just better to let the model lay and air dry if you're having trouble. Metallic paints work better with water and congeal often with alcohol and plug the airbrush. I find the airbrush needs to be taken apart and cleaned about every 3rd paint batch or you start getting small bits of paint on the model that looks like dust but is paint that has acumulated in the airbrush. I use pipe cleaners, pieces of wire in varying sizes, and weed trimmer line to clean the airbrush nozzles. Weed trimmer line works well to clean the spout of the paintcup. These tips work well with "real" paint also like Rustoleum Ultra semigloss black for my locos. I have sprayed water based polyurethane also using alcohol for thinner. The finish looks like a commercial model paint job. With time, the primer and paint bond stronger and stronger to the model. A cleaning product at Dollar Tree called Awesome will clean the airbrush, paint cup and other parts. It strips paint off a model train like lottie's eye. It has eliminated my need for MEK and can be used on plastic. Great deal for $1.25

[UncleJessy]

Oh man this was fantastic as I’ve always had a huge guessing game when it comes to this. Also loving that printed stand for your airbrush

[EndofDarkEpiphanies]

Thanks man, I've never found a video that so perfect answered my questions before 10/10

[gloriianne]

Watching this 4hrs before my client comes in for her nail set 🤣🙌🏼 thank yooouuuu

[JessicaRocks]

SUPER HELPFUL!! I just got an airbrush on a whim to try on my painted rocks, and like a child with a new toy I just plowed into it assuming I'd paid enough attention when my nail tech used hers on my nails! I had to stop and start a lot the first time because of clogs, and realized yesterday that I probably needed to thin the craft paint further. This is exactly what I needed, creator to creator, huge THANK YOU!

[intothezombieapocalypse]

I just got an airbrush and this video seems more straight foreward than all the others ive seen.. ill give it a shot and let you know what I experienced!! great video!

[joslynjordan]

Thank you so much!! I'm a beginner and mixing in a separate cup made a world of difference. Kept getting clogs mixing in the airbrush cup and most tutorials teach you that way. I'm definitely not experienced enough to mix in airbrush.

[pacificcoastminiatures]

Just used this process this morning to thin down some blue-grey craft paint to spray through my airbrush and it worked so well! Thank you so much!

[frankschuler]

The method I have used for years is to simply add some acrylic floor polish to the paint to get to the consistency I need. The acrylic floor polish is almost as thin as water, it's crystal clear, it greatly improves flow and adhesion AND it adds strength to the paint. I use it with cheap craft paints, super thick Liquitex acrylics that come in tubes (that stuff is like toothpaste!) and any other acrylics I've used in the past that needed to be thinned. You can get a cheap floor polish called Quick Shine here in the U.S. at a lot of different places. It costs less than $10 for almost a quart.

[ug]

Thanks! Just got a new, portable airbrush and this info is so helpful!

[SomoneTookMyName]

Been using the craft paint for a very long time on models. Actually did a large Necron army in the stuff years ago. The metallic colors work amazingly well. I still have my small expensive paints and use them as well. But that craft paint is hard to beat when it comes to just going down to the craft store and picking through a vast collection of color options.

[purposelypoetic]

Great vid with straight forward info that saves money !

A caution when using thinner as a medium, it breaks down the paints binders which is why its used for cleaning our tools.

[SuperStaciejean]

This is probably the most informative video about this I've watched so far. I've been thinking about getting an airbrush machine for some time but I've just periodically been watching tip and tricks videos to get familiar with what they can do. thank you for this info.

[intothezombieapocalypse]

so i was finally able to use my cheapo amazon airbrush kit for my mordheim terrain and thinning the craft paint the way you showed in this video really helped!! i dont know why people say it cant be done. Thanks!!!

[johnkelley]

I had been wanting to know how to thin craft paints for airbrushing and you answered all of my questions. Thanks for sharing this information.