Hi everyone,

It seems that some people dilute their basecoat paints with water first.

Is it best to dilute the Citadel Base paints or are those designed specifically to brush on with diluting first?

All Citadel paints are designed to work either way.

Two things to consider:
The idea is that base paints, or foundations as they used to be called, are designed to get better coverage over dark by having different pigments.

The reason you add water is to make I smoother rather than go further. If you use it straight you will find it tends to dry out quickly and is normally too thick to not obscure detail.

Note: we're not talking about huge dilutions, just enough to make it flow well.

Hope that helps

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QOTN: "Bronzed flesh is a terrible name, it should never be used for painting flesh or bronze" - at the local GW

Each paint is different from another, every single pot will need diluting a different amount. Some more than others for various reasons and some less.
I find diluting the paint with a medium (Lahmian Medium works!) really helps keep a consistent flow too.

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"That'll do it..."

Prettymuch what SMORG said.
I also sometimes thin them down as I find thick foundation paints sometimes clog up detail. But yeah, unless you are painting highly contrasting colours (blue over white for example) I would almost always water them down before using them.

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'Though my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior'
-John Newton

Also, when you paint and the lid is open for a long time, or if you forget to close the lid, you should add a small amount of water in the pot.