Thinning your paints
This is the fix nobody told us about for a year. Thick paint hides detail, dries gluey, and makes every other technique harder. Here's the ratio we settled on and how to tell when it's right.
Get a wet palette, or fake one
A shop-bought wet palette is worth it, but a takeaway lid, a folded paper towel and baking parchment does the same job. Your paint stays workable for an hour instead of two minutes, which is half the battle.
Start at one part water to two parts paint
Put the paint down first, then add water a drop at a time with the tip of your brush. It's much easier to thin further than to thicken back up.
Test it on your thumbnail, not the model
Right consistency looks like single cream: it flows off the brush in one smooth line and levels out with no ridge at the edge. If it beads up it's too thin. If it drags, add another drop.
Two thin coats, properly dry between
Thinned paint will look patchy on the first pass — that's normal, don't panic and load the brush. Let it dry fully, then go again. Two thin coats cover better than one thick one and keep every panel line visible.
Wipe the ferrule, keep the tip loaded
Paint creeping up into the metal is what ruins brushes. Pull the brush across the palette edge before each stroke so the belly is loaded and the base is clean.
Adjust by paint, not by rule
Whites and yellows need more coats and less water. Contrast and speed paints want almost none. The ratio is a starting point, and after a week your hand will know before your head does.