How to Store and Revive Dried-Out Miniature Paints
By The Army Painter: all you need for miniature painting | Published: 2026-10-13
Category: Tips & Care
Diagnose a dried or thick paint pot before you add water. Learn how to store acrylic paints, revive dried-out miniature paint, and know when to replace it.
Quick answer
If the paint is still soft and only thick, add a little water or acrylic medium and stir; it will usually come back. If it has formed a rubbery skin or a hard lump, revive dried-out miniature paint only by removing the solid part and mixing the usable paint underneath. For long-term storage, keep pots sealed, upright, and away from heat and direct sun so the paint does not dry out in the first place.
Check the pot before you add anything
Open the pot and look at the surface. A slight skin, a thick paste, or a separated layer of medium is normal and often fixable. A hard, cracked, or shrunken block that will not move when you press it is not. The difference matters because adding water to a fully cured lump will not turn it back into paint, and it can make the rest of the pot watery and weak.
- Soft and thick: add water or medium a drop at a time and stir.
- Skin on top: lift the skin out with a brush or toothpick, then stir the paint underneath.
- Hard lump: the pigment has cured; remove the lump and check the rest before use.
- Separated medium: shake or stir thoroughly before judging the paint.
How to revive dried-out miniature paint without ruining it
Add water in small amounts, not a pour. A few drops at a time, stirred with a clean brush handle or a small mixing tool, lets you stop before the paint becomes too thin. If the paint is still tacky but not hard, acrylic medium or a dedicated paint rejuvenator can restore body better than water alone. Water works for thinning thick paint, but it can reduce the binder if you add too much, so keep the ratio conservative.
- Work on a palette or a spare surface, not inside the pot, if the paint is very thick.
- Stir from the bottom up so the pigment and medium recombine evenly.
- Let it sit for a few minutes, then stir again before testing on a spare model.
- If the paint still feels gritty or dries chalky, it has lost too much binder.
How to store acrylic paints so they last
The main enemies are air, heat, and UV light. Keep lids fully closed and wipe the rim clean before sealing, because dried paint on the thread stops the lid from closing tight. Store pots upright in a cool, dark place, and avoid windowsills, radiators, and cold garages where temperatures swing. A simple drawer or a closed box is often better than an open rack in a sunny room.
- Seal the lid fully and check that no paint is trapped in the thread.
- Store upright so paint does not pool in the lid or run out.
- Keep away from direct sun, heaters, and freezing temperatures.
- Use a few drops of water on the palette, not in the pot, to keep working paint usable.
When to stop trying to fix a pot
If the paint has cured into a hard block, smells sour, or separates into a clear liquid and a solid lump that will not mix, replacement is the practical choice. Reviving a pot that far gone usually wastes time and can contaminate a good palette. For a small pot like a Fanatic colour, the cost of replacing it is often lower than the cost of a failed paint job.
Diagnosis: match the symptom to the fix
- Thick but soft paste: The paint moves when you stir it but holds a peak. Add water or acrylic medium a drop at a time and stir until it flows like fresh paint. Fixable. Test on a spare model before using it on a project.
- Skin or film on top: A rubbery layer has formed where the paint met the air. Lift the skin out, then stir the paint underneath. If the layer is thin, the rest is usually fine. Fixable if the paint below is still soft.
- Hard lump or crumbly block: The binder has cured. Water will not dissolve it. Remove the solid part and check whether any soft paint remains; if not, replace the pot. Not fixable. Replace rather than risk gritty paint on a model.
- Separated liquid and solid: Some separation is normal, especially in metallics. Stir thoroughly from the bottom. If it will not recombine after several minutes, the binder has failed. Stir first, then decide. Do not add water until you have tried mixing.
- Sour or mouldy smell: Contamination has set in. Do not use the pot on a model, and do not mix it with other paints. Discard. Clean the palette and brushes before continuing.
Products that fit this routine
- Colour Primer: Greenskin: Colour Primer: Greenskin is a fast-drying acrylic spray primer with a precision nozzle and a formula designed to leave miniature detail intact. A spray primer is not a paint pot, so it follows different storage rules: keep the can upright, out of direct sun, and within its recommended temperature range, and never try to revive a clogged nozzle by soaking the can.
- Warpaints Fanatic: Oak Brown: Warpaints Fanatic: Oak Brown is a black reddish brown and the darkest tone in the Ruddy Browns Flexible Colour Triad, matching the Warpaint Air and Colour Primer of the same name. A dark triad colour is a good test pot for reviving: if it mixes back to a smooth, even Very Dark Reddish Brown after adding water, the binder is probably still healthy.
- Warpaints Fanatic Metallic: Bright Gold: Warpaints Fanatic Metallic: Bright Gold uses a proprietary blend of aluminium and mica for coverage and sheen. Metallics can separate more visibly than flat colours. Stir rather than shake if the pot is thick, and add water sparingly so the metal flakes stay suspended and the sheen does not turn patchy.
