Warpaints Air: Smooth Basecoats Without an Airbrush
By The Army Painter: all you need for miniature painting | Published: 2026-10-13
Category: Guide pratiche
You don't need a compressor to get smooth basecoats from Warpaints Air. Learn how to brush-apply pre-thinned air paint with a repeatable five-step method.
Quick answer
Warpaints Air is pre-thinned for an airbrush, but you can brush it on successfully by adjusting your technique. Load less paint than with a standard acrylic, apply two or three thin layers rather than one thick coat, and let each layer dry before the next. Start with a mid-tone like Ionic Blue, then build up. If you need more control, a drop of regular Warpaints Fanatic on the palette lets you thicken the mix for detail work.
Why Warpaints Air behaves differently on a brush
Warpaints Air is formulated to flow through an airbrush without thinning, so it has a lower viscosity than a standard brush paint. On a brush, that means it runs into recesses more easily and can pool on flat surfaces if you overload the bristles. The advantage is that it levels well and leaves very little brush texture if you apply it in thin passes. Treat it as a glaze-like basecoat rather than a one-coat coverage paint.
Set up your brush and palette
Use a synthetic or sable brush with a fine point for control, and keep a second clean brush or paper towel nearby for wicking away excess. A wet palette helps slow drying, but because the paint is already thin, you may not need to add water. If the paint starts to feel tacky on the palette, add a tiny amount of water or acrylic medium rather than more paint.
Choose a starting colour for your basecoat
Mid-tones and slightly darker shades are more forgiving than very light or very dark colours because they show fewer streaks. Ionic Blue (Warpaints Air) is a good example of a mid-tone that covers well in two or three layers. If you need a darker brown base, Warpaints Fanatic: Oak Brown is a black reddish brown that can be used straight from the pot for areas where you want more opacity than an air paint provides.
Five steps to a smooth brushed basecoat
- Shake the bottle thoroughly: Warpaints Air bottles contain pre-loaded mixing balls. Shake for 30–60 seconds until you hear the balls rattle freely and the paint looks uniform. Common mistake: not shaking enough, which leaves pigment settled and gives a watery first layer. Checkpoint: the bottle should sound like a rattle, not a dull thud.
- Load the brush lightly: Dip only the lower third of the bristles into the paint, then drag the brush across the palette to remove excess. You want the brush to look damp, not dripping. Common mistake: filling the whole brush, which floods the miniature and creates tide marks. Checkpoint: touch the brush to a paper towel—it should leave a faint streak, not a puddle.
- Apply a thin first pass: Paint in one direction with light pressure, letting the paint flow from the brush rather than scrubbing it on. Work in small sections and overlap strokes slightly. Common mistake: going back over partially dried areas, which pulls up the layer underneath. Checkpoint: the first pass should look uneven and slightly translucent—that's normal.
- Let it dry completely: Wait until the surface is matte and no longer tacky before adding another layer. A hair dryer on a low, cool setting can speed this up. Common mistake: rushing the second coat while the first is still wet, which reactivates the paint and creates streaks. Checkpoint: gently touch a hidden area—if it feels cool or sticky, wait longer.
- Build up with two or three more layers: Repeat the light loading and thin application until you have even coverage. For a stronger basecoat on a dark primer, you can mix in a small amount of Warpaints Fanatic: Oak Brown or another standard acrylic to increase opacity. Common mistake: adding too much standard paint at once, which clogs the fine detail. Checkpoint: stop when the colour is solid but the miniature's detail is still crisp.
Product facts
- Warpaints Air: Ionic Blue: Airbrush-ready paint right from the bottle; no thinning required. Pre-loaded mixing balls. Developed in a Colour Triad System. You can skip the guesswork of thinning for an airbrush, and the mixing balls help keep the pigment consistent. For brush use, the pre-thinned consistency is already close to a glaze, so you may only need to adjust your loading technique.
- Warpaints Fanatic: Oak Brown: A black reddish brown that matches the Warpaint Air and Colour Primer of the same name. It’s the darkest tone from the “Ruddy Browns” Flexible Colour Triad and its Practical Colour Name is “Very Dark Reddish Brown”. This is a standard brush paint, not an air paint, so it gives you more opacity and control for basecoats where you want to cover quickly. It also matches other products in the same triad, making it easy to build a consistent scheme.
