Thin your paints.

A common beginner question is "How thin?" The answer is "It depends."

I use GW paints almost exclusivley. (I use some craft acrylics for terrain projects.)
GW paint is nearly ready out of the pot. I usually put a drop or two of water in a new pot, and add a drop if it starts to get thick. I also tend to grab some water with my brush to thin paint as I'm applying it to the mini.
You can use a palette or even a piece of paper to mix the paint while you're working.
I use computer paper to protect my table and fiddle with the paint while it's on the brush.



There is no magical formula, because different paints, even different colors from the same company, have different consistencies.

So start thin and work your way back up if the paint isn't covering well. You can always paint over a thin layer, but you can't take paint off unless you strip the mini, which is a bitch.

Glue.

I use three different types of glue.

Testors liquid plastic cement.



Testors Cement.

I use the goopy kind. Some prefer the stuff that comes in a squarish black bottle, but I find the applicator gets gummed up way too easy.
This stuff melts plastic and thus is perfect for cementing plastic to plastc. Not good for any other job. Just plastic to plastic.

Zap-A-Gap Zap Gel.



Zap Gel.

This is what I use to bond metal to metal, and metal to plastic. It's superglue in gel form, and is easier to work with than the regular superglues. Other brands of superglue gel work just fine, but I like Zap.

Elmer's white glue.





Simple Elmer's Glue All. Can be thinned with water and mixed with paint for terrain work. I use this for gluing basing materials a lot. Also handy for papercraft and gluing plastic to styrofoam, and styrofoam to paper or styrofoam.

These three glues cover most everything I need to glue together.

Imperial Fists

What have I been doing lately? I bought a Space Marines battleforce and am painting them up as Imperial Fists. A few WIP shots.