Woodland scenics water - help needed

I had that problem too but found out that it was leaching into my ground work. If you seal the area with a latex polyurethane first the Woodland Scenics Realistic Water will then "stay put"

I have not seen the Magic Water product myself, but I suggest that you stay away from one part water parts. They do work just fine, but apparently, they take much longer to dry, so you'll have to keep them completely dust free somehow.

I  only used their "Realistic Water" for larger areas, as it does tend to shrink a little. Their "Water Effects" doesn't shrink as much, if at all, and may be the better option. There is also "EZ Water" but this has a tendency to form a mercury-style meniscus due to its thicker consistancy, and getting bubbles out of it quickly is rather difficult.

I tend to stick with plain old Acrylic Medium / Varnish nowadays, as it CAN be layered. I use Liquitex Mediums which are just brilliant. Their Gel Texture Medium is superb for water effects such as ripples, rapids and the like. Highly recommended products !!! Available at top quality artist supply shops AND (of course) on-line. It is a less expensive method to boot !!!

Thanks, that does help. What would you recommend for someone new to using resin - does Magic Water work well?

Welcome to my nightmares. I won't use this stuff again unless its just as a top coat. Its impossible to layer on and get any good depth with it. Try resin, then use this stuff as a top coat. Its finishing properties are great, but it just shrinks a lot when drying.