It sounds like it's an issue with thinning and/or PSI, like most other people have suggested. It's all a matter of experimenting with what you've got at that moment.
One thing that I found extremely helpful in thinning my paints was using a medicine dropper (check your local pharmacy - the one that I work at will give you a dropper or oral syringe at no charge if you just ask for it) so that I could get a small, consistent amount of whatever I'm using as a thinner (these days, I just use Windex). I know roughly how much Windex to use for a certain size "glob" of paint, and I know that certain brands or colors will require more or less thinning before they can be used without completely mucking things up.