Cells are created by mixing acrylic paint with an additive like pouring medium (and optional silicone oil too) and pouring the mixture through a range of different techniques onto a surface.
How To Create Cells When Acrylic Pouring | Expert Tips and Tricks
Cells are created when you mix acrylic paint with additives and pour them onto a surface.
The best additives include, pouring medium and silicone oil. There’s a lot of secrets to getting the right mix, but it isn’t as hard as you think!
So let’s dive into how to create your dream cells in your artwork at home.
Firstly, why do cells form?
There are a lot of reasons why cells occur in acrylic pouring. One main reason is that cells develop from mixing acrylic paint with additives.
The additives have oil-like components which react with the water-base of acrylic paint. When the paint settles and bubbles rise to the surface, awesome cell patterns emerge.
A lot of people want to achieve the “best cells” and get very frustrated when they cannot create them.
Well…. let me tell you, you have come to the right place to learn! Not only will I tell you about how to get the best cells, but also, how to stop them if you don’t want them sometimes.
Cells are really popular in paint pouring because they make a unique pattern which you can not get with many other art forms.
Today we will be discussing:
- How cells are created
- How density affects acrylic cells
- How to get lots of big cells
- Acrylic Cell Recipe!
- Why are acrylic cells so popular
- Why some people avoid using silicone
- Alternatives to silicone oil
- Different pouring mediums and cells
- Techniques that create cells
- Which method is best for creating cells
- What kind of silicone should you use
- What causes cells in acrylic pouring
- What can be used as a substitute for silicone
- How to avoid creating cells
Acrylic pouring: What it is and how to get started
Crafting should be fun – and if there’s one craft that ticks all the boxes for being enjoyable, satisfying, creative and lots of fun, it’s acrylic pouring.
Not only are the results incredible, acrylic pouring is an ideal beginner’s craft; you don’t need any prior experience of doing other crafts and even though is uses paints, you don’t need to have tried acrylic painting before.
Best of all, there are no mistakes in acrylic paint pouring – whatever design you make, it will be a unique piece of art for your home. Fancy giving it a go? Keep reading for our acrylic pouring guide where we explain what is it, what you need to do it, acrylic pouring techniques and the best acrylic paint pouring kits to get you started.
What is acrylic pouring?
Every pour is a unique piece of artwork
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Acrylic pouring is also known as fluid art and liquid art. It’s a form of art that involves mixing different acrylic paint colours with a pouring medium and then pouring the paint directly on to a canvas without a brush. You then gently move the paint around by tilting the canvas in different directions to change the direction of where the paint flows.
This creates an abstract, one-of-a-kind, psychedelic, marbled painting where the colours merge and blend – it’s extremely satisfying and looks beautiful. Your artwork will dry with a high-gloss finish creating canvas art that will look extraordinary hung on your walls and makes an impressive handmade gift.
What you need for acrylic pouring
The main consideration for acrylic pouring is having enough space to do it – as when it come swirling the colours around on your canvas you’ll need to be able to move your arms, and of course all surfaces should be covered in case of falling paint drops.
When it comes to acrylic pouring tools and materials, you’ll need:
Acrylic paint and medium or pre-mixed pouring paints
You can use any acrylic paint you already have at home that comes in a bottle or tube but you’ll need to mix it with a medium like Liquitex Professional Pouring Medium this will make your paints more fluid so they pour smoothly. Some artists use PVA glue instead of a professional medium and this is something you could try. Or, you can purchase pre-mixed paints ready made for pouring to make the process quicker and easier.
Canvas
This will become your finished artwork – you don’t need to stick to an ordinary rectangle canvas, there are many options of shapes available but aim for a deep edge canvas as these are easier to hold when you tilt and pour.
Plastic cups
This is for pouring the paints. You’ll transfer the paint into the cups and then pour the paints directly into the canvas. You could also try a split cup.
Plastic sheeting
Cover your floor, table and any other surfaces that you don’t want paint to drip on.
Palette knife or spatula
This is required for when you’re mixing your paint and medium together to ensure you get a smooth blend.
Latex gloves
Paint and pouring is a messy combination! Wearing gloves also allow you to touch your artwork so you can physically move paint with your fingers for an interesting effect.
Silicone Oil (optional)
Adding a few drops of silicone oil into your acrylic paint mixture will give your finished art work a high-shone gloss making the colours pop. Purchase from an art store not a hardware store, as those brands can be too strong and sometimes toxic.
