I prefer to use both artist and craft acrylics.
Acrylic Pour Painting
By Kylieeleanne Follow
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About: Multi faceted artist, petrol head, vinyl wrapping all the things. There is always room for Improvement and always something else you can learn. More About Kylieeleanne »
Hey guys, in this Instructable I will be walking you through how to create a beautiful abstract acrylic pour painting. If you’ve heard of acrylic pour or fluid painting, chances are you have found yourself deep inside the rabbit hole that is Youtube and Instagram pour videos. They are sooo satisfying to watch and the finished pieces can be somewhat intimidating. Worry not, because after this Instructable, you will see just how easy it is to achieve the same stunning results!
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Supplies
• Garbage bag or recycled newspaper to protect your work area
• Acrylic paints, whatever colours you want to use. (you can use artist acrylics like Heavy body Liquitex or Craft acrylics Like Folkart, I will explain the major differences between the two below.)
• Canvas- I’ll be using a 16inch x 20inch staple backed canvas
• White school glue mixed with water at a 1:1 ratio
• Pouring medium – I’ll be using Liquitex brand (Golden GAC800 and Floetrol also work)
Optional Supplies
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Step 1: WHAT DO THE GLUE, POUR MEDIUM AND SILICONE DO?
Glue + water mix – This mix is something I swear by, it cuts cost and brings the paints to a pourable consistency. The water is used solely for diluting the paints, while the glue acts to replace the binding agent that you just diluted out of the paint if you were to just add water your paints you would end up too runny.
Pouring medium – Pouring medium is a transparent acrylic paint additive that reduces ‘colour crazing’. It also helps in the creation of cells. It keeps each of the colours separate, without it you would end up with a muddy mess of colour that would honestly look rather sad. It extends the paint but will not thin it out.
Silicone – Silicone oil is used to create cells in pour painting. If you decide to use silicone oil in your piece, please note; before any protective topcoat is applied, the silicone HAS to be 100% removed, this can be a tedious process, I have never gotten 100% of the silicone off of any of my paintings partly due to the silicone soaking into the canvas itself, residual silicone keeps the topcoat or resin from sticking to the canvas, leaving a rough patchy appearance. Silicone is a great additive that creates intense cells but it doesn’t need to be used to achieve cells. In fact, a lot of pour painting artists swear against the use of silicone in their art. I personally still like to use silicone in my paintings.
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Pour Painting Supplies
Are you just diving into fluid art and wondering which pour painting supplies you need to be successful with this fun art? Or maybe you have been working with fluid techniques for a while and now looking to try new awesome supplies and ideas? In this article, I explain everything step-by-step and will also help you make environmentally friendly choices.
And in case you are new to my website, my name is Olga Soby. I’m a fluid artist, and on this website and my YouTube channel, I provide aspiring artists with tools and knowledge they can use to master acrylic pouring and make beautiful art. And I’m thrilled that you are here
So let’s talk about pour painting supplies! Here is what you’ll need to get started:
Acrylic Paint
I have tried, tested, and experimented with numerous paint brands over the past few years. And after all, I came to this “go-for” list of paints that are great quality, work beautifully for pouring techniques, and dry nicely.
One of my favorite brands is Studio Acrylics by Pebeo. Especially highlight Pebeo Iridescent Line – these colors look STUNNING when dry. Another brand that I love is Amsterdam – excellent color selection, and colors dry nicely. I love most of the rich colors by Winsor & Newton Galleria line, they work amazingly with most pouring recipes. I also like acrylics by Liquitex Basics .
What about pre-mixed pouring paint?
Premixed Pouring Paint is acrylic paint that is already mixed with pouring medium and is sold in a fluid state ready to be poured on the canvas (no extra mixing required). This type of paint is normally works well only for certain techniques and is significantly more expensive compared to buying regular paint and mixing it yourself. Therefore I think it’s a option is only good for those looking to give pouring a try without needing to mix your own colors.
What about house paint?
I do not use house paint for creating my paintings, therefore can’t provide any recommendations.
Pouring Medium
Pouring medium is a substance that we add to acrylic paint to reduce its viscosity and improve the flow, thus making it suitable for acrylic pouring techniques.
First, there are commercial pouring mediums designed by paint brands specifically for pouring techniques. There are so many available right now, I like one by Pebeo.
Next, there are pouring medium alternatives such as Floetrol and Glue-all (or PVA Glue). Those are not designed for acrylic pour painting, but they have been use d by the pouring community as a cheaper non-archival alternative to commercial mediums.
Last but not least is Water . Yes, you can totally use just water to make your paint more fluid. Just don’t add too much, as it can affect the binding properties of the paint and increase cracking.
Which one to use? There is definitely no right or wrong option here. And the choice depends on the technique and effect that you are trying to achieve. Think of it as different recipes for cake – ingredients depend on the type of cake that you’re going to make Keep in mind that you can totally combine different mediums in one recipe.
Check out the videos below to get an idea about techniques that I do with different pouring mediums:
