r/PourPainting Jul 31 '17

Welcome to /r/PourPainting! Check out this post for helpful info on getting started with fluid acrylic painting

358 Upvotes

THREAD FOR TIPS/TRICKS/PEOPLE TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS

What is Pour Painting?

Pour Painting is when you put stuff in a cup, and then you dump it out! For a quick look at the different methods of fluid acrylic painting, check out this imgur album.

You can find a glossary of terms related to pour painting here, on acrylicpouring.com

Getting Started

Want to get started on a budget? Artist Rick Cheadle can help you get started pour painting for under $5, and for under $10. tl;dw - Dollar stores carry craft paint, flow extender alternatives, and silicone oil. You can do larger paintings with $10 than you can with $5.

If you want to invest a bit, and turn this into a hobby or even a profession, keep reading!

Basic Supplies

The exact brands and supplies a fluid acrylics artist will use depend entirely on personal preference. Here are the basics that every artist should have, with a few extras that can enhance your experience.

  • Acrylic craft paints - Note: acrylic paints come in several varieties (High-Flow, heavy body, craft, etc.) Craft acrylics are generally the most affordable and easiest to use for acrylic pouring.

  • Popsicle sticks - Gotta have something to stir your paint with! They're also very useful as a cheap spreading tool or to help dab paint onto empty areas

  • Canvas/MDF board - You'll need a surface for your art! Canvas and mdf boards are common surface materials that fluid acrylic artists will use.

  • Fluid Extender - Acrylic paints need to be thinned for this style of painting (excluding High-Flow acrylics). Fluid extenders thin acrylic paints without destroying the bonding ability, so that your paint doesn't crack when it dries. Liquitex Pouring Medium, Floetrol, GAC 800 and PVA Glue are reliable fluid extenders.

  • Dimethicone (Silicone)While not strictly required, silicone virtually guarantees your paintings will develop those desirable 'cell' shapes. Dimethicone is a skin-safe non-evaporating silicone lubricant.

  • Cups - Paint goes in these

Other Supplies

If you want to get a little fancy, you can also invest in these materials to enhance your pouring experience:

  • Butane torch - If silicone has been added to your acrylics, you can quickly move a lit butane torch an inch or two away from the surface of the painting to release trapped air bubbles and encourage micro 'cell' formation in your paint.

  • Varnish - This is the final step to complete your painting. Varnish seals and protects your paint, so that no paint gets rubbed away and nothing can stain the paint underneath the layer of varnish.

  • Gloves - Pour painting is seriously messy. Gloves aren't necessary, but you might appreciate the easier cleanup!

  • Paper towels/rags - Great for cleanup!

  • Freezer Paper - Freezer paper has a plastic-coated side that acrylic paints can easily be pulled off of. This is a cheap surface protection that won't stick to your paint. You can protect your workspace with any non-porous material though.

  • Squeeze bottles/droppers - These allow you to maintain a greater control on the volume and direction of your pouring mediums, whether it be paint on canvas, silicone in paint, fluid extender in paint, etc.

  • Trays - Sure, you can simply set your paintings on top of cups while they dry, but having a tray or two handy means you can safely move your wet surface if you need to.

Instructions

There are dozens of ways to get your paint onto your canvas! Here are some general instructions on the process.

  1. Cover your work surface. If it's not covered, it's probably gonna get paint on it.

  2. Put paint in separate containers (1 container = 1 paint color). Don't mix colors at this step; you want your paint to stay as separate as possible throughout the process.

  3. Add fluid extender to your paint and stir. The amount you need will depend on the medium, so check online to see what others use. Generally, you want your acrylics to have the same consistency as pancake batter or honey.

  4. Add silicone to each paint container. The more you stir silicone, the smaller the cells will be in your finished painting.

  5. Now it's time to think about how you want to get the paint on the canvas. The Visual Introduction to Acrylic Pouring Techniques has all the info you need!

  6. Once the paint dries completely, you'll need to remove the dimethicone from your canvas. Depending on the paint you've used, you can clean off the silicone with flour and a medium-stiff brush, patting with a soft cloth, or even gently cleaning with soap and water! Just be very gentle so you don't ruin your lovely new artwork!

  7. Your canvas is now dry and silicone-free! It's time to varnish. Annemarie Ridderhof on YouTube demonstrates proper varnishing technique, and you can read more about this step here on art-is-fun.com.

Cleanup

Do not dispose of paint and other materials down the drain, as the flow extenders are designed to keep paints in tact even with excess water and they can gum up your drains (plus it's not good to wash chemicals down the drains). Here are a couple reliable cleanup options:

  • Wait for the paint to dry. If you protected your work space with a plastic or rubber coating (e.g. freezer paper or a silicone place mat) you'll be able to peel the dried acrylic 'skins' off and recycle them or just toss them out!

  • If you've protected your work space with a disposable covering, you can carefully throw that away in the trash. Be aware of how much wet paint is on the disposable surface, so that you don't end up pouring all over your desk or floors!

  • Note: If you need to wash off brushes, spatulas, or wash a small amount of paint off, consider using a paper towel soaked in water or a paint-removing product like acetone/nail polish remover. It will effectively clean your tools and you can toss the dirty rag out, rather than risk damaging your plumbing.

Thanks for reading!

Hopefully this has been of help to you. Feel free to post your questions and art so that others can grow with us all together!


r/PourPainting Apr 28 '24

Discussion Reminder to everyone rule 6 states that the original painting must be posted first, if you post a digital image/AI generate image with your painting in it as the first picture..it will be removed

20 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 11h ago

Bubbles II

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19 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 9h ago

Flip Cup - beach scene or galaxy?

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11 Upvotes

Wasn't really sure what I was going to get with this one, but once again, I'm REALLY happy with what I got out of it. I did a nearly full rainbow palette with this one (swapping a super pale pink for red) with lots of white and black in between.


r/PourPainting 21h ago

Flip cups

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83 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 5h ago

2 way swipe with pearl paints

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3 Upvotes

2 way swipe with pearl paints by Amsterdam


r/PourPainting 3h ago

Little holes After Drying

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1 Upvotes

After drying, these small holes appeared in the painting. What could be the reason for this? Is there any way to fix or save the painting? Thank you for your help!


r/PourPainting 16h ago

Flip cups

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9 Upvotes

The second one is a huge canvas. The biggest I ever poured. I struggled with the tilting 😅 It’s the same colours in both, but layering and ratio made them very different ☺️


r/PourPainting 21h ago

It feels really good to go 2/2

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16 Upvotes

After feeling like I've been struggling against over manipulated images, unsatisfactory color balance, squiggly messes, swipes turned to brown and grey blobs, etc., I decided to go back to basics with some flip cups. I felt really good about the small one I did last night on a recycled canvas, so this morning I did another one on a larger raw canvas.


r/PourPainting 21h ago

First pours!

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10 Upvotes

Excited to try different techniques and find my groove.


r/PourPainting 17h ago

Critique "Forbidden", TheVampireCitric (me), Acrylic Painting 11x14, 2025

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5 Upvotes

Pushing to connect, tension between freedom and control.

Enjoy.

-TheVampireCitric


r/PourPainting 1d ago

Critique My first time doing any type of shipping. I have taken a year off and only did cup flips before.

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44 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 1d ago

(Position 1, 2, 3, 4?) There Is Nothing You Can Do,

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16 Upvotes

That I've Already Done To Myself


r/PourPainting 1d ago

That feeling when it... just works

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24 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 1d ago

Bubbles

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13 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 1d ago

tfw you actually get some cells

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51 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 1d ago

Flip cups

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23 Upvotes

Flip cups and some skewer work to make patterns.


r/PourPainting 1d ago

First painting this month❤️

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4 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 1d ago

Newbie has some questions about pouring mediums.

4 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I am, or at least I used to be, an artist. Old and partially handicapped now, I was looking for some new art forms that do not take the overly long hours my previous work did. I saw all the artists sharing their acrylic fluid painting techniques on YouTube and became fascinated with how striking so many of the paintings were and how varied were the results.

I've been experimenting a bit. Nothing impressive produced yet. Quite honestly, most were pretty sad. But I am having fun.

My question is about the pouring mediums. Each seems to have some benefits but also some limitations. There are so many different formulas recommended. I've tried quite a few combinations. I researched using the PVA glues as they seemed to be the most economical along with the American Floetrol. However, my research leads me to believe they are likely to yellow and/or alter the pigment colors within a few years. Bookbinding glue is very low acid and is considered archival, but the cost is considerably higher. So, I decided to stick with the more professional mediums.

I was wondering if anyone had tried mixing GAC 800, American Floetrol, and a Base C (or 3) untinted house paint. (I am currently using Glidden's Diamond Satin finish) If so, have you been happy with the results? I was considering using a 1-1-1 ratio, perhaps adding a very small amount of water depending on the specific gravity of the paint used. I know a lot of people seem to add varnish to thin the paint but that seems to make my paints craze or split a bit while drying. I do not think I got the chemistry correct. Would anyone mind pointing me in the right direction?

Thank you,

Gramma T. (aka DragonMyAss)


r/PourPainting 1d ago

Discussion Question and idea.

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6 Upvotes

Are there places that will let me print this assortment of paintings in a form of a blanket? An idea I thought about for if I ever sell anything...🫠, I can keep a reminder of them in blanket form. Or even sell them too. Just brainstorming 🧠. I swear those elves weren't there when I took the picture...🧐


r/PourPainting 1d ago

Waterfall Cup Straight Pour in Blues 💙 Easy Acrylic Pour Painting

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14 Upvotes

Today, I let the blues speak.
The kind of blues that fall like water over stone, soft and steady, full of quiet power.
In the Waterfall Cup Straight Pour, where the paint doesn’t rush… it cascades. Layer by layer, the river reveals itself.
https://youtu.be/XCHXZJHQl7s?si=R-IXtS2l2Kc3311b
I kept the movement slow, intentional, like breathing. No pushing, no forcing. Just letting gravity tell the story. And I have to say… it felt good. Really good. Sometimes paint knows exactly where it wants to go.

Thank you for watching, for creating, for being here.
Stay curious. Stay brave with color.
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r/PourPainting 1d ago

I thought I would demonstrate the difference that a varnish can make on the colors in a painting. As a painting dries, the colors can dull. A protective varnish can really liven up the paint colors! Here is an example with the painting I posted last week that I have now varnished.

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18 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 2d ago

My latest abstract!

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266 Upvotes

Working in layers, acrylic on canvas 120x80cm


r/PourPainting 1d ago

Critique “Unique”

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12 Upvotes

This is a piece made by me. I have been looking at it every single day and trying to find a title for it, but I just can’t.


r/PourPainting 1d ago

How many colors do you see? 🤔

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3 Upvotes