Acrylic Flow Painting
Fluid Art: How to Get Started with Acrylic Pouring & Make Psychedelic Abstract Paintings
Whether you call it fluid art, liquid art, or acrylic pouring, allowing pigment to run wild is the most gratifying experience imaginable. Acrylics with a thin consistency are utilized in this form of abstract painting to create psychedelic canvases. There are infinite ways to experiment with acrylic paints and several methods for combining them, making it possible to achieve so
Acrylic pouring isn’t difficult to begin, making it an ideal art form for people of all skill levels. You may go as simple or as complex as you like with so many methods to try. Fluid art, at its heart, allows you to learn a lot about materials while also allowing you to play around with color and technique.
THE RIGHT PAINT FOR ACRYLIC POURING
Consistency is the key to an excellent acrylic pour… of paint, that is. You’ll want to use fluid acrylics, which have a much thinner consistency than heavy body acrylics. You may still utilize thicker acrylics if you only have thinner ones on hand; just thin them with water.
Some people have had fantastic results with craft paints (Apple Barrel and Americana are two well-known brands), but if you want a artwork that will last, we recommend professional grade fluid acrylics. For their strong pigments and lightfastness, I use the excellent range from Riot Art & Craft.
POURING MEDIUMS
You’ll need to add something to make the consistency you want with fluid acrylics, which have a high viscosity. The type of pour you’re doing will determine what you add.
Water may be used to adjust the viscosity and pouring rate. Acrylic fluids don’t require much—if any—to be added; and for a coated pour, only a tiny amount in a 1:10 ratio should be used. Increasing the amount of water will also alter how well the paint adheres to your surface.
A great pouring medium is essential, as well. Atelier Pouring Medium is a common choice for its ability to produce uniform sheets and puddles while assisting drying. GAC 800 is another excellent pouring medium since it helps prevent fissures from forming. The cracks occur as a result of differences in drying rates between the bottom and top layers. One disadvantage of GAC 800 is that it can become somewhat hazy when dry, making it unsuitable for use as a clear topcoat. Floetrol is another pouring medium that works well without breaking the bank if you are looking to get started with less
Isopropyl alcohol can also be used to create strange circular cells when poured into a mold. When the rapid-drying alcohol tries to flee, isopropyl alcohol may be added to pours in a ratio of 2 parts pouring medium to one part acrylic and one part isopropyl alcohol for excellent outcomes.
Several individuals, for example, glue, silicone, and oils ranging from motor oil to coconut oil to use as pouring media. They may all produce interesting results but might reduce the longevity of your work since they may impact the paint’s properties.
SUPPLIES TO START POURING PAINT
Many individuals start off by painting on canvas. To get the best results, prepare your canvas with a coat of gesso to better support the paint’s weight. Prepared artist panels are frequently the most secure option because canvas can bow somewhat when overloaded, producing an uneven surface.
Cleanliness is also an important aspect of liquid art! Obviously, this is an artistic form that can get messy, so plastic tablecloths or carpet squares to prevent your table or floor from becoming colorful are essential. Other must-haves include clear plastic cups, squeeze bottles, and wood stirrers. palette knives will assist you in spreading and even
Acrylic Pouring Techniques
Experimentation is crucial, but two simple pouring methods will get you started on your own psychedelic masterpiece—straight pouring and dirty pouring. We’ll go deeper into what each of these ways entails, but whichever approach you choose, be sure to work on a level surface to obtain the best outcomes both while pouring and after leaving the painting to dry.
DIRTY POUR
With the dirty pour method, all of your paints are put into one cup before being poured over the panel or canvas. Consistency is key with this technique; if the paints are too runny, they will mix together in the cup and come out muddy. This technique won’t work well for wash pours because the colors are too faint.
To go even more off the beaten path, try a flip cup or a funnel pour. When it’s full of color, place your canvas on top of the container. Turn everything upside down and slowly raise the cup, allowing the colors to run over the surface. To perform a funnel pour, fill the pouring end of the funnel with paint first.
Acrylic pouring is a technique in which you can paint or paint directly onto the canvas. Then, with a tool such as a wet cloth, cling wrap, painting knives, or spatulas, swipe across the canvas to produce an interesting cell formation that separates the colors naturally into cell-like shapes.
STRAIGHT POUR
A straight pour is a technique of pouring color one layer at a time, as opposed to layering colors together. Pouring “puddles” of separate hues that are then manipulated to move across the surface as the canvas is tilted at various angles is one method.
DUTCH POUR
You may use the Dutch approach to paint on the canvas (also known as the air swipe technique). Then, using a hairdryer or other device, blow away the paint. This will allow you to make beautiful patterns and effects in a short amount of time.