You don’t have to be a da Vinci, Rembrandt or a Picasso to enjoy acrylic paint pouring. While some people take this form of painting very seriously and sell their work, paint pouring is a fun and accessible art form popular with people of all ages. It’s an artistic endeavour the whole family can pursue.
Art is even more fun when the results look great. Acrylic paint pouring is no exception, which is why your choice of pouring paints and mediums is so important. An acrylic pouring medium changes the consistency of acrylic paint when they’re mixed together, allowing the paint to pour more fluidly. A high-quality medium will also enhance the paint's adhesive qualities on the surface, maintain the brilliance of the colours, and virtually eliminate cracking during the drying process.
With all this in mind, we highly recommend Liquitex pouring mediums, as they provide all of the benefits we’ve mentioned above. One thing you’ll notice when you check out our range is there is more than one medium to choose from. That’s because Liquitex has developed pouring mediums to achieve different finishes and effects. For example, their gloss medium gives you a high-sheen, wet-look finish. The matte medium doesn’t have the same high gloss sheen making it a good option for photographing your work without glare. Or there are mediums for special effects like Liquitex Iridescent Pouring medium which has a subtle shimmer and is a new innovation in acrylic pour painting. It is something of a bridge between increasingly popular acrylic paint pouring and the trend towards iridescent and metallic effects.
There’s basically a Liquitex pouring medium to achieve whatever finish you want. Of course, we’ll help you choose the right one. Once that’s sorted, it’s time to get pouring, and here are a few simple steps to help you:
- When using paint, mix about one tablespoon of paint to one cup of Liquitex Pouring Medium. If you are using ink, add approximately three to four drops of the Liquitex Acrylics Inks to one cup of the Liquitex Pouring Medium. Measurements may vary depending on what you’re using, so always read the label for individual instructions.
- Premix custom colours prior to adding the medium.
- Mix the colour and pouring medium with a palette knife. To prevent bubbles, stir slowly and gently and allow the paint to sit for 10 minutes after it is combined.
- Prop your surface upon a few plastic cups or on an old cooling rack - this will let the paint drip off the sides. The surface must be as flat as possible, so you might even want to invest in a spirit level to help you achieve this. You should always cover the surface of the table or bench underneath the painting.
- Pour the paint directly onto your surface. To move paint around and blend the colours, pick up the surface and tilt it in different directions. This will make the paint move around and eventually cover the surface.
- Pour as many colours as you like onto your artwork and further manipulate the paint by tilting the surface until you reach your desired outcome. Remember that paint may continue to move around slightly as it is drying, This reinforces why it is so important to have a perfectly level surface.
- Put the surface back down on the cups or drying rack and give it up to two days to dry.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. For example, some people use pipettes to create a brightly coloured dot effect. Or, you can continue to pour paint onto a dry painting to add more layers. And don’t forget that many of our Liquitex pouring mediums are also designed for more playful pouring. For advice on the best Liquitex mediums, paints and inks to use, get in touch with us and we’ll help you make a splash in the colourful world of paint pouring!