The Fox Den
Stay in the Know- Tips, Tricks, and Where to Find the Artist Locally
Clean vs Dirty Pours
Two of the most common styles of acrylic pouring techniques are clean and dirty pours. On the left is an example of a dirty pour. This is achieved by pouring layers of paint colors at varying quantities and speeds into a large cup. This is then poured directly onto the canvas to create unique patterns. In this illustration, the artist is using the tree ring pour method which is my personal favorite. A clean pour, as shown on the right, is when paint is applied one color at a time, directly onto the canvas and then tilted. There are unbelievably over 50 ways to pour paint to create original designs that stand out in dramatic or more subtle ways!
My Paint Pouring Recipe
The ingredients you need to make your own pouring paint are below. This is definitively a more cost effective method than buying pre-mixed versions and does save paint, but takes time to master!
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Pouring Medium (Flood Floetrol)
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Acrylic Paint (any brand!)
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Water, Cups, Stirring Sticks
The ratio of floetrol to paint is 2 to 1​.
So if you have 2/3 cups of floetrol, you want 1/3 cup of paint. I eyeball this in a plastic cup with lines that allow me to determine a start and stopping point for each layer. Water is added a few drops at a time to thin paint to the right consistency. Mix Mix Mix!
Stay Tuned for a video on this in action!
Pre-Mixed Paint
Paint pouring has become a popular art form and the benefit of that is you can now easily find premixed pouring paint at any local craft store! You can always make your own recipe, but I recommend starting with a premixed set to learn the craft and the general feel of the way colors build. When it comes to paint, it is ALL about consistency!!! It doesn't matter how many colors you use- as long as you get close to having all paints thinned evenly. By doing this, you have a better chance of all of your colors really popping in your final product!