A few years ago, before I got into traditional acrylic painting, I started watching video tutorials about acrylic paint pouring. Some of the methods of pouring the paint looked so cool that I just had to try them.
Let me tell you, it wasn’t nearly as easy as it looks. My first acrylic pour painting ended up looking like mud!
There are a few tricks that need to be used to make these paintings look great. I was using a homemade pouring medium, which isn’t ideal, but it was all I had at the time.
If you are going to try acrylic paint pouring, I suggest spending the money to get a proper pouring medium. I also suggest watching a few tutorials that will show you many of the little tricks the artists use to create awesome-looking designs.
I watched many tutorials before I attempted my second piece. Because I took the time to learn what to do and use the right pouring medium, I now know what I’m doing and my projects look pretty cool.
Today we are going to take a look at three of the best acrylic paint-pouring projects for beginners with a quick rundown on how to do each one. Let’s get started.
The Traditional Pour
Let’s start with the traditional pour, which tends to be the easiest for beginners. While you won’t get the crazy effects that you get with other pouring methods, your final product will still look pretty cool.
All you need for the traditional pour method are a canvas, paints, and a pouring medium. If you want to add some cells to the painting, you can also use a couple of drops of silicone oil.
You will need to mix the paint with the pouring medium according to the directions on the medium bottle. Each color you use will be mixed in a separate cup (I suggest you get a package of disposable cups, such as red Solo cups).
It is a good idea to use contrasting colors. That way they won’t all blend together and look muddy, like my first attempt looked.
Once you have all of the colors mixed, start pouring them onto the canvas, one at a time. Pour the paint in circles, lines, or any other shapes you like.
You don’t need to completely cover the canvas. In fact, it is better to leave some white areas. They will be covered during the final step.
When you have the colors on the canvas, you can begin tilting the canvas in different directions to move the paint around. Make sure that the paint moves into the corners, and covers the sides of the canvas.
Allow the piece to dry before adding a protective coat of varnish.
The Dirty Pour
The first time I heard the term, “dirty pour”, my mind went straight into the gutter! But, even though it is “dirty”, it isn’t that kind of dirty!
The dirty pour method involves pouring all of the colors out of a single cup. First, you will need to mix the colors in their own cups. If you want cells in your painting, add a few drops of silicone oil to each of the colors.
The next step is to put all of the colors into one cup. I suggest tilting the cup somewhat and pouring into the area that has the least amount of paint.
Doing this will help to prevent the colors from blending together in the cup. This is not what you want to achieve with this method.
Again, I recommend using contrasting light and dark colors that won’t blend together and look muddy.
Once you have the cup filled with layers of color, it’s time to start pouring. You can start anywhere on the canvas you wish.
Now you can start tilting the canvas to move the paint around until it covers the entire canvas, including the sides. Allow the painting to dry and finish with a coat or two of varnish.
The Puddle Pour
Last but not least we have the puddle pour technique. This involves mixing each color in its own cup, using the recommended amount of pouring medium for each color. Again, you can use a few drops of silicone oil if you want to create cells in your painting.
Once all of the colors are mixed, pour the color you want for the base onto the canvas first. Then, pour the next color on top of the first one.
Continue pouring each color on top of the previous color. You will notice that the paint will spread out and all of the colors will begin blending together.
Once you have poured all of the colors onto the canvas, it’s time to start tilting the canvas to move the colors around.
If you want to have a few center points, take a paintbrush handle and run it through some of the colors. Pull one color into the next one before you start tilting.
Once you have the paint poured and have made some tails (if you want to add the extra center points) you can start tilting the canvas.
3 Paint and Pour Tips and Tricks
Now I would like to share a few tips and tricks I have picked up over the past few years. These tips will help you to create some really interesting effects with acrylic pour projects.
#1. Tilt From Opposite Sides
When tilting the canvas, start by tilting toward one corner. Then, tilt towards the other corner. Keep doing this with all four corners.
I find that doing this makes things look a bit more even. I have a major obsession with keeping things balanced, so I find this helps.
#2. Always Varnish Your Paintings
It is important to varnish all of your acrylic pour paintings once the paint has dried. For one thing, acrylic paints can fade over time. Varnish will prevent this from happening.
Another reason to use varnish is to give your painting a glossy finish. You won’t have the same level of glossiness without a coat or two of varnish.
#3. Finish with Resin
An alternative to using varnish is to apply a couple of coats of resin over the top of your painting. Be sure to allow the resin to flow over to the sides of the painting so the entire canvas is covered.
This is going to create an almost rock-hard surface. Your painting will be nice and glossy, and nothing is ever going to damage it.
An added bonus is that it is loads of fun to play with resin. You may even find yourself enjoying a new hobby once you begin working with resin.
Conclusion
Acrylic paint and pour is so much fun. I just love getting messy sometimes. Don’t you? This is a great way to get messy and create something unique and beautiful.
This is a great way for anyone to create a masterpiece, even if they don’t know how to draw or paint. All you have to do is pour and let the colors mix to create some amazing-looking patterns.
Sari Green is a semi-professional artist and professional writer. She has been hosting paint & sip parties for the past couple of years, and truly enjoys helping other people to create their very own masterpieces. She loves to create, and you never know what she’s going to come up with next!