Also referred to as flow art, acrylic pour painting is a style used by many artists and favored among art lovers. This method of painting highlights bright colors in unique smooth swirls in the form of fluid art. Artists have used acrylic pour painting to capture unique pieces. However, to get this painting style, one will need to alter acrylic paints with the help of a suitable acrylic pouring medium.
Using acrylic paint in its ordinary form or directly from the bottle will not create the effect you want. To get a good fluid art, you need to prep your acrylic paint, or the paint will end up cracking or splitting. Also, as an artist, you should know the acrylic pouring medium to be added, and this is what we will be explaining in this guide.
Table of Contents
What Is A Pouring Medium?
The pouring medium for acrylic paint is unusually a substance used to improve the quality of the paint so it can flow easily. The acrylic paint pouring medium enhances the flow of paint to enable artists to create unique fluid art. Many brands today make these acrylic pouring mediums, but they usually differ from each other. However, the results may be similar, especially if you know how to mix acrylic paint for pouring paint in the right proportion. Another thing we will point out is that they may have different names; for instance, some mediums may be called fluid painting pouring medium while another may refer to your as fluid painting, but they are simply the same thing.
What Does A Pouring Medium Do?
When you add pouring medium to acrylic paint, it will immediately transform its properties, making it more fluid for your art. Some people use water to thin their acrylic paint, so it is thinner and flowing quickly. However, the paint’s consistency will be affected. Water will not give the desired effect you want to create. It can even wash up the paint in the process, making the color dull.
A pouring medium, on the other hand, will even give you a more vibrant color. Acrylic pouring mediums will give your paint that smooth fluid form without tampering with the consistency of your color. This way, you can get that abstract and vibrant fluid flow art.
How To Use Pouring Medium
Before you begin the mixing process, you should have your color, pouring medium, and plenty of cups to work with. You don’t need to get a lot of things to pour acrylic for painting. However, you can still use other art tools like your palette knives or plastic straws to make your work easier. Now that you have your items set, here is how to pour mediums to your acrylic paint:
Select Colors and Start Mixing
You will need your cups handy, and the number will depend on the colors you want to work with. It should be one plastic cup for each paint color. Add only a tiny amount of acrylic paint inside the cup, preferably enough to cover the bottom of the cup. Then you can proceed to add your acrylic medium. The quantity will depend on the size of canvas you are painting on and the number of colors you are using. The standard measurement for this should be one part acrylic paint to three parts pouring medium. You will be applying more pouring medium to the paint to get the correct flow.
Combine Your Colors
Getting the right mixture is essential for all colors. After adding the medium, you can mix it correctly using your stirrer or a popsicle stick. Now, you can go on to the next step, which involves combining the colors. You will need another plastic cup for this, and then you can layer them on top of each other. You can also repeat the colors used before if you need to, making them stand out in your painting.
Apply Paint To Canvas
When you are done layering your acrylic paint, you can begin applying them to your canvas to create your fluid art. You can do this by placing the canvas facedown on top of the cup and then using your hand to support the upper facing part of the canvas. It will take a while, but you will see the paint flowing towards the canvas.
Apply Base Color To The Canvas
While you are still waiting for the paint to flow in the canvas, you can use the opportunity to apply Base color to the other parts of the canvas. This should either be white or black paint which should have already been mixed with the pouring medium. You can pour it over the canvas and spread the base color using your palette knife.
Spread Cup Across To Move Paint
By now, the paint should be flowing to the canvas. You can spread the cup across the canvas to start moving the paint. Another way to do this will be by directly spreading the paint across the surface by lifting the cup. You can also tilt the canvas so the paint flows entirely on the surface of the canvas. If you have the straw we mentioned earlier, you can also use it to move the paint around and lift the colors you intend to expose to create a unique design.
There are other methods you can use when pouring acrylic using a pouring medium. One popular method is the use of a dropper to make narrow pours vertically on a canvas. Artists love to try out new things, and with your acrylic, you can create magnificent art. There are many art accessories you can use when working with pouring mediums. They help to get the desired finishes for your art piece.
3 Best Pouring Medium For Acrylic Paint
Best means a lot of things to different people. The best pouring medium may vary depending on the artist’s preference. Also, the pouring medium brand and painting technique used by the artist will affect the choice. However, we will be looking at the top 3 pouring mediums that can conveniently fit into the “best” category.
Liquitex Pouring Medium
This pouring medium is one of the best-selling brands in the market today. Liquitex is known to make quality art supplies, and they have built a solid reputation over the years. As a trusted brand, it is only regular that the demand for their products is high, and that is why the Liquitex Pouring Medium is quite expensive. If you are ready to bear the cost, you know you are buying a quality pouring medium. If it goes beyond your budget, other similar products produce the same results.
Floetrol
Floetrol is also one of the best and is more affordable than Liquitex. If you are on a budget, this pouring medium also works fine. Floetrol is used most times as a paint extender for home painting projects. It thins paint quickly, especially the paints for spraying, but it has a longer drying time. However, when it dries eventually, it allows the paint to last longer and improves the consistency. If you are to choose between Liquitex and Floetrol, the two mediums are suitable. The choice of medium, however, will depend on the artist’s preference. Floetrol pouring medium works for beginners and intermediate-level artists. Many artists prefer to use it as a standalone all-purpose pouring medium. It can also be used combined with other mediums.
GAC800
The GAC800 is a product of Golden and also very similar to Liquitex in terms of its results. The difference between the two, however, is in their application. The GAC800 Golden Pouring Medium is used in a very high proportion compared to Liquitex. You will need to mix ten parts of this medium to one part acrylic paint. The pouring medium is reliable and will prevent your paint from cracking.
Conclusion
You should know that you are not limited to just Liquitex, Floetrol, or GAC800 pouring mediums. There are many other mediums you can use if you don’t want to use any of them.
If you are a newbie, we recommend starting your journey by experimenting with different mediums to find what works for you. You can even do a DIY pouring medium by mixing more than one medium to create a unique texture. Most mediums sold today are “all-purpose,” so it will still come out great when you mix in the right portion.
However, you shouldn’t use more than two pouring mediums when pouring acrylic. Instead, you can use an all-purpose medium combined with a more specific medium to get your desired result.
If you are new to using pouring mediums, we recommend you start with brands within your budget. Floetrol is one of the cheaper options, and if you are still on a learning path, it would be best to work with this product.
