- Stretched canvas
- Acrylic paints
- Pouring medium
- Plastic cups
- Plastic bags or drop cloth
- Level
- Water
How to pour the perfect painting
Step 1: Prepare your work area. Pour painting is a messy business so you will want to protect your work surface and clothes before you begin. Place upturned plastic cups under the edges of the canvas so that it’s not resting on your surface. This allows the paint to flow over the sides and lets you easily pick up the painting to move it around as the paint settles. Make sure your canvas is level and adjust if necessary.
Step 2: Prepare your paint. In separate plastic cups, mix 3 paint colours of your choice with equal parts water and pouring medium until the consistency is fluid but still viscose. Do not mix too vigorously as this will result in air bubbles.
Step 3: Prepare your cups. The number of cups you need to cover your surface will depend on the size of the canvas you are working on. For a canvas that is 10 x 14 inches use two cups. In a clean plastic cup pour your 3 premixed paint colours in alternating layers until the cup is 2/3rds full. Do this for both cups.
Step 4: Place your cups on the canvas right side up, roughly where you want them to be. You want the paint to cover the most surface as possible, so it is good to space them evenly apart on the canvas. In a swift motion, as quickly as possible, flip both the cups over onto your canvas and leave them upturned. Do not move them once they have been flipped.
Step 5: Lift your cups and watch how the paint moves! You can pick up your canvas by the sides and gently tilt it to encourage the paint to run into specific areas or drip some more paint onto the surface to change the composition of the abstract image. Let your painting dry completely in a level dust-free area.
Tips :
A level work surface is essential to pour paintings.
Add a silicone spray to your paint mix to achieve more defined cells in your painting.
Clean up with soap and water.
