If you are a hobbyist or art enthusiast, then you have most probably heard of the term 'pouring acrylic paints’. But what's it all about? Acrylic pouring is a great art form that allows you to create almost any design you can think of.
At its most basic level, it is adding paint to water and then pouring it out onto your chosen surface, the process that acrylics were initially designed for.
So if you’re interested in learning the art of pouring, you’ve come to the right place. This article will take you through the basics of acrylic pouring and acrylic pouring techniques to help you start with pouring.
What is Acrylic Pouring?
Acrylic pouring is a technique of fluid painting used to create art as paints are poured on a canvas.
While some methods of acrylic pouring are simple and beginner-friendly, others are a little more complicated and require a little technical know-how.
The technique of acrylic pouring lets you put colors in the form of pools, puddles, and marble-like patterns. The pouring results give out a glossy and smooth finish to the paint as it is blemish-free and even. Acrylic pouring is popular among artists as it gives the chance to easily create dramatic and creative paintings.
What do I need for Pour Painting? (Acrylic Pouring Materials)
Before you start pouring, you’ll need acrylic paints, a pouring medium, and a pouring surface.
Here are some basic supplies you can collect:
- Acrylic Paints
- Cups
- Water
- Painting ground (like canvas)
- Paintbrush
We at Nova Color also offer professional-grade and high-quality acrylic paints that you can use to start your painting journey.
Basic Acrylic Pouring Techniques
For those of you who have never done an acrylic pour, it is actually easier than you might think.
If you do it right, you'll create a smooth, vibrant blend of color that can't be matched by mixing or brushing alone.
These pouring techniques are best for both beginner-level and veteran artists. So let’s see how to pour a seamless blend of colors — and make a beautiful painting in the process!
1. Traditional or “Clean” Pour
The clean pour, also known as traditional pour, is known to be the easiest acrylic pouring technique out there. Very few steps are involved in this technique:
- First, take all the colors you wish to use, and pour them into separate cups.
- Then, mix each one of these with the pouring medium and water.
- Take one color at a time, and keep pouring it on the canvas. You can control the flow and direction of colors to create a design.
- Once you’re done pouring all the colors, pick your canvas and tilt it to form the patterns you like. This will also ensure that the extra paint runs down and gives your canvas a smooth look.
Finally, you’ll have your piece of art! If you manage to get a knack for this technique, you’ll be able to use the following dirty pouring technique easily.
Note that in every pour, try to keep a thin paint layer on the canvas, or else the paint won’t dry quickly, and the finished painting will have cracks.
2. Dirty Pour Technique
The difference between traditional pour and dirty pour is that all the colors are put in one cup in the dirty pour.
The first step for this technique is to mix the colors with pouring medium in separate cups and then add the colors in different layers in a cup.
Then carefully pour the cup over your painting surface and move the canvas to spread the paint all over the painting ground evenly. You can also try different speeds of pouring to get different designs on the canvas.
After you have poured the paint and the design is ready, take the canvas in your hands and tilt it a little bit to remove the excess paint.
3. Flip Cup Technique
In the Flip Cup technique, you can create your dirty pour technique’s cup by following the steps, and then instead of pouring that on your canvas, flip the cup.
The instant overturn will allow the canvas to become your cup’s lid, and once all the paint is at the bottom, lift it so that the paint spreads on the canvas and flows evenly.
You can move the canvas while holding the cup to spread the paint all over the canvas and form the design you want.
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4. Puddle Pour Technique
In this technique, puddles of colors are poured on the canvas instead of pouring them randomly. These puddles are then expanded by pouring more colors right in the center of the puddle that you’ve created.
It is totally up to you to pour the color in large or small quantities. Pouring a small amount of colors will give you variations, while pouring in large amounts will give your canvas a pronounced look.
5. Infinity Pour Technique
A creation of Mixed Media Girl, who’s a YouTube Artist, the infinity pour technique resembles kiss pour. However, the colors in this technique overlap each other while creating fun effects and details.
For this technique, you need to prepare your paint in two or more cups and then pour it on your canvas while moving your hands in a circular motion and overlapping the colors from every cup. Finally, tilt the canvas to make sure the paint covers the entire canvas.
6. Two-cup Pour Technique
As the name suggests, this technique uses two cups for the painting.
First, glue a small cup inside the large cup and then fill the space between the two cups with the colors you wish to use. Then, fill the inner cup with one single color and pour the cup on the canvas.
This technique is slightly similar to the dirty pour technique.
Final Thoughts
Acrylic pour painting is a great way to express your art, whether on canvas, paper, or plastic. With the art of pouring, you can create unique artwork quickly and beautifully.
The benefit of acrylic pour painting over traditional painting is the lack of need for specific tools and materials while still being able to create beautiful pieces.
Remember: acrylic pouring works best with high-quality acrylic paints, so don’t forget to try Nova Color’s professional-grade line of acrylic paints, available in over 80 vibrant and rich colors.