Experimenting with Acrylic Pouring

One of the things I love about painting is that there are so many ways to do it. So many mediums, so many ways to apply paint, so many surfaces on which to apply it, and so many different ways to mix colors. One of my latest experiments has been with acrylic pouring. I’ve been happy with the results so far. I mean, for early attempts I think they’re good. But, as with any form of art, there’s a lot to learn and a long way to go before I’ll feel like I’m getting the hang of it.

If you aren’t familiar with acrylic pouring, it’s not as simple as pouring paint on a surface. You could do that, but the results will be messy and probably ugly. There’s technique involved and a lot of trial and error. But it’s not terribly complicated. 

Basically, it’s a mixture of acrylic paint, pouring medium, and occasionally a little something else like water or silicone. I was surprised to discover that it doesn’t take much paint. I figured something called ‘acrylic pouring’ meant pouring a lot of paint on the canvas. Even the initial videos I watched on YouTube made it look like a lot of paint. 

But that’s where the pouring medium comes in. It’s approximately 1/3 paint, 2/3 medium, so in the long run, it’s a reasonable amount and not nearly as expensive as I had anticipated. 

For my first two pours, I used a couple of ceramic tiles I had stuck away in a cabinet in the laundry room. I cleaned them up, let them dry completely, then set up a little pouring workspace. I used an aluminum cooking tray, approximately ten inches square, and raised the tiles by setting them on a small plastic cup. That kept them from sticking to the bottom of the tray after the pour and helped me from making too much of a mess.

Initially, I tried to be exact with my paint and medium measurements, but I quickly found that wasn’t working. I think my final pouring ratios were something like 1 part paint, four parts medium, and maybe 1 part water. I was trying to get the consistency to be fluid, but not runny, if that makes sense. Sort of like warm maple syrup. 

After mixing four colors, including white, in four small cups, I then poured a small amount of each into a single cup. I poured slowly and alternated so they would create layers in the cup. 

For the first tile, I turned it upside down and laid it over the top of the pouring cup, then flipped them both over and set them down on the plastic cup stand. Slowly, I lifted the pouring cup and allowed the mixture to ooze out. 

For the second tile, I simply poured it by hand to see how the effect would turn out. There’s definitely a difference in the end result between the two, and I’m curious how they will look when I use a larger canvas. I’m thinking of trying this with a 12″ x 12″ canvas panel. It’ll be extremely messy, but I think it could also turn out to be really cool.

If you’re interested in acrylic pouring, check out the many instructional videos on YouTube. Bear in mind that there are a variety of methods and opinions, so you’ll have to experiment like I am to see what works best for you and your style. 

RB