Acrylic Pour Painting - Dirty Pour Technique

Create a beautiful piece of art for your wall with acrylic pour (also known as fluid painting.) This mesmerizing technique is done with acrylic ( water based) paints. You can use artist’s paints, craft paints or even house paints as long as they are water based. I used canvas, but you can use this technique on trays, table tops, cheese boards ....all kinds of things!

• Stretched canvas
• Acrylic paint (4-5 colors) I used Liquitex Light Blue & Titanium White, Americana Spa Blue & Lavender and FolkArt Metallic 14k Gold)
• Pouring Medium
• Disposable cups
• Mixing sticks
• Latex gloves
• Dropcloth

Select your paint and mix in disposable cups with craft sticks. The paint is thinned with water and mixed with pouring medium to make it flow better. The consistency of all the paints should be the same, and works best when it is like pouring syrup or honey. It should flow in a steady stream off the stick into the cup and leave a ribbon on the surface which will disappear in about 2-3 seconds. I used a mixing ratio of equal parts paint, water and flowing medium.

For this project, I used a 24" x 30" canvas. The total amount of paint used was about 28 ounces. For a smaller canvas such as 12" x 15", about 8 ounces of paint is enough.

This is a "dirty pour" technique. All of the paint colors are combined in layers in a large cup, which is then poured onto the canvas. To prepare the pouring cup, pour each color of paint into the center of the cup one at a time. It will look like a series of concentric circles from the top view as shown in the picture.

Set the canvas on the drop cloth. Paint the entire surface with a mixture of white paint and pouring medium. This will help the colored paint to flow over the canvas more easily. Apply the paint quickly. It does not need to be a smooth coat since it will be covered by colored paint later.

Pour the paint from your pouring cup onto the center of the canvas.

Pick up the canvas and tilt it in various directions to allow the paint to flow and stretch to cover the canvas and flow over the edges. The excess paint will drip onto the drop cloth. Move the canvas around until you are pleased with the pattern. Then set the canvas up on 4 upside down cups (one at each corner) so it is raised and flat to dry. It may take 1-2 days to dry.

Voila! You have created a unique, beautiful painting! Notice how the paint flows over the edges of the canvas?