6 Paint Pour Techniques to Try This Season
Have you ever wanted to create your own abstract painting — without the pressure of perfection? Acrylic paint pouring draws in tons of artists — newbies and professionals alike — and now you can try your hand at it too! If you’re looking for a unique, low-pressure way to express your creativity, paint pouring is the way to go. Learn all about the different paint pouring techniques here.
How Paint Pouring Works
Paint pouring relies on the organic mixing of paint to create a painting like no other. And, no two paint pours are ever alike — ever! Paint pouring is a beautiful painting style that combines science and art.
But how does paint pouring work, exactly? Painters pour fluid acrylic paints onto the surface of a canvas. Then, they allow the paint to ebb and flow across the board to create a one-of-a-kind abstract painting. Since the paint does most of the work for you, paint pouring allows for a low-pressure, fun, and calming creative process.
Benefits of Paint Pouring
There are many benefits to painting as a whole — from fine-tuning your motor skills to boosting memory and mood. With paint pouring, however, you can experience all of the pros of putting brush to canvas — and more.
Since you’re not feeling the pressure of creating a finely-tuned, perfectly aligned piece of art, this less-stress painting style can help put you in a relaxing meditative state. Art is supposed to be calming and fun. So, whether you’re experiencing painter’s block or are a beginner looking for a zen experience, acrylic paint pouring is sure to deliver!
Best Paint Pouring Techniques to Try
How many different ways can you mix paint and then pour it onto a canvas? There are dozens of methods, each creating their own brilliant effect when the painting is finished. Here are just a few of our favorite paint pouring techniques.
Puddle Pour
With puddle pouring, each paint color is individually mixed with a pouring medium. Afterward, each color is poured, one after the other, onto the center of a canvas. Once a deep puddle of paint has formed, the painter rotates, twists, and adjusts the canvas until the paint spills over the edges, creating an incredible infinity effect. Needless to say, this painting style can get a bit messy. So be sure to leave your favorite jean jacket at home!
Dirty Pour Flip Cup
An acrylic dirty pour technique requires each paint color to be thinned with a medium, stacked into a cup, and then poured onto the canvas. The design is controlled by how you pour and release the paint from the cup. Once the paint is applied, you can move, twist, and play with the canvas to manipulate your design before it dries.
Dirty pour flip cup is an easy paint pouring technique for beginners, and a really fun one to add your own twist to!
Flip Cup Acrylic Pour
Flip cup pouring is similar to the dirty pour, but instead of slowly spilling the paint, the full cup of paint is pressed to the surface of the canvas and then lifted in one swift, fluid motion. From there, you can play with and tilt the canvas until you reach your desired outcome.
Tree Ring Pour
In a tree ring technique, the paint colors are mixed and combined just like in the flip cup style. However, the final cup is poured out in a circular motion — from center to edge — until the entire canvas is covered. This style has a “tidier” effect, but manipulating the paint before allowing it to spill off the edges is still loads of fun.
String Pull Technique
String pulling usually involves a base layer of paint (or paints) before layering one or more strings across the canvas. There are many different techniques within the string pull method, but the most straightforward approach requires paint to be poured on top of the string.
The final outcome and pattern of a string pulled piece relies on two things; how the string is initially layered on top of the canvas and how it is pulled through the paint. The final results? A dynamic and mesmerizing piece.
Dutch Pour
Dutch acrylic pours rely on air-producing tools like hair dryers or canned air. This style starts very similarly to flip cup acrylic pours, but the final steps yield wild abstractions. With the right tool, you can push and lure the colors around the canvas for a smokey, watery finish.
Join a Paint Pour Event at Painting with a Twist
Ready to try your hand at one of these amazing acrylic pour paint techniques? Book a Paint Pour event at your local Painting with a Twist studio and dive deep into these fun and creative methods.
