When I was a beginner to acrylic pouring, I was overwhelmed because I didn't really know where to start. Well today I have for you 11 acrylic pouring techniques for beginners so you can start having some fun with fluid painting.
I also have a FREE Acrylic Pouring Cheat Sheet to help you get started even faster and with less confusion! Save money by finding out the basic supplies you need.
Now let's take a look at some beginner techniques.
Basic Techniques for Beginners
The next video from Arteza shows how to do 3 very basic beginner techniques. They are using Arteza's premixed ready to pour acrylic paints for easier painting.
- Flip Cup Technique. Pour your colors one at a time into a cup. Place the canvas on top of the cup. Then flip the canvas and cup at the same time so that the cup is now upside-down on top of the canvas. Slowly raise the cup from the canvas to release the paint. Tilt your canvas to spread the paint over the surface.
- Dirty Pour Technique. This technique is very similar to the flip cup. First, layer all of the colors into a cup, just as you did with the flip cup technique. Then begin pouring your paint onto your canvas. Finally tilt your canvas to spread the paint over the surface.
- Kiss Pour. Arteza names this last technique the tree ring, however, that looks more like a kiss pour to me. I guess they named it a tree ring because they slightly move their hands in circular motion. But to me, this is a kiss pour. To do a kiss pour, first layer different colors of paints into 2 different cups. Then place your cups next to each other, tilt them at an angle, and start pouring out your colors from both cups. The colors will touch each other as they are falling onto the canvas, hence the name "kiss pour".
- Straight Pour- A straight pour is the easiest beginner technique in my point of view. All you do is pour your mixed paints onto your canvas in whatever pattern you desire. Then you tilt your canvas to cover it's surface with paint.
- Puddle Pour- The puddle pour is a super easy technique as all you have to do is just pour you paints on top of each other in puddles. Then tilt your canvas to get rid of the excess paint and to cover the canvas' surface with paint.
- Tree Ring Pour- For the tree ring pour, layer your colors into a cup, then pour your colors onto your canvas while you are moving your hand in a slight circular motion. Then tilt your canvas to cover the surface with paint. FYI... If the paint is too thin, your rings will be very thin. I recommend that you make your paint mixtures a little bit thicker.
The next video tutorial by JEJE BigPicture also shows how to do a tree ring pour.
The pouring medium recipe used in the video above consists of 75% Floetrol, 15% Liquitex pouring medium, and 10% water.
He then mixed 1 part paint to 2 parts pouring medium to create his paint mixtures.
Splitting Paint Technique
This next technique by Tiktus Color Art is also not that hard for beginners since it's a slight modification of the dirty pour. Just layer your colors as you would for the dirty pour technique, put a popsicle stick on top of your cup, pour your paint onto your canvas, and tilt your canvas to spread the paint.
The popsicle stick on top of your cup will create a unique paint pattern.
Pour Painting with Funnel
Tiktus Color Art will show you how to do this easy pour painting with a funnel. You'll just have to layer your colors in a funnel instead of a cup. Then let the paint flow from the funnel onto your canvas in whatever pattern you desire. Not that hard, is it?
Funnel Ripple Pour
This technique has a slight modification of the regular pour painting with funnel technique mentioned above. You create the ripples in the painting by lifting the funnel up and down as you release the paint onto the canvas. Just watch how Olga Soby does it in the next video (minute 2:15).
Open Cup Technique
Watch Olga's previous video (minute 11:15) or the video down below to see the open cup technique. It's another simple technique for beginners.
Just place on top of your painting surface a cup that has an opening on the top and one on the bottom. Then layer your colors inside the cup. Lift your cup slightly every now and then (to let some paint out from the bottom of the cup) as you keep on layering colors inside your cup. Finally tilt your canvas to spread the paint on the whole surface.
Acrylic Swipe Technique
Again, Olga Soby comes to the rescue with this jaw-dropping swipe. She makes it super easy for beginners by using pre-mixed pouring paints by Artist Loft and 2 drops of silicone oil into each of her paints.
She used plain plastic wrap as her swiping tool, however, if you are a beginner, I recommend that you swipe with something that is more solid, like a piece of cardboard or acetate sheet.
Summary
Of course there are many different acrylic pouring techniques out there, however, these are the ones that I consider to be the easiest ones for beginners.
If you are still feeling nervous because you don't really know the basics of acrylic pouring, need help getting your paints mixed to the correct consistency, or just need someone to hold your hand as they teach you acrylic pouring step-by-step, then give my Acrylic Pouring for Beginners course a try!
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