How To Make Psychedelic Fluid Art

Psychedelic Acrylic Art is an intriguing and often very beautiful kind of art. It can be created by simply using different colors and light to create an effect that is both visually appealing and mentally stimulating.

It doesn't matter what you call it, fluid art, liquid art, or acrylic pouring... this satisfying type of art can be done by anyone, even beginners. And with so many techniques, you can make fluid art as simple or complicated as you want. You'll have fun with it no matter your age!

Today we will be talking about a few techniques that can be used to create truly transfixing artwork that looks almost dream-like. Watch how the magical colors run wild and make abstract masterpieces. Let's learn these techniques and watch several videos that will help you understand how to create this beautiful, surreal and delightful art.

This art will also motivate you to reach and create an artwork that's inspiring and exceptional. So, lets start! 

What is Psychedelic Fluid Art?

Psychedelic Fluid Art or trippy fluid art is a term used to describe artwork that incorporates psychedelic or hallucinogenic elements into its creation. This type of art typically features bright colors, patterns and geometric shapes. It incorporates highly distorted or surreal visuals that evoke or convey a psychedelic experience. 

A psychedelic painting also consists of intense, vivid colors or swirling abstract patterns. To make your paintings even more trippy, you can use glow-in-the-dark acrylic paints, glow-in-the-dark powders, fluorescent acrylic paints, and neon acrylic paints. Funky swirling patters will also make your painting look even more psychedelic.

If you're looking to create some really eye-catching acrylic psychedelic art, you need to use bright colors and light patterns in your artwork to really stand out.

For example, try using neon colors on a black background to create interesting patterns and colors that pop.

Consider using more colors in your work. This will give your piece more depth and make it more interesting to look at. Just be careful how you layer your colors and make sure you have a thicker paint consistency so you avoid creating a muddy-looking painting.

Finally, add lots of texture to your painting. This will add more dimension and make your piece pop! 

Techniques for Pouring Psychedelic Fluid Art

Three basic pouring techniques is all you need to get started— the straight pour, flip cup, and funnel pour —to create your own psychedelic masterpiece. The important thing here is to use bright vivid colors for these types of pours along with trying to create some swirly or geometric patterns.

However, I will also share with you other techniques you can try to create some unique hallucinogenic art.

Straight Pour

If you are an acrylic pouring beginner, a straight pour using a dirty cup with bright and vivid colors is probably one of the simplest techniques you can try. Dirty straight pours are great because you never know what color combinations or patterns you are going to get. 

A dirty cup simply refers to any type of pour where all the paint colors are added in layers inside one single cup before they are poured onto the canvas. Consistency is key here - if the paints are too runny, they'll mix together in the cup and create a muddy result.

A straight pour is the technique you use to pour your dirty cup paint onto the canvas. All you do is pour the paint from your cup straight down onto the canvas. You can pour it all on one spot or move your hand to different areas of the canvas while the paint is pouring out.

If you want to create psychedelic art, you will probably want to pour your paint using swirly motions.

As you tilt the canvas at different angles, the colors will move and mix with each other creating unique patterns.

Make sure you're working on a level surface to get the best results, both when you pour the paint and when you it is in the process of drying.

If you'd like to be even more spontaneous, try using a flip cup or a funnel pour.

Flip Cup

With a flip cup, you'll need to put your canvas on top of the dirty cup (a cup layered with different colored paints). When you flip the whole thing upside down, slowly lift the cup so the colors spill over. Tilt your canvas around to spread the paint over the surface of the canvas.

Funnel Pour

For the funnel pour, first block the small end of the funnel while you fill it with layers of paint. Once you are ready, place the funnel over your canvas or panel and let the paint drizzle out as you move it around. Again, tilt your canvas in different directions so the whole surface of the canvas gets covered with paint.

Other Unique Techniques for Trippy Art

#1. Psychedelic Glow in the Dark Art

This is a tutorial that will teach you how to do a colorful and funky piece of art. This piece of art is based on the minions movie. A cool to do type of art for anyone with a childish spirit!

Pouring Medium: Floetrol

Colors Used: Sour Lemon and True-Silver from Colourarte,  Neon and Glow in the Dark Paints from FolkArt - Neon Orange, Neon Blue, Neon Purple, Neon Pink

Tools Used:
• Posca Pens • Black Artist Loft Paint • Sink strainer • Mod Podge

Canvas Size: 12 x 12 in

#2. Psychedelic Celltastic Fluid Art

This video tutorial shows how to create a super colorful painting with awesome cells. The artist achieves this unique pattern by using a toothpick and specific materials that react to each other to create amazing cells full of energy and beauty.

Pouring Medium: Floetrol

Colors Used:  Titanium white, Permanent Blue Violet, Quinacridone Rose, Permanent Red Violet, Azo Yellow Deep, Greenish Yellow and Phthalo Green all from Amsterdam, and Pebeo Iridescent Blue Green

Tools Used: Acrylic paints mixed with Pouring medium, ToothPick, Silicone Oil, Torch

Canvas Size: 8x16 inch MDF Primed Board

#3. Trippy Fluid Art 

Let's step into a magical world where everything glows. For this Acrylic Pouring Fluid Art video, the paints are poured under a blacklight.

Pouring Medium: No Floetrol, Water, or Mixing Medium

Colors Used:  Black, Neon Pink, Neon Orange, Neon Yellow, Neon Green, Neon Blue, and Plum craft paints

Tools Used: 5.5 oz snack cup

Canvas Size: 8x10 inch 

#4. Neon Galaxy Acrylic Pouring

The technique used in this pour is the open-cup technique. It uses neon colors poured under a black light. Do you see the Galaxy with all the cyberpunk/fluorescent colors? It is so beautiful. 

Pouring Medium:  10% Liquitex pouring medium 75%  Floetrol, 15% Water 

Colors Used:  Neon Pink, Neon Purple, Neon Red, Neon Green, Neon Blue

Additives Used: Silicone oil

Canvas Size: 12 x 12 inch

#5. Fluorescent Pink Dutch Pour Technique

This pink flame dutch pour with a wispy look is totally hallucinogenic under a black light. But it is also stunning under regular light. The edges came out so beautiful. 

Pouring Medium: Floetrol

Colors Used: White and Black from Artist's Loft, Fluorescent Red and Fluorescent Pink from Liquitex, DecoArt Metallic Shimmering Silver

Tools Used:  Silicone Mat, Silicone Wedge, Torch, Lights, Blow Dryer, Mini Blower, Metal Straws 

Canvas Size:  8 x 16 inch 

#6. The Black Hole technique - Acrylic fluid art painting

The paint is about making a small abstract artwork using the black hole technique. Acrylic paints are mixed with a little less water, so they are a little more viscous. You can easily do this technique. The end result is fascinating!

Pouring Medium: Floetrol

Colors Used: Black, Blue, Yellow, Bright Pink, Gray, Orange, Vermillion, Green, Pale Red, Cream

Tools Used:  Paints, Brush, Torch, Measuring Cup

Canvas Size:  Your Desired Size

#7. Dancing Dustpan Fluid Acrylic Pouring for Beginners

Dancing Dustpan Fluid Acrylic Pouring for beginners is creation of colorful paints which results majestic looking paint art!

Pouring Medium: Floetrol

Colors Used: White, Violet, Fluorescent Pink, Gray, Blue Gray

Tools Used:  Dust Pan, Torch, Cup, Spatula, Lazy Susan/Spinner

Tile Size:  4x4 inch coaster tiles

#8. FLUID ART MOUNTAINS

This beautiful art piece is all about fluid pour painting with colorful bright paints and later embellishing it with mountains.

Pouring Medium: No Pouring Medium or Floetrol

Colors Used: Pale Yellow, Fluorescent Pink, Fluorescent Green, Light Blue, Dark Blue, Fluorescent Orange (Apple Barrel or Craftsmart Craft Paints)

Tools Used:  Paint Pens, Sharpies, Tape, Canvas

Canvas Size:  8 x 16 inch 

#9. Psychedelic Spiral Funnel Pour 

This piece of art was created using a funnel moved around in small circular motions. The fluorescent/neon paints were poured on top of a black base and then the canvas was spun around to create an interesting Psychedelic spiral with some beautiful cells.

Pouring Medium: Floetrol

Colors Used: Neon Yellow, Neon Pink, Neon Orange, Neon Blue, Neon Green, Black

Tools Used:  Torch, Funnel, Paints, Canvas, Cups, Stick

Canvas Size:  Your desired size

#10. Fantastic Psychedelic Spiral Funnel Pour

Priscilla Batzell will show you how to do an exciting piece of artwork in the following video tutorial. All the paints for this piece were mixed with additives to help them flow more easily. The colors, patterns, and shapes created in this piece make it look absolutely crazy beautiful.

Pouring Medium: 2 parts GAC800 from "Golden" added into 8 parts of any acrylic paint color. Mix the paint and GAC thoroughly. Next, add some Floetrol  and Deco-Art pouring medium.

Colors Used: White, Black, Blue, Red, Arteza Orange, 24K DecoArt Americana Gold, Turquoise, Magenta, Yellow, Violet, Green Gold Colorshifting from Folkart, Prussian Blue, Colorshifting Turquoise,

Tools Used:  Paints, Canvas, Stick, Spatula, Plastic shovel

Canvas Size: 16" x 20" stretched canvas

#11. AMAZING TREE SWIPE FLUID ART

Here is a Tree Swipe using Acrylic paints and Floetrol with a bit of water. Mix with magnificent bright colors to create a magical painting.

Pouring Medium: 80 grams Floetrol, 30 grams of Water

Colors Used: Black, Titanium White, Neon Pink, Deep Magenta, Emerald Green, Old Gold, and Light Violet by Artist's Loft, Turquoise by Liquitex Basics, Ice Blue by DecoArt

Tools Used:  Paints, Canvas, Spatula, Piece of cardstock paper

Canvas Size: 16" x 20" stretched canvas

#12. Acrylic Pouring Technique for Abstract Psychedelic Art

This art piece uses a mix of neon colors that totally brighten it up. The result of the acrylic pour from BR Turner Art is astonishing!

Pouring Medium: Floetrol

Colors Used: White, Neon Pink, Neon orange, Neon Blue, Neon Green, Neon Violet, Neon yellow

Tools Used:  Paints, Canvas, Plastic cup  

Canvas Size:  16" x 20" stretched canvas

#13. The Trippy Hippy Dustpan Pour 

I really love a good dustpan pour. And this one looks like so much fun! This unique artwork by Sarah Mack truly looks hypnotic and hippy.

Pouring Medium: Floetrol

Colors Used: Orange, Red, Blue, Neon Blue, Dark Green, Neon Green, Violet, Yellow, Purple, Black, White

Tools Used:  Paints, Canvas, Plastic cups, Paint Brush, Dustpan, Stirring Sticks, Cardboard to Drag Paints Across Canvas

Canvas Size: 16" x 20" stretched canvas

#14. Hypnotic Acrylic Pour Using A Dustpan!

Here's another hypnotic fluid art piece by BR Turner Art. For this piece, he uses a dustpan and bright fluorescent paints. It's super fun to do and one of the best type of art!

Pouring Medium: Floetrol

Colors Used: White, Fluorescent Pink, Fluorescent Orange, Fluorescent Green, Fluorescent Yellow, Fluorescent Purple, Violet, Turquoise, Aqua Green, Gold

Tools Used:  Paints, Canvas, Plastic Cups, Torch, Dustpan, Stirring Sticks 

Canvas Size:  Any Size

#15. Dust Pan and Comb Art

Did you know that you can use a dust pan and a comb to create mind-blowing patterns and interesting lines? It's an easy technique used to create exciting pieces of art!

Pouring Medium: Floetrol

Colors Used: Amsterdam Titanium White, Oxide Black, Vallejo Primary Yellow, Vallejo Primary Magenta, Vallejo Primary Cyan

Tools Used:  Paints, Canvas, Plastic Cups, Funnel, Dustpan, Comb, Stirring Sticks 

Canvas Size:  8x10 inch

#17. Starfish Marble Technique

The swirling patterns created by the marble in this art is majestic to watch. Different vibrant colored paints are combined together to create a beautiful piece of artwork.

Pouring Medium: Elmer’s Glue-All

Colors Used: Fluorescent Pink, Cyanine Blue, Deep Yellow, Black, White from Liquitex Basics

Tools Used:  Paints, Canvas, Cup, Marbles, Tape, Torch, Spatula, Spinner

Canvas Size: Any size you desire

FAQs - People Also Asked: 

What are cells in abstract fluid acrylic art?

A special aspect of abstract fluid art is cell formation. As colors mix, some of them rise to the top while others sink to the bottom. This creates circle-like patterns called cells. Using a few drops of silicone oil in your paint mixes will enhance cell formation. The technique you use also matters. Cells are more easily created when using a blow dryer, the swiping technique, or a flip cup. No matter how you do it, the result is always mesmerizing. 

How Do You Get Big Gorgeous Cells in Fluid Art?

A difference in density between paint colors tends to create cells in acrylic pouring. Therefore using paints with different densities will greatly help in creating cells. Acrylic pouring can be done using a variety of techniques, but the number of cells and their size are largely determined by the density of the paints that are used. Some paint pigments are denser than others, so that affects how many cells appear and how big they are. Using silicone oil in your paint mixes is the best way of creating cells! As silicone rises to the top, it will bring with it other colors to the surface.

Final Say!

Psychedelic fluid art is enchanting to look at. Whether it is the colors that captivate our attention, the chaotic but unique shapes, or the swirling hypnotic patterns that make us want to keep on looking, it's no secret that we feel some kind of magic as we look at this type of art.

Creating psychedelic pour paintings will take you on a journey to a different world full of magical colors.

Which of these trippy, hippy, hypnotic, or psychedelic tutorials inspired you to create a new piece?