If you're new to acrylic pouring, maybe you are wondering how you should thin your acrylic paints so that they flow more easily on your canvas. Maybe you've even wondered if you can use water to thin acrylic paints. Well, here's everything you need to know!
I have also included some recommended products that you can use to thin your acrylic paints without worrying about issues like like paint crazing or flaking.
Thinning acrylic paint with water
Okay, let's talk about water... the most cheap and easy way to thin down your acrylic paints.
You'll see a ton of posts and videos on that internet that say that you should NOT thin down your acrylic paints with water, HOWEVER, this is not completely correct!
Yes, it is true that water can break the paint binders, the polymer that acts as a glue to hold the pigment particles together. Once the acrylic paint dries, the paint can crack or flake off your canvas, however, the amount of water you add, the way you add it to your paints, and the brand of paint that you use also matters.
You can actually get away with using water to thin acrylic paints as long as you follow the next 3 guidelines!
#1. Use High Quality Paints
High quality paints can be mixed with quite a bit of water before the binders start breaking down.
Some high quality paint brands (like Amsterdam, Winsor& Newton, Golden, and others) can be mixed with up to 30% water and others with up to 50%.
Golden Acrylics even did a study on their own paints and found that their paints could be thinned down with 100 parts of water to 1 part acrylic paint and still have no adhesion issues when applied on top of a gesso surface.
Of course, by adding that much water, the paint will turn more into a stain and will be no good for acrylic pouring.
However, Golden did find that a limited amount of their acrylic paints (like Raw Umber) had a little bit more sensitivity to water when thinned down to 1:20 and 1:100.
Therefore, Golden said the following, "We recommend using a minimum of 1 part GOLDEN Medium to 10 parts water to thin acrylics above a 1:20 ratio, or whenever more durability is needed. Doing so will increase film strength and lower sensitivity to both water and other GOLDEN Mediums and Varnishes".
So as you can see, as long as you are using a high quality acrylic paint, you can add a good amount of water to your paints to thin them down without any issue.
Just don't go overboard with the water!
#2. Be Careful About How Much Water You Add
Even if you use a high quality acrylic paint, you still have to be careful with the amount of water you add to the paint. It's not just because the binders can break if you use too much, but also because you might turn your acrylic paint into a wash rather than a pourable paint with a thicker film.
But as a general rule, higher quality paints can be mixed with up to 30%-50% water.
Always follow the recommendations for the paint brand that you are using. If not sure how much water you can use to thin that particular acrylic paint, contact the company and ask them directly.
#3. Mix Water Slowly & in Small Amounts
Yes, adding water slowly and in small amounts at a time to your acrylic paints can help prevent the paint binders from breaking. Think about your acrylic paints like bubble gum. Blowing your bubble gum slowly will theoretically enable you to blow a bigger bubble than blowing fast!
Same thing happens with acrylic paints. Adding water slowly and in small amounts at a time allows you to water down your paints quite a bit before your paint pigments break.
Why does this happen?
Well, when you pull a material suddenly, you are attempting to break the bonds (binder and pigment molecule bonds) that hold the material (paint) together by brute force. Pulling fast doesn't allow enough time for the molecules to re-arrange themselves as you try to pull them away from each other, so the bonds break where the force is applied.
In the case of acrylic paints, you might not think that adding water is a way of stretching the paint, however, the paint and binder molecules have to move around and rearrange as water is introduced. Therefore, if you add water too fast, those binder and pigment bonds will break!
So add water to your acrylic paints little by little, and mix thoroughly before adding more water.
Thinning acrylic paint with medium
The second way of thinning acrylic paint is with a medium. In the case of acrylic pouring, you need a pouring medium. This will help your paint flow better while keeping the adhesive properties of the paints intact.
In acrylic pouring, there are 3 different mediums that you can use for thinning acrylic paint: artistic quality medium, paint conditioner/extender, and glue.
1. Artistic Quality Medium
Artistic quality mediums are professionally formulated for artists to help them thin down acrylic paints without tampering with the paint's pigment bonds.
These professional polymer mediums give the paint pigments the adhesive property that they need to bind to the painting surface.
Not only can you use these mediums to thin acrylic paints but you can also use them to give your paints a different effect. You can make your paint sparkly by using an iridescent medium, glossy by using a gloss medium, matte by using a matte medium, more fluid by using a thinner consistency medium, more translucent, and more.
Artistic quality mediums are even made to prevent paint cracking and crazing, prevent yellowing, provide archivability qualities to your painting, and maintain the vibrancy of your paint colors.
Click here to learn more about the best pouring mediums and how to choose one.
So, if professional pouring mediums are so great, why would you want to use anything else?
Well, pouring mediums are AWESOME, but they are also quite expensive!!!
2. Paint Conditioner or Extender
Even though a paint conditioner or extender is not considered a pouring medium, it can be used for thinning acrylic paints. Since it is cheaper than professional medium and easily accessible, a lot of artists are using it for fluid painting.
The most popular paint conditioner or extender currently used by artists is Floetrol. This paint conditioner was made to thin down latex house paint to make it more fluid for paint sprayers or to reduce brush strokes.
In acrylic pouring, some artists use Floetrol by itself, while others mix it with a professional pouring medium or even glue. You can find some great pouring medium recipes using Floetrol right here.
Floetrol works great as a pouring medium, however, it doesn't have anti-cracking properties and will leave your painting with a matte finish after it dries. You will have to add a coat of varnish to your painting to bring back the shine and vibrancy.
Here are the best Floetrol substitutes.
3. Glue
Glue is also not considered a pouring medium, however, it's adhesive properties make it a great substitute for professional pouring medium.
On the internet you can find different pouring medium recipes that use glue. Some use glue and water, other use glue and Floetrol, and some artists even mix glue with professional medium.
- The one thing that makes glue so attractive to artists is the low cost. But keep in mind that glue can yellow over time and is not archivable, unless you use an archivable PVA glue with a neutral pH.
What should YOU use to thin your acrylic paints?
It all comes down to how much you want to spend, how many years you want your art to last, and what finish you want to achieve.
- If you want to spend the least amount of money possible and don't care about how long your art will last without deteriorating, then go for a paint conditioner/extender or glue. Check out these pouring medium recipes that use glue. Also check out this article for the best Floetrol substitutes.
- If price is not an issue, then choose a artistic quality pouring medium. It will make your art last longer, prevent crazing, and preserve the vibrancy and shine of your colors. Click here to learn more about the best pouring mediums and how to choose one.
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What's Next
Now that you know what is the best way to thinning acrylic paints, it's time to start painting!
If this is your first time paint pouring and would like to know what materials you need to get started, head over to my Paint Pouring Supplies for Beginners Ultimate Guide.
Also make sure you check out my post Acrylic Pouring for Beginners Terms, Definitions, and Pouring Basics.
And if you want to know how to choose great color combinations for your pour paintings, then head on over to my post about How to Choose Perfect Acrylic Pouring Color Combinations.
