Acrylic Pour Painting, also known as Flow Painting, or Fluid Art started in the 1930s. Fluid Art can be defined as any form of art that uses free-flowing fluid paint. Originally the art produced was considered a “happy accident on canvas” and consisted of complex, fluid patterns and startling color effects, more psychedelic looking than a deliberate effort. In modern paint pouring, the techniques and colors used are more intentional and there are many ways artists pour their paints to get the effects they want.

The magic revolves around the consistency of the paint. The goal is to mix a smooth, thin, fluid consistency that can easily be manipulated on the canvas. You can thin your acrylics with a medium, water or a mix of the two. The ratio must be just right, or the paint will not hold its shape on the canvas. Many times, I have created a beautiful pour only to return the next morning to find that most of the design had shifted or moved and dripped off the side of the canvas, very frustrating!

Conflict between paints of different densities, the use of resistance additives and techniques used to manipulate the paint cause patterns to occur. Pleasing patterns that are usually abstract in nature are the end result. Instead of working with typical painting tools, such as brushes and palette knives, the colors are poured on the canvas and manipulated using various techniques. The result is unpredictable and gives each piece of art its own unique character. Depending on the technique used, such as blowing the paint with a dryer or tilting the canvas, a completely different work of art is created; no two are ever exactly alike!