How to prepare canvas for acrylic pouring [step by step] - Fluid Art Projects (2023)

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How to prepare canvas for acrylic pouring [step by step] - Fluid Art Projects? ›

You'll need to get your canvas or panel prepared ready for creating your poured acrylic painting. Almost any surface primed for acrylic painting will be suitable for pouring – whether you choose traditional stretched canvas, canvas boards or painting panels is up to you.

You'll need to get your canvas or panel prepared ready for creating your poured acrylic painting. Almost any surface primed for acrylic painting will be suitable for pouring – whether you choose traditional stretched canvas, canvas boards or painting panels is up to you.

Prepare pouring surfaces

A small tip is to apply a coat of gesso (an acrylic primer if using an unprimed canvas) to your canvas to make it easier for the paint to adhere. Each application of gesso takes about 45 minutes to dry, so start this project ahead of time.

However tempting it might be to simply put brush to canvas when you're feeling inspired, if you want your oil or acrylic paintings to look their best and stand the test of time, priming your surface is a must.

Gesso is very similar to white acrylic paint, only thinner. It dries hard, making the surface more stiff. Gesso prepares (or "primes") the surface for painting, making the surface slightly textured and ready to accept acrylic paint. Without gesso, the paint would soak into the weave of the canvas.

Underpainting with red color has many advantages in painting, and especially in oil painting. I always start by painting the canvas in red. Having a red background, especially when you paint with oil, makes it easier and more convenient. The main reason is that you gain a lot of time when painting like that.

The most popular surfaces for painting with acrylics are canvas, wood, or paper. But once primed with gesso, acrylics can be painted on almost any surface, such as fabric, clay, or even your old vinyl records!

Paint. You will want a good white such as Artist Loft Titanium White as your pouring medium to paint, but for all other colors, you can go with inexpensive brands like FolkArt, Sargent, DecoArt, Craft Smart, or Basics by Liquitex, so you do not need to care about how much paint you are using (or wasting).

How many layers does it take to prime a canvas? ›

You can apply as many coats of primer as you like, but most people choose to apply 2 for a smoother texture. Just 1 coat of gesso will give your canvas a relatively rougher finish.

Some common alternatives to gesso include white paint, primer, or even clear packing tape. In general, gesso is the best option for priming a canvas because it provides the smoothest surface and gives your painting the most professional appearance.

As a general rule, you can start by adding approximately 10-20% floetrol to your acrylic paint and then adjusting the amount as needed to achieve the desired consistency, however most recipes call for 1 part floetrol as a starting point up to 2 parts floetrol for every part of paint.

Liquitex Pouring Medium

Both our top recommendation and top-of-the-line, Liquitex's pouring medium is a silky-smooth substance that enhances the flow of acrylic paint without diluting it or affecting its color. You can achieve beautiful sheets and even puddles with this medium, which won't split or crack as it dries.

Acrylic pouring (also known as fluid art or Dutch Pouring) is a process that involves pouring diluted acrylic paint onto a surface to create an abstract design.

Elmer's Glue is probably going to be your cheapest Floetrol substitute option, other than water. If you dilute your glue with a little bit of water, you will get a similar pouring consistency as Floetrol. Your painting will dry to a matte finish when using Elmer's Glue-all (very similarly to Floetrol).

Crazing happens when the top layer of the acrylic pour painting dries faster than the underlying layer which is still wet. When this happens the top layer of the acrylic film will form a skin as it hardens and continues to stretch, and if it hardens too fast it will break.

Try to paint from dark to light.

Firstly, (and this should probably be its own rule) shadows should be lean applications of paint. Many times you see shadows or darkness in paintings and it looks like an oil spill. The classic technique demonstrates that shadows should be applied as thinly as they are in reality.

Beginning a painting with a ground color in place helps speed up the painting process. Having the white canvas all covered from the start somehow makes the painting process less intimidating. Coloring a canvas ensures the painting's mid-tone is established from the start.

The first step in the underpainting process is to choose a color. As mentioned, underpainting is most effective when painted in monochromatic tones. Many artists use darker tones, such as burnt sienna, raw umber, or ultramarine blue to achieve the most significant effect.

Can I use Mod Podge instead of gesso? ›

Can you use Modge podge instead of gesso? Contrary to popular belief, you should not use Modge podge instead of Gesso. Modge podge is a sealer as well as sticky adhesive.

What you can do if you want to prime your canvas is paint it white, or add a coat of Mod Podge over the canvas. Then you can paint on top with ease.

Gesso is the same as a primer, as in 'pre-primed canvas'. It is made from a combination of paint pigment, chalk and binder. Traditional Oil 'glue gesso' was made with an animal glue binder, usually rabbit-skin glue, chalk, and white pigment, usually Titanium white.

The gesso is the first layer, then a tone layer is often advised. This is a light wash that sets the tone for the rest of the painting. Even if you paint fully opaque above it, some of the warmth (or coolness, if you go a bluer wash) will bleed through and affect the atmosphere.

Answer: When you buy a stretched canvas from a store, it's usually already primed, so you don't need to apply any extra gesso.

Pour the heaviest colour in the cup first then add each subsequently lighter and lighter colours. This is why you see a lot of white done first: it's very dense and therefore will sink down through your lighter colours. Pictured here are the same three paints layered in two different orders.

Pouring paint is an acrylic-based paint mixed with a pouring medium. A medium is added to thicken the paint's consistency, making it suitable for pouring. By pouring or tipping the paint onto a surface, the colours melt together to create stunning marble and drip-like effects.

If you're new to oil painting, though, stick with 2 gesso layers until you've become comfortable priming canvases. Remember to let the canvas dry for 2–3 hours after applying each layer, and to sand down the layer before applying any more gesso or before painting.

Canvases need to be “primed” before you start painting, which is when you apply a layer of material that creates a smooth barrier between the canvas and paint. Priming makes it easier for the canvas to grip paint, keep the pigments bright, and stay rigid and usable as it gets wet.

What you can do if you want to prime your canvas is paint it white, or add a coat of Mod Podge over the canvas. Then you can paint on top with ease.

Can you do acrylic pours with just paint and water? ›

You can create some stunning paintings just using acrylic paint and water so definitely give this a tray. You may not get cells but you can get some other interesting effects.

A ratio of 2 parts pouring medium to one part acrylic and one part isopropyl alcohol will give great results. There are also quite a number of people who use glue, silicon, and oils ranging from motor oil to coconut oil to either create cells or serve as pouring mediums.

NOTE: The amount of Floetrol added will not change the color or sheen of flat or semi-gloss latex or acrylic paint. Floetrol may reduce the sheen in gloss paints.