Abstract Pouring using Liquitex Airbrush Medium - Untitled

An experiment into alternative mediums for pouring acrylics.

Untitled Acrylic paint pre-mixed with Liquitex Airbrush Medium on 8x8x1/2 inch (20x20x1.3cm) stretched canvas

Painted over a used canvas with some texture using Liquitex Airbrush Medium and some water mixed with Matisse Structure (Pthalo Green, Pthalo Blue, Matisse Indigo) & Jo Sonja Flow Acrylics (Smoked Pearl) - in squeeze bottles to a running consistency.

Close up Acrylic Pour using Liquitex Airbrush Medium & Water

Close up at right shows some of the ridges from the painting underneath and how the paints have flowed, mixed and cracked when dry.





Fluid Acrylic Pouring with Liquitex Pouring Medium (pre-mix method)

A few years ago I discovered a small section in a book - "pours". There are a number of ways of pouring acrylic paint and mediums to use. In essence "pours" or "pouring paint" is pouring fluid paint (either mixed with medium or into a clear medium) on a canvas and either manipulating the paint with tools OR manipulating the canvas for the colours to move creating fluid patterns. The same method is used to create "skins" but instead of the canvas a plastic or glass is used (something that the paint can be pulled off easily when dry).

After a little experimenting with mediums and paints I already had, I purchased some Liquitex Pouring Medium and I found pre-mixing colours with medium gave me the look I wanted.

both paintings use pre-mixed colours on 8x8x1/2 inch (20x20x1.3cm) stretched canvas. Left is the usual 12:1 (pouring medium to paint) mix and Right is 24:1 mix. The colours in the right painting are more transparent

Mixing the medium and paint:

Liquitex recommends 20ml paint to 250ml pouring medium. This is about 1:12, so I measure up the side of a squeeze bottle and mark off the 12th point and then a further 1 point (e.g. a mark at 12cm and 13cm measured from the bottom). Pour the medium in up to the bottom mark then paint till the top mark. Shake. Leave for bubbles to settle (10 minutes of so). 

More medium to paint ratio will create a more diffused look (see example on right above).

Requirements:

materials for fluid paint pours - Liquitex Pouring Medium, bottles for mixing medium & paint, canvas, tray to work over, tools to push pain around with, levels to check work area, paint, gloves

• Canvas or plastic (for skins) to pour onto
• Level Workspace (MUST be level or paint/medium mix will all slide to one end)
• A tray (optional - handy to lean over and catch drops)
• Wire rack (optional - if working on a small canvas something like a cake cooler is good to rest the canvas on)
• plastic or newspaper to cover workspace (I've used clear builders film available from hardware stores. When dry acrylic paint peels off quite easily)
• Bucket of water (optional - use to wash up. I wash  and dry my gloved hands before touching paint bottles again if I've got a lot of paint on them and before taking off the gloves)
• Old towel (cut up into smaller pieces) or paper towels (I prefer the towel)
• Gloves (I use cheap kitchen gloves from the supermarket - they are easy to take off, and you can wash them easily while still wearing them and re-use)
• I would suggest working outside, especially the first few times until you are familiar with how the paint/medium mix flows. It slides over the surface fast and is slippery so very easy to drop or splash.

Method:

1. Tape sides of canvas with masking tape (if you want nice clean edges).
2. Spread a thin layer of Liquitex pouring medium over the canvas (not necessary if making skins).
3. Pour colours from bottles over about three quarters of the canvas.
4. Spread colours around a little with a painting knife/old credit card. The more you spread the more the colours will mix. OPTIONAL
5. Tip the canvas for the colours to run.
6. Pour on more paint if desired.
7. Leave to dry on a LEVEL surface. (Depending on the thickness it can take 24 hours to dry.)

Notes on colours:

Start with analogous colours (colours close on the colour wheel). e.g. blue and green. yellow and red.

Use a white or a very light colour.

Use a dark, but only a little, e.g. if one of your colours is ultramarine, a tiny bit of indigo or prussian blue.