Acrylic Mediums; Gels & Pastes: Atelier Traditional Heavy Gel (Gloss)

This is a thick gel that can be used to add texture and gloss to artwork. It starts out milky white and dries clear.

The picture above is a close up of a test I made using a painting knife to spread the gel over a stretched canvas. I then dropped a small amount of FW Artists Acrylic Ink (white, turquoise) and then spread back and forth with the knife. 

I love this gel, you can see through the gel to the underpainting below and the canvas texture still. The image doesn't really show the gloss or the peaks created.  The only problem I have with this gel is that it is so glossy that I couldn't tell when it was dry. It was a few days before I got up the nerve to test and it was dry. 

Abstract Fluid Acrylic Pouring with ink on Textured Ground #2 - Untitled

After my last few acrylic ink paintings, I ordered more colours from Artifolk and this is the result.

Untitled - poured ink on 12x12x1/2 inch (30x30x1.3cm) stretched canvas textured with painting knife and Matisse Impasto Medium 

I just love the way Art Spectrum, Liquitex and FW inks work so well together. Whether you just tip the canvas or blow through a straw the inks make some great and unexpected patterns.

Abstract Fluid Acrylic Pouring with ink on Textured Ground - Untitled

I wanted to see how pouring ink over a textured ground would look. I textured the canvas with a painting knife and Matisse Impasto Medium (MM2).

Untitled - poured ink on 12x12x1/2 inch (30x30x1.3cm) stretched canvas textured with painting knife and Matisse Impasto Medium

I used the same technique and ink as my last painting.

Water was sprayed over canvas then artist acrylic Inks (Art Spectrum Pigmented ink (blue, green, turquoise & white) and Daler Rowney FW in (sun-up blue & genesis green) were poured in lines (I wanted the finished work to be portrait and I worked holding the canvas in the landscape position) and tipped from side to side. I kept doing this until I was happy with the look. I also brushed the sides  with a soft brush so the ink runs would mix roughly.

Abstract Fluid Acrylic Pouring with ink - Untitled

Untitled - poured ink on 12x24x1/2 inch (30x60x1.3cm) stretched canvas

Water was sprayed over canvas then artist acrylic Inks (Art Spectrum Pigmented ink (blue, green, turquoise & white) and Daler Rowney FW in (sun-up blue & genesis green) were poured in lines (I wanted the finished work to be portrait and I worked holding the canvas in the landscape position) and tipped from side to side. I kept doing this until I was happy with the look. I also brushed the sides  with a soft brush so the ink runs would mix roughly.

Abstract Fluid Acrylic Pouring on texture - Untitled

I wanted to try pouring paint onto a textured surface.

Untitled - poured paint on textured ground paint pre-mixed with mediums on 8x8x1/2 inch (20x20x1.3cm) stretched canvas

Texture paste was applied through a stencil. When dry some Golden Glass Bead Gel was applied in a few places and let dry.

Jo Sonja Flow Acrylics OR Matisse Flow (pre-mixed in pouring bottles with mediums) Ultra Blue, Turuoise (Pthalo Blue + Pthalo Green 1:1), Turquoise Lt (Turquoise + White), Opal, and Titanium White.

 

 

Fluid Acrylic Pouring Experiments with viscosity

I've been experimenting with a different viscosity of paint to achieve different effects with pouring. I spray water on the canvas or canvas panel for the paint to run squeeze the pre-mixed fluid paints and twist the canvas. Apply more paint and/or spray water. Also blowing through a straw to push paint around.

Photo1 very thin mix of paint on 4x4 inch (10x10 cm) canvas panels

Photo1 is a mix of Matisse Structure Paint (I didn't have these colours in a flow paint), Atelier Painting Medium, and water. Ratio of 1:1:2. I like this mix, but it is very runny. No 3 is over dried drops of gel.

I had a bit more trial and error using different mediums and mixes of water before I found a thicker version I liked.

Photo2 thin mix of paint on 4x4 inch (10x10 cm) canvas panels

Photo2 uses a mix of Jo Sonja OR Matisse Flow Acrylic, Matisse Varnish (MM7), Atelier Painting Medium, and water. Ratio of 5:2:3:2.

Each mix produces different flows and runs of paint.

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.