5 Do’s and Don’ts of Acrylic Pouring

Acrylic pouring is the new kid in the art world and everyone is keen on joining the trend. It’s beautiful, easy, and creates art that would almost be impossible with a brush and a pot of paint. However, although easy, there are a few ways you can really mess it up if you don’t take care.

Here are some do’s and don’ts of acrylic pouring. Follow them and you will have your hands a great piece of art.

What to Do

Do it in a Well-Ventilated Area

Excess of anything is bad, and since acrylic pouring is all about using a large amount of paint with little mixing medium, it tends to make up a heady combination which will guaranteed give you a headache. Do it in a well ventilated area. Of course, it does not mean that you should do acrylic pouring out in the open (and you will know why soon), but have the windows open, the exhaust fan on, or use an air purifier like the GermGuardian that has 3 stage filtration and can remove the strong smell. Above all just ensure there is fresh airflow while you work with acrylic paints.

Use a Clean Space

If one Googles botched acrylic pours, a messy, unappealing and often visually horrifying series of pictures show up with messy and disgusting acrylic pours. This is because it is very easy for dust, dirt, and hair (people with hair fall, beware) to find solace in the beautiful layers and cells of your acrylic pours, settling in there forever. Make sure your space is clean once you start your acrylic pour to avoid that!

Use Silicone Oil

This, by far, has proven to be one of the best, if not the best, mixing medium in acrylic pours. It is the perfect density of oil one should put into their acrylic paints to create acrylic pours. With only a few drops, this mixing medium wins the game by creating gorgeous and long lasting acrylic pours that artists dream of. You can either find silicone oil concoctions in hardware/automobile maintenance stores, or can purchase treadmill belt oil, which is a 100% pure silicone oil.

What to Avoid

Water as a Mixing Medium

This is not exactly wrong, per se, but just pointless. When one thinks of acrylic pouring, large, beautifully abstract and artistic cells of paint come to mind. Well water doesn’t do that. It just thins your paint which is probably good if you are going for a marbling effect but otherwise, not so much.

Also, water is not long lasting. Your art WILL chip off eventually. Just saying. If you want to learn more about pouring mediums, acrylicpouring.com is good resource to get started.

Low Quality Oils

Oils are a popular mixing medium in art. Acrylic pours are no stranger to this. However, some oils are heavy and greasy and some are easier to mix in. Coconut oil, baby oil, cooking oil and olive oil are examples of greasy oils that end up making your acrylic pour a cholesterol ridden mess (pun intended).

Relying on Blow Torch

Cells can also be created with a blow torch and it is a helpful tool for moving the paint on the surface smoothly while locking it into place. However, it is not a tool for everyone. Not only is it extremely hazardous, but also very tricky, and can end up creating fumes that might make you sick.