Behind-the-scenes Fluid Art Painting
Jun 26, 2024
Are you curious about fluid art painting (aka paint pouring)? If so, here is a behind-the-scenes look at my recent fluid art painting session.
One of my favorite painting techniques is fluid art painting. This method is messy, almost uncontrollable, abstract and above all FUN. I did some paint pour painting last week and took some photos to share the process with you. Here goes!
My pour painting space is set up on a table in a spare bedroom. It is protected all over from the splatters and drips that come with this style of painting. I wear an apron and gloves too. Clean up is soap and water so don't worry if you get paint on your skin like your nose, your ear, your leg. As I said, it's messy!
To start, I taped off the back of the canvas. This helps during the drying process. Before I did this, my paintings would stick to the surface they were drying on because paint gets on the bottom edges of the canvas. Taping the bottom helps avoid this especially if you wipe off the bottom while it’s still wet. Prying a dry painting off of a surface is not fun (I know from experience!).
Next, I picked paint out of my stash. I like pre-mixed fluid art paints – acrylic paint with a thin consistency. I have mixed pigments myself and it’s just easier to buy the pre-mixed stuff. I picked out some of my favorite colors. Color is crucial for this style of painting so it takes some thought. I often use a color wheel to pick my colors. More on that in a future blog post!
My canvas sits on some cups to hold it up off the Lazy Susan that I use to spin the canvas once it has paint on it. I don’t always spin, but when I do it is even more fun! The cups help the paint drip off the sides and not pool around the canvas. I have my spinner set up inside the cover of a big plastic container to try to keep the drips inside it like a tub.
Now the painting begins. I did two paintings in this session. One using a hair dryer to blow out the paint (called a Dutch Pour technique) and one using a ‘tilt the canvas to move the paint’ technique. I usually create multiple paintings in one session because it’s very quick. You have to move the paint before it starts to dry which is within about 15 minutes of it hitting the canvas. Even faster with the hair dryer (even on cool).
You can see here that there is a base coat of white. The orange tool is a heat gun that pops bubbles. Some use a torch, think Crème Brulee, but I’m not a fan of fire. Next, I poured the paint, layering it up and blew it around with the hair dryer. I love seeing the paint move and blend! I did give it a few spins on the Lazy Susan underneath the canvas to spread the paint out more evenly. As you can see, I have a problem leaving white space.. As much as I try, I always cover the painting with color. The finished piece is in the circle above.
I set that painting aside to dry and started a second one. This time I used the ‘puddle and tilt’ technique (probably not an official name). I used the same steps except for how I put the paint on the canvas and how I moved it around.
You can see here that it’s a crazy process. And I’m here to tell you there are thousands of hours of video on Youtube for techniques you can use for fluid art. You can stay abstract, or you can paint on top of the dried abstract painting and add some realistic elements. And on and on and on. Not all of my paintings are keepers but the process is always a joy! You can see some of my favorites right here on my website.
If you are inspired to try this out, you don’t need a lot to get started. Some paint of the right type, a safe space where you won’t spray the walls or floor with paint, and some canvases. Here are links to my top 5 artists to watch on Youtube. There are many more. I like to watch their demonstrations when I’m on the treadmill.
If you give it a try, or already have fluid art paintings, I'd love to see your work! Send me an email and we'll chat about this fun form of artistic expression.