For the many people starting out in this trending art form, we have a visual chart for most of the materials needed. We also have a check list which you can print out and a short description on the materials needed.
The following check list is a more comprehensive and easy tool to check that you have most of the basic supplies to start acrylic pouring.
ACRYLIC PAINTS
There are so many types and brands of acrylic paints, one has to experiment to see what best works for them. The cheapest are the craft paints and one starting out paint pouring with a budget might wish to use these to try out the different styles of paint pours.
Craft paints may or may not give the desired results. Obviously artists paints are better quality but much more expensive. Some artists even use house paint and they get excellent results. Experiment until you find what gives you the results you are happy with.
BRUSHES
Although acrylic paint pouring is not done with paint brushes, it is still advisable to have some at hand. You might need them for touch ups, for the edges or even for embellishments. Always wash with soap and water immediately after use.
CUPS
Cups are a must have in acrylic pouring. Cups with paint and cups for layering the different colours in. Plastic cups can be washed and reused. If washed immediately, the paint is easily cleaned. If you did not wash the cups after use, just let them dry well and peel off the paint.
GLOVES
Gloves might come useful to avoid messy hands although some do not mind the mess at all. It is important though to wear gloves when varnishing to avoid leaving oily fingerprints on the painting. If you leave a bucket of water nearby, you can also rinse the gloves and be able to use them again.
LEVEL TOOL
A level tool is a must have tool in acrylic paint pouring. Always check that your canvas is level, otherwise the paint will slide and slip off the canvas ruining any composition you had achieved. Even a slight angle might lead to paint moving within the first few hours. After a couple of days the paint will be stable enough and should not move any more.
MASKING TAPE
Masking tape comes in useful to keep the back of the canvas clean. Some artists prefer not to mask the back. I tape the back and also use the plastic that the canvas is wrapped in to cover the back. Once the painting is varnished and dry, I remove it all.
MEASURING CUP
One can use a measuring cup especially to measure out the exact amounts to make up a pouring medium recipe.
PAPER TOWELS
The obvious use of paper towels is to wipe hands or to wipe off paint. There is another important use of paper towels. Several paint pouring artists use them to swipe with. You can check out this technique in several videos on YouTube.
PLASTIC SHEETING
Be careful to cover surfaces especially table tops, carpets and wooden flooring. Acrylic paint can be easily wiped off plastic sheeting but not so easy to be cleaned off carpets. Try to use the thick sheeting so that it can be cleaned and used again.
PLASTIC SQUEEZE BOTTLES
Plastic squeeze bottles or glass jars with lids can be used to store paint mixed with pouring medium. When stored airtight, acrylic paint will not dry.
POURING MEDIUM
Most acrylic paint pouring artists add a pouring medium to the acrylic paint. Floetrol, PVA glue, GAC800 and Liquitex Pouring Medium are the most popular. Many pouring medium recipes are made up with one or more of these mediums.
PUSH PINS
Push pins can be useful to elevate the canvas from the top you are working on. These leave a space where the paint can drip off the canvas. Make sure that the canvas is level before pouring.
SILICONE OIL
Cells, cells and more cells. Silicone oil is the additive most used by pouring artists to produce cells. Although it does make cells happen, it can be a pest when it comes to varnishing or resining your painting. Make sure that all traces are cleaned off, otherwise you will have problems.
SPATULA / PALETTE KNIFE
A very useful tool to spread the paint when doing a base coat. I have found the silicone spatula to be the best one yet.
STIRRING STICKS
Very useful for stirring paint. The wider ones, also known as tongue depressors, are the best. If washed immediately after use, they can be used over and over again.
STRAW
A drinking straw can be used to blow on the paint for very nice special effects. It is ideal for creating flower petals. With a straw you can control the paint and move it more specifically to how you wish the effect to look like. There are many videos on YouTube showing how this simple tool is used. Take it easy as too much blowing can make you feel dizzy.
STORAGE RACK
A storage rack is needed especially to store canvases that are drying and curing. I have found a shoe rack to be the best possible choice as this allows air to circulate also under the canvases. It does not occupy a big area and you can load many canvases on the several tiers.
STRETCHED CANVAS
There are many surfaces on which to do acrylic paint pouring and a stretched canvas in one of them. Stretched canvases are usually bought already primed. One can pour on tiles, mdf boards and wood panels, glass, canvas boards, trays etc. Most surfaces need to be primed before pouring on them to prevent warping. Our article PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT gives some very sensible advice on this subject.
TORCH
A chef's torch or heat gun is needed to pop bubbles formed in the paint when poured. It also helps cells to surface. Make sure to move the torch continually and be careful that the flame does not touch the paint as this will burn it.
VARNISH
A painting needs to be sealed either with varnish or with resin. Resin can be a bit difficult to master in the beginning and varnish is an easier option. For beginners a spray varnish could prove easier as this leaves no brush strokes. As with all things new, experiment and practise until you find what works best for you.
WATER
We need a lot of water in acrylic paint pouring. Water (preferably distilled) to add to the paint to thin to the consistency we need. A bucket of water to rinse our hands in. Another bucket with warm soapy water to put dirty cups, stirring sticks, brushes and anything else that needs to be washed. Last but not least a bottle of drinking water for when we get thirsty. Just make sure not to get too engrossed in the project that you end up drinking the soapy water by mistake hahaha.
The above is a general list of supplies you need to start with. Depending on the type of different pours, you might need other materials like for example a hairdryer, a colander (for a colander pour), a funnel (for a funnel pour), balloons, string etc.
I hope that you have found this article useful. This article is mainly for people starting up this fascinating hobby. We would love to hear your opinions in the comments below.
Let's colour the world
The following check list is a more comprehensive and easy tool to check that you have most of the basic supplies to start acrylic pouring.
ACRYLIC PAINTS
There are so many types and brands of acrylic paints, one has to experiment to see what best works for them. The cheapest are the craft paints and one starting out paint pouring with a budget might wish to use these to try out the different styles of paint pours.
Craft paints may or may not give the desired results. Obviously artists paints are better quality but much more expensive. Some artists even use house paint and they get excellent results. Experiment until you find what gives you the results you are happy with.
Although acrylic paint pouring is not done with paint brushes, it is still advisable to have some at hand. You might need them for touch ups, for the edges or even for embellishments. Always wash with soap and water immediately after use.
CUPS
Cups are a must have in acrylic pouring. Cups with paint and cups for layering the different colours in. Plastic cups can be washed and reused. If washed immediately, the paint is easily cleaned. If you did not wash the cups after use, just let them dry well and peel off the paint.
GLOVES
Gloves might come useful to avoid messy hands although some do not mind the mess at all. It is important though to wear gloves when varnishing to avoid leaving oily fingerprints on the painting. If you leave a bucket of water nearby, you can also rinse the gloves and be able to use them again.
LEVEL TOOL
A level tool is a must have tool in acrylic paint pouring. Always check that your canvas is level, otherwise the paint will slide and slip off the canvas ruining any composition you had achieved. Even a slight angle might lead to paint moving within the first few hours. After a couple of days the paint will be stable enough and should not move any more.
MASKING TAPE
Masking tape comes in useful to keep the back of the canvas clean. Some artists prefer not to mask the back. I tape the back and also use the plastic that the canvas is wrapped in to cover the back. Once the painting is varnished and dry, I remove it all.
MEASURING CUP
One can use a measuring cup especially to measure out the exact amounts to make up a pouring medium recipe.
PAPER TOWELS
The obvious use of paper towels is to wipe hands or to wipe off paint. There is another important use of paper towels. Several paint pouring artists use them to swipe with. You can check out this technique in several videos on YouTube.
PLASTIC SHEETING
Be careful to cover surfaces especially table tops, carpets and wooden flooring. Acrylic paint can be easily wiped off plastic sheeting but not so easy to be cleaned off carpets. Try to use the thick sheeting so that it can be cleaned and used again.
PLASTIC SQUEEZE BOTTLES
Plastic squeeze bottles or glass jars with lids can be used to store paint mixed with pouring medium. When stored airtight, acrylic paint will not dry.
POURING MEDIUM
Most acrylic paint pouring artists add a pouring medium to the acrylic paint. Floetrol, PVA glue, GAC800 and Liquitex Pouring Medium are the most popular. Many pouring medium recipes are made up with one or more of these mediums.
PUSH PINS
Push pins can be useful to elevate the canvas from the top you are working on. These leave a space where the paint can drip off the canvas. Make sure that the canvas is level before pouring.
SILICONE OIL
Cells, cells and more cells. Silicone oil is the additive most used by pouring artists to produce cells. Although it does make cells happen, it can be a pest when it comes to varnishing or resining your painting. Make sure that all traces are cleaned off, otherwise you will have problems.
SPATULA / PALETTE KNIFE
A very useful tool to spread the paint when doing a base coat. I have found the silicone spatula to be the best one yet.
STIRRING STICKS
Very useful for stirring paint. The wider ones, also known as tongue depressors, are the best. If washed immediately after use, they can be used over and over again.
A drinking straw can be used to blow on the paint for very nice special effects. It is ideal for creating flower petals. With a straw you can control the paint and move it more specifically to how you wish the effect to look like. There are many videos on YouTube showing how this simple tool is used. Take it easy as too much blowing can make you feel dizzy.
STORAGE RACK
A storage rack is needed especially to store canvases that are drying and curing. I have found a shoe rack to be the best possible choice as this allows air to circulate also under the canvases. It does not occupy a big area and you can load many canvases on the several tiers.
STRETCHED CANVAS
There are many surfaces on which to do acrylic paint pouring and a stretched canvas in one of them. Stretched canvases are usually bought already primed. One can pour on tiles, mdf boards and wood panels, glass, canvas boards, trays etc. Most surfaces need to be primed before pouring on them to prevent warping. Our article PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT gives some very sensible advice on this subject.
TORCH
A chef's torch or heat gun is needed to pop bubbles formed in the paint when poured. It also helps cells to surface. Make sure to move the torch continually and be careful that the flame does not touch the paint as this will burn it.
VARNISH
A painting needs to be sealed either with varnish or with resin. Resin can be a bit difficult to master in the beginning and varnish is an easier option. For beginners a spray varnish could prove easier as this leaves no brush strokes. As with all things new, experiment and practise until you find what works best for you.
WATER
We need a lot of water in acrylic paint pouring. Water (preferably distilled) to add to the paint to thin to the consistency we need. A bucket of water to rinse our hands in. Another bucket with warm soapy water to put dirty cups, stirring sticks, brushes and anything else that needs to be washed. Last but not least a bottle of drinking water for when we get thirsty. Just make sure not to get too engrossed in the project that you end up drinking the soapy water by mistake hahaha.
The above is a general list of supplies you need to start with. Depending on the type of different pours, you might need other materials like for example a hairdryer, a colander (for a colander pour), a funnel (for a funnel pour), balloons, string etc.
We will treat the different pouring styles in another post.
Let's colour the world
Marianne
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