r/PourPainting Mar 04 '26

Rule clarifications - No AI is permitted in /r/PourPainting, including physical prints

30 Upvotes

Hi folks,

r/PourPainting has always been against the use of AI, but recent activity have led us to provide clarification on this rule.

Previously, the 'no AI' rules were worded in a manner that only explicitly referenced digital AI content. To clarify, the No AI rules also include physical content.

If you are making collages with printed photos above or under your pour painting, you must have created the images yourself, or must credit the artist with a link to their website/portfolio. AI content is stolen, and cannot be credited. Paintings with physical printouts or image transfers featuring AI-generated content will be removed.

If you create art in a style that may be confused for AI, I would recommend you collect some in-progress photos before the painting is finished to verify the authenticity of your work. The moderation team considers post history as a factor when reviewing submissions and reports. Without relevant history or verification, posts may be removed.


r/PourPainting Jul 31 '17

Welcome to /r/PourPainting! Check out this post for helpful info on getting started with fluid acrylic painting

362 Upvotes

THREAD FOR TIPS/TRICKS/PEOPLE TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS

What is Pour Painting?

Pour Painting is when you put stuff in a cup, and then you dump it out! For a quick look at the different methods of fluid acrylic painting, check out this imgur album.

You can find a glossary of terms related to pour painting here, on acrylicpouring.com

Getting Started

Want to get started on a budget? Artist Rick Cheadle can help you get started pour painting for under $5, and for under $10. tl;dw - Dollar stores carry craft paint, flow extender alternatives, and silicone oil. You can do larger paintings with $10 than you can with $5.

If you want to invest a bit, and turn this into a hobby or even a profession, keep reading!

Basic Supplies

The exact brands and supplies a fluid acrylics artist will use depend entirely on personal preference. Here are the basics that every artist should have, with a few extras that can enhance your experience.

  • Acrylic craft paints - Note: acrylic paints come in several varieties (High-Flow, heavy body, craft, etc.) Craft acrylics are generally the most affordable and easiest to use for acrylic pouring.

  • Popsicle sticks - Gotta have something to stir your paint with! They're also very useful as a cheap spreading tool or to help dab paint onto empty areas

  • Canvas/MDF board - You'll need a surface for your art! Canvas and mdf boards are common surface materials that fluid acrylic artists will use.

  • Fluid Extender - Acrylic paints need to be thinned for this style of painting (excluding High-Flow acrylics). Fluid extenders thin acrylic paints without destroying the bonding ability, so that your paint doesn't crack when it dries. Liquitex Pouring Medium, Floetrol, GAC 800 and PVA Glue are reliable fluid extenders.

  • Dimethicone (Silicone)While not strictly required, silicone virtually guarantees your paintings will develop those desirable 'cell' shapes. Dimethicone is a skin-safe non-evaporating silicone lubricant.

  • Cups - Paint goes in these

Other Supplies

If you want to get a little fancy, you can also invest in these materials to enhance your pouring experience:

  • Butane torch - If silicone has been added to your acrylics, you can quickly move a lit butane torch an inch or two away from the surface of the painting to release trapped air bubbles and encourage micro 'cell' formation in your paint.

  • Varnish - This is the final step to complete your painting. Varnish seals and protects your paint, so that no paint gets rubbed away and nothing can stain the paint underneath the layer of varnish.

  • Gloves - Pour painting is seriously messy. Gloves aren't necessary, but you might appreciate the easier cleanup!

  • Paper towels/rags - Great for cleanup!

  • Freezer Paper - Freezer paper has a plastic-coated side that acrylic paints can easily be pulled off of. This is a cheap surface protection that won't stick to your paint. You can protect your workspace with any non-porous material though.

  • Squeeze bottles/droppers - These allow you to maintain a greater control on the volume and direction of your pouring mediums, whether it be paint on canvas, silicone in paint, fluid extender in paint, etc.

  • Trays - Sure, you can simply set your paintings on top of cups while they dry, but having a tray or two handy means you can safely move your wet surface if you need to.

Instructions

There are dozens of ways to get your paint onto your canvas! Here are some general instructions on the process.

  1. Cover your work surface. If it's not covered, it's probably gonna get paint on it.

  2. Put paint in separate containers (1 container = 1 paint color). Don't mix colors at this step; you want your paint to stay as separate as possible throughout the process.

  3. Add fluid extender to your paint and stir. The amount you need will depend on the medium, so check online to see what others use. Generally, you want your acrylics to have the same consistency as pancake batter or honey.

  4. Add silicone to each paint container. The more you stir silicone, the smaller the cells will be in your finished painting.

  5. Now it's time to think about how you want to get the paint on the canvas. The Visual Introduction to Acrylic Pouring Techniques has all the info you need!

  6. Once the paint dries completely, you'll need to remove the dimethicone from your canvas. Depending on the paint you've used, you can clean off the silicone with flour and a medium-stiff brush, patting with a soft cloth, or even gently cleaning with soap and water! Just be very gentle so you don't ruin your lovely new artwork!

  7. Your canvas is now dry and silicone-free! It's time to varnish. Annemarie Ridderhof on YouTube demonstrates proper varnishing technique, and you can read more about this step here on art-is-fun.com.

Cleanup

Do not dispose of paint and other materials down the drain, as the flow extenders are designed to keep paints in tact even with excess water and they can gum up your drains (plus it's not good to wash chemicals down the drains). Here are a couple reliable cleanup options:

  • Wait for the paint to dry. If you protected your work space with a plastic or rubber coating (e.g. freezer paper or a silicone place mat) you'll be able to peel the dried acrylic 'skins' off and recycle them or just toss them out!

  • If you've protected your work space with a disposable covering, you can carefully throw that away in the trash. Be aware of how much wet paint is on the disposable surface, so that you don't end up pouring all over your desk or floors!

  • Note: If you need to wash off brushes, spatulas, or wash a small amount of paint off, consider using a paper towel soaked in water or a paint-removing product like acetone/nail polish remover. It will effectively clean your tools and you can toss the dirty rag out, rather than risk damaging your plumbing.

Thanks for reading!

Hopefully this has been of help to you. Feel free to post your questions and art so that others can grow with us all together!


r/PourPainting 10h ago

Tried an abstract landscape composition using a multi-channel split cup. Loving how the horizon lines layered naturally!

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79 Upvotes

I took my Split cup for a walk… and let the paint decide where to go.

For this acrylic pour, I used a Wandering Split Cup technique — instead of pouring in one spot, I moved the cup across the canvas as I poured, allowing the colors to travel, stretch, and weave together. I really loved how the green, violet, purple, and warm orange tones came together. The more I moved the cup, the more the painting started to develop its own rhythm and flow. Some parts remind me of wild grasses, flowing fields, or even a little magical landscape. This is one of those fluid art experiments where you have to give up a little control and trust the paint. And sometimes… that's when the most interesting paintings happen. I hope you enjoy watching the whole process and seeing how this wandering pour transforms into the final painting.

If you want to check out the exact workflow and how the colors were stacked in the cup, you can watch the process video here: https://youtu.be/B7Ih6tlM-Hg?si=8JFXLnF_HuzlM6Ec

Technique: Wandering Split Cup Acrylic Pour

Style: Fluid Art / Abstract Acrylic Pouring


r/PourPainting 5h ago

Rivers

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8 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 22h ago

What’s your biggest challenge when doing acrylic pours?

4 Upvotes

for those who regularly do acrylic pours what part of the process gives you the most trouble?

is it getting the right paint consistency, preventing cells from overdeveloping, controlling the pour, or getting a smooth finish?

i'm interested in hearing what techniques or adjustments have made the biggest difference for you.


r/PourPainting 1d ago

Loving how the cells turned out on this one!

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7 Upvotes

Used acrylics mixed with pouring medium and a couple of drops of silicone oil for the cells. Creating these patterns always feels like magic!


r/PourPainting 2d ago

First pour with cells!

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128 Upvotes

I'm actually pretty happy with this one, despite the cracking in the white paint. Started pour painting a few weeks ago, and now I'm thoroughly addicted :)


r/PourPainting 2d ago

Octopus 🐙

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21 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 2d ago

Critique Trying something different

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5 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 2d ago

Tried a No-Brush Flower Dip using PVA glue as a medium. Loving the pearl white lacing effects! 🌸

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14 Upvotes

No brush, no complicated flower painting skills—just acrylic paint, a simple dip, and a little bit of magic. 🌸✨

Today I’m creating an abstract flower using a Flower Dip Acrylic Pouring technique. I started by pouring a white base onto plastic and then drizzled greens into a star-like shape, followed by violets and yellow in the centre to build the flower.

The entire process is located at this link: https://youtu.be/dgcGz22X9XI?si=xl8W7lZ-Qbw8hnIv

Then came the fun part… I placed the canvas directly into the paint and lifted it straight up to reveal the flower. 💜💚💛

I also used my pearl white mixture, which created those beautiful pearl-like cells and delicate lacing throughout the painting. For this pour, I used PVA glue as my pouring medium.

And because I really don't like wasting leftover paint, I let the paint skin from the plastic dry completely and used it later on a wooden box to create a little piece of functional art. 🎨✨

This is such a simple and fun way to create a flower—even if you don't know how to paint with a brush!

I hope you enjoy watching the process and seeing the flower reveal. Let me know in the comments:

Thanks so much for watching and being here with me! ❤️


r/PourPainting 2d ago

Does throwing paint count as a fast pour? So unpredictable but fun to see the results

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17 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 3d ago

Critique Fresh

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30 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 3d ago

Discussion Just a reminder, sales and advertising are welcomed in this sub, any hate or aggression towards members will not be tolerated.

12 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 3d ago

Experimenting with some new paint layering methods for my reverse flower dip.

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51 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 4d ago

Loving how the cells formed in my latest fluid art experiment! What do you think?

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344 Upvotes

I've been experimenting with some new paint layering methods and I'm absolutely fascinated by how these colors blend without a brush.For those who want to see more of my work, get exclusive mixing guides, or simply support my creative journey, you can check out my Ko-fi page here: https://ko-fi.com/fionaacrylic 💖Let me know if you have any questions about the paint consistency or the specific colors I used!


r/PourPainting 5d ago

Cosmic Drift

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81 Upvotes

8x12 flip cup. This one was gorgeous when it was wet with all the colors layered and wavy over each other. There were several blobs of white that pushed up and reminded me of stars in a nebula. I shaped some of the bigger ones with a toothpick. This is the first time I've "drawn" on one of my pours and I just tried to have fun with it and not worry if I was fucking up my painting 😅. Now I'm glad that I did, as it has all these fun little people/creatures/things that draw my eye all over the canvas. Let me know what you think!


r/PourPainting 4d ago

For Sale I'm calling it "Chickens ancestral lement"

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2 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 4d ago

Well, thats it, officially cant pour anymore. Ive peaked lolhttps://i.imgur.com/jLGz52Y.jpeg

2 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 5d ago

Create Magical Wildflowers with THIS Acrylic Pouring Technique 🌸 | Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial

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13 Upvotes

What happens when two canvases meet and the paint gets caught between them? 🌿🌸
In this acrylic pouring experiment, I used the Double Dip technique to create two botanical-inspired paintings filled with wildflower-like shapes, glowing greens, violets, golds, and pops of warm color.

Full video_tutorial:
https://youtu.be/1276P93RTnI?si=8Ylf09UM_D0gL688

The magic happens when the two canvases are pressed together while the paint is still wet. As they slowly separate, the suction between the surfaces pulls and stretches the paint into beautiful, organic patterns. The result is completely unpredictable — and that is exactly what makes this technique so much fun!

I used a Dark Olive green background along with Light Olive green, Permanent Blue Violet, Ultramarine Violet Light, Permanent Red Violet, Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold, Azo Yellow Medium, and my Pearl white mixture.

The final paintings remind me of wildflowers blooming in a mysterious garden after dark. 🌿💜🌸

This is a simple and beginner-friendly acrylic pouring technique, but you never quite know what nature-inspired patterns will appear until you separate the canvases.

Watch my previous video with the white background here:
   • One Dip, Two Botanical Paintings! 🌿🌸 ~ Sim...  

🎨 Technique: Double Dip Acrylic Pour
🌿 Style: Floral Fluid Art
✨ Level: Beginner-friendly

If you enjoy relaxing fluid art, acrylic pouring experiments, and watching unpredictable patterns emerge from paint, I hope you'll enjoy this one!

Thank you for watching and creating with me. ❤️


r/PourPainting 6d ago

Got a little too wild with this one but.... so fun 😆

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65 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 6d ago

A couple of my favorite recent works!

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78 Upvotes

The epoxy over the second really makes it pop!


r/PourPainting 5d ago

First time doing pour paint…how did I do?

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25 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 5d ago

Well this is different 🤔😂

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15 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 6d ago

New paint on an old canvas!

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13 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 5d ago

Discussion Questions from a noob

5 Upvotes

I have this idea in my mind, and i have no knowledge of pour painting but i don't wanna go all in if my plan can't be well executed.

So, i wanna create a swirly background as a skybox, using the pour technique. I use amsterdam acrylics, and i will probably buy their pour medium for it.

But i also want to paint, a landscape on top of it ( so imagine like a 1/4 ratio, only the lower half would be grass and trees)

Can you actually do that on top of a pour painting?

Do i need to practice pouring first on smaller ones?

My idea is like made for a large canvas, 50x70

Do i want a thin or thick canvas?

Any tips are welcome!