Acrylic Pouring Techniques - Learn how to paint liquid paint (2023)

This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a small commission from purchases made through them at no additional cost to you.

With acrylic pouring, there are various ways in which the flowable paint is applied to the painting surface. The following tutorial for all acrylic pouring techniques will give you an overview of the different pouring techniques and explain how to use them.

Was ist Acrylic Pouring?

Acrylic pouring is a fluid painting technique. Here you mix different acrylic paints with oneGießmediumand apply to the canvas. Instead of applying the paint with a brush, you pour it directly onto the canvas. Then you let the paint flow, change the direction of the flow process and your first Acrylic Pouring Painting is almost done. The best thing about this technique is you don't need to be a talented artist or have great drawing skills. All you need is some Acrylic Pouring supplies, a little time and you can enjoy creating unique art that you will be satisfied with.

There are several Acrylic Pouring techniques how you can pour your Acrylic Pouring painting, most of them we show step by step in the following article - have fun!

What do I need for watering?

With the following tools you can start watering for less than 100 euros. Give it a try and you will surely be amazed at the results you will get.

Are you an absolute beginner in pour painting? Then take a look at ours firstInstructions for pouring acrylic

The most popular acrylic casting blogs

• Acrylic Pouring Guide - Pour Painting for Beginners
• Acrylic Pouring Supplies - What you need for your pour paintings
  
• Acrylic Pouring Medium: market overview and comparison
• The secret of Acrylic Pouring Cells in your Fluid Paintings
• Calculator for pouring acrylic

Get fast results with this online acrylic pouring course

pour puddle

With Puddle Pour, each color is poured onto the canvas one at a time. One color is used as a basis, into which all other colors are poured one after the other.

• Each color is mixed individually with the pouring medium (e.g. Liquitex) and water. The ratio is about 1:1:<1. Two to three drops of silicone oil can be added to each color to improve cell formation.
• The individual colors are poured one after the other onto the middle of the painting ground.
• The painting ground is moved back and forth until the paint has been distributed on the painting ground and the result corresponds to the ideas.

Dirty pouring

This is an acrylic pouring technique where all the colors are poured into the same cup or container and then poured onto the painting surface.

• Each color is mixed individually with the pouring medium (e.g. Liquitex) and water. The ratio is about 1:1:<1. Two to three drops of silicone oil can be added to each color to improve cell formation.
• The color mixtures are then stacked on top of each other in a container.
• Maybe just stir a little
• Then the contents of the container are carefully poured over the painting surface.
• The painting ground is moved back and forth until the paint has been distributed on the painting ground and the result corresponds to the ideas.

Flip-Cup

The flip-cup technique is identical to dirty pouring, but the container with the paint is placed on the painting surface and lifted so that the individual layers of paint lie more on top of each other.

• All colors are mixed together with the pouring medium (e.g. Liquitex) and water. The ratio is about 1:1:<1. Two to three drops of silicone oil can be added to each color to improve cell formation.
• The color mixtures are then stacked on top of each other in a container.
• The container is then placed vertically on the painting surface.
• The container is then carefully lifted.
• If more cells are desired, a Bunsen burner or hot air blower can be swung over the paint briefly.
• The painting ground is moved back and forth until the paint has been distributed on the painting ground and the result corresponds to the ideas.

Bottle bottom Puddle Pour / Flower Pour

• With the Bottle Bottom Pour acrylic pouring technique, the paint is applied to the painting surface via a suitable, separated bottom of a PET bottle, with the elevations in the bottom of the bottle creating a pattern that resembles a flower / blossom. At the end, you can change the resulting pattern to your liking by tilting the canvas.
• Each color is mixed together with the pouring medium and water in different cups. There is no need to add silicon as we don't need cells for this technique.
• If you don't want the floral pattern to cover the entire canvas, you can apply a background color to the canvas first. The paint also flows better on the canvas.
• The surface for the coat of paint must be level so that the applied pattern does not run (preferably check with a spirit level beforehand).
• Take a PET bottle and cut off the bottom with scissors or a craft knife.
• Place the bottom of the bottle on the canvas, and now pour small amounts of each color onto the bottom of the bottle one by one.
• The paint now runs over the indentations onto the canvas and creates the floral pattern.
• If you like the result, carefully remove the bottom of the bottle.
  Now pour a few different colors together in a circle in the middle so that this area is also covered with color
  You can add accents with a fine artist's brush by working inwards from the outside or outwards from the center of the blossom.
• If desired, the flower-like pattern can be changed or made more abstract by tilting the canvas.
• Of course, you can also apply multiple bottle base pours to the same canvas.

We have created detailed instructions for this exciting fluid painting technique, which you can read in the blog post "Acrylic Pouring Technique Explained: Bottle Bottom Pour".

Tree Ring / Swirl

With the acrylic pouring technique Swirl Pouring, the paint is carefully applied to the canvas with circular movements, creating a pattern reminiscent of the growth rings of a tree.

• Each color is mixed individually with the pouring medium (e.g. Liquitex) and water. Ratio about 1:1:<1
• These are then stacked on top of each other in a container
• The contents of the container are now poured very slowly onto the painting surface, a very small circular movement must be carried out in order to achieve the appearance of annual rings in the wood.
• Then the painting ground is tilted back and forth until the "tree ring" has spread over the painting ground and the result corresponds to the ideas.

We have created detailed instructions for this pouring technique, which you can read in the blog post "Acrylic Pouring Technique Explained - Swipe / Tree Ring Pour".

casting wings

The Wing Pour is a modified form of the Swirl Pour with the aim of obtaining two mirrored wings as a result. It's a relatively new technique that requires some experience and skill:

• Each color is mixed individually with the Pouring Medium (e.g. Liquitex Pouring Medium) and water. Ratio about 1:1:<1
• First, the color that should appear between the wings is filled into the cup
• You can gently apply the second color to one side of the mug. This color appears on the inside of the wings.
  For contrast, you can reapply some of the first color in the second color
• Then comes the most important step: Pour a high-contrast color in a circle onto the colors already filled, but in such a way that the color is only on the edge of the cup
• If you wish you can apply a different color visible on the outside of the wings as in step 3.
• If you applied an additional color, add some more of the first color
• Lift the canvas slightly at the side and pour the paint in the middle quarter onto the picture support in a fine, even stream. As you lift the canvas, the paint will run away from you, forming a long wing shape. This requires a lot of practice and feeling
• If you fill in the paint first, move the cup towards you to the edge of the canvas to visually separate the two wings if you like

Now, with a bit of luck, you should have made your first wing pour. Since this is a challenging technique, it will probably take you a few tries to get comfortable with it.

If you need more help with your pour paintings, we recommend subscribing to our free 3-part Acrylic Pouring email course

Swipe-Technik

The acrylic casting technique Swipe(also called wiping technique) can be used alone or in conjunction with other fluid painting techniques. The swipe technique is used to nicely visualize the cells or to achieve flowing patterns. To do this, wipe off the applied paint with a spatula or a damp cloth.

• To paint over the colors you need appropriate tools. This can be, for example, a painting knife or spatula, but also a moistened paper towel.
• The colors (don't forget the silicone!) are applied to the canvas either all together with a Puddle Pour or Flip Cup.
• In addition, a mixed color without silicone is applied next to it.
  With a suitable tool, the individual color is then dragged over the remaining colors, now the cells are created at these points

AirSwipe / Dutch Pour

In contrast to the usual swipe technique, the acrylic casting technique AirSwipethe paint is not applied with a spatula, spatula or kitchen paper, but with the help of air, for example a hair dryer. This creates the most interesting, wildest and most spectacular patterns, which are reminiscent of smoke in the transition to the negative color.

• The colors are layered in a separate cup. Then, as usual, the canvas and cup of the FlipCup are flipped over.
• The cup is initially left standing so that the colors can settle nicely.
• Now the negative paint is poured around the goblet and, if necessary, spread evenly over the canvas with a paint knife, including on the sides.
• Then the Flip Cup is raised and lowered again and again in short movements and the paint is carefully distributed on the canvas in the desired pattern until the cup is gradually empty
• Depending on your taste, the color can be set in the desired direction by moving and tilting the canvas.
• Finally, with the help of a hair dryer, the colors are carefully spread from the inside out into the negative color. It is best to use a cold air hair dryer or a hair dryer with a cold air function and a flat top.

We also have an in-depth tutorial for this fluid painting technique, which you can check out in the blog post Fluid Painting Tutorial: AirSwipe.

Dutch Pour with lacing / SheleeArt Bloom technique

A special form of Dutch Pour is the so-called SheleeArt Bloom technique. This technique is very complex and is the pinnacle of pouring. It takes a lot of practice and, most importantly, the right recipe.

With this technique, too, the paint is moved over the painting surface with the help of a stream of air – usually with a straw. The difference to the 'normal' Dutch Pour is the way the paint is applied to the canvas and the type of cells to be reached. These lacings can only be achieved through an ingenious recipe and the use of different mediums on the same painting.

As this is a relatively complex technique with a slightly higher level of difficulty, we recommend that you read our separate blog post and watch the accompanying video:Tutorial and Recipe SheleeArt Style: Dutch Pour Bloom Technique

string technique

This is not a casting technique in the true sense. Nonetheless, the thread technique is often used to create fluid paintings.

• Each color is mixed individually with the pouring medium (e.g. Liquitex) and water. Ratio about 1:1:<1
  Before layering the colors, place several pieces of sisal cord, approx. 20 to 30 cm long, loosely rolled up in the empty container so that they can absorb as much of the color mixture as possible.
• The color mixtures are then stacked on top of each other in the container as usual.
• Alternatively, you can also mix the colors in individual cups and apply them separately to the thread with a wooden spatula. This makes it easier later to decide which colors to place where on the image, but it's more difficult to create large gradients.
• A large amount of a high-contrast color is now spread on the canvas.
• Then the threads that have been vacuumed with paint are draped over the picture in such a way that they wobble back and forth.
• In the end, you can pull the threads across the canvas one by one. The twisting of the cords creates interesting patterns that can be influenced to suit your taste when you pull them off.

Fractal Dendrite

Fractal dendrites are structures reminiscent of flowers or blossoms that can be created with this special technique. Small drops of a color mixture with alcohol are applied to a color film, spreading outwards from the center and creating a unique effect. This technique is not difficult at all. You can find detailed instructions with video in our articleFractal dendrites tutorial.

spirit for

Thespirit foris a variation of the swipe technique and is swiped from the middle

• First you apply a relatively thin layermixed color as a background across the entire canvas
• You then apply different coordinated colors to the surface in a horizontal arrangement
• With a spatula or wet kitchen paper, the color is now pulled up and down from the middle
• Alternatively, you can pour some of the thin background color down the center horizontally before swiping and then swiping
• The spooky Pour comes into its own when you use wide canvases
• With a little extra silicone oil, there are very nice cells

Acrylic Pouring Techniques: Combination of different fluid painting techniques

We hope that you have been able to achieve good results with this acrylic pouring technique guide. Each of the pouring techniques presented here can also be combined very well with one another to achieve even better and more interesting results. Be bold and try it - each painting is guaranteed to be unique.

You will need different materials for each of the pouring techniques listed in this Fluid Painting guide. We have summarized these in our articleAccessories for pouring acrylic.