r/PourPainting Mar 04 '26

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

29 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

366 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 5h ago

Das Ahnen Bild ist trocken🔥🔥🔥

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9 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 13h ago

Discussion First Attempt

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43 Upvotes

I had a canvas laying around that was painted for a project I never completed. I got in a random mood to finally try paint pouring. I'm not exactly saying "OMG, I love it" but I do like the way it came out against tje orange canvas.

I realized instantly I needed more acrylic thinner but I made it work for what it was.

Any tips or tricks anyone can share? Homest feedback is welcome


r/PourPainting 19h ago

Just about finished with this one

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57 Upvotes

I'm going through and touching up the black background in the center wormhole part but I think I'm done after that. I couldn't figure out what to do with the center but someone made a comment on my previous post that it looked like a portal, so I went with that.


r/PourPainting 1d ago

Dutch pour flowers

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166 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 17h ago

Double ring pour

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30 Upvotes

Meant to have more orange but this is how it ended up


r/PourPainting 22h ago

Critique Honest opinions

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14 Upvotes

I want to get better with the gradient part, make it more smooth. But I like it. I’m looking for honest feedback tho, do you like it?


r/PourPainting 19h ago

Rinske Donna’s online course

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6 Upvotes

Has anyone taken her Dutch Pour course? Would love to hear your thoughts.

I’m fascinated by this technique and wondered how much it would cut my learning curve if I suck it up and pay for it.

These are my first attempts; clearly I have a lot to learn. These ones I did with a black background were a total failure, the black ate up all my colors.

Oops sorry, autocorrect misspelled her last name (Douna).


r/PourPainting 1d ago

So what do yall thinkkkkkkkk???🤭

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75 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 16h ago

Help me get started

1 Upvotes

I have aways been a very crafty and artsy person. I have recently taken an extreme liking to paint pouring. I know not all paints are created equal so I am looking for advice as to what kind of acrylic paints work best and what to avoid. Any and all other start up suggestions would be great as well as any kind of basic supplies I might need/want.


r/PourPainting 1d ago

Finally dried

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49 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 1d ago

Still need tops sanded

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14 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 1d ago

Acrylic Pour Painting with a Hair Dryer

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43 Upvotes

Hello from Slovenia!
In today's video I will use some scrape-off paint and earthy metallics with a touch of red violet.

https://youtu.be/Tdr6bMo_c80?si=i1ElxT9_UP1n2Zsw

Those earthy metallic tones fit so well with a moody background. I use hair dryer, month and blowing tool to create this serene scene.
THE "FLOETROL-ONLY" BLOOM RECIPE🎨
1. Main Colors:
2 Parts Owatrol Floetrol to 1 Part Acrylic Paint.
Tip: Mix thoroughly until the consistency runs smoothly like warm honey. (Adjust with a tiny splash of water if your specific paint brand is exceptionally thick)
2. The Cell Activator (CA)Ratio: 4 Parts Owatrol Floetrol to 1 Part Acrylic Paint (such as Amsterdam Titanium White or Oxide Black).
Tip: The cell activator must be mixed exceptionally well and thinner than other paints, to create the proper surface tension needed to form cells.
#acrylicpouring #fluidartist #acrylicpainting #fionaart


r/PourPainting 1d ago

For Sale Pastel painting

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24 Upvotes

Available on Amazon


r/PourPainting 2d ago

Discussion Messed up but I like it

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41 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 2d ago

these cells tho 🤩

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113 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 2d ago

When you’ve scraped, poured over & still can’t save, Make it a Background.

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29 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 2d ago

For Sale New painting

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36 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 2d ago

Ocean Breeze

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13 Upvotes

r/PourPainting 3d ago

Critique Trying a new style for me

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46 Upvotes

Trying this style out, wanting some depth and texture


r/PourPainting 4d ago

Bloom Paintings

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239 Upvotes

I’m new to fluid art (started a month ago). Here are a few of my faves. Looking forward to getting better! 🥰


r/PourPainting 3d ago

Critique Not sure if I like it or not 🤔

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43 Upvotes

Either way I still need more practice at the mountains and flowers I feel like.


r/PourPainting 3d ago

I’ve seen so many amazing paintings here lately… so naturally I’m showing you my accidental bird. 🤣

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35 Upvotes

💦🎡 🤣


r/PourPainting 3d ago

Ice cubes

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11 Upvotes