liquitex® paint with pouring medium canvas art

Prep your work space. Use wax and masking tape to cover your work area. This will protect your work space and allow you to experiment with the pouring medium on your canvas as it drips down the sides.

Pour about one cup of pouring medium into an empty paint storage bottle and add a teaspoon of soft body acrylic paint. Shake the mixture for 10-15 seconds and set the bottle aside for 10 minutes to allow the paint to settle and the air bubbles to dissipate.
NOTE: The more paint you add, the darker and more opaque your paint colour will be. If you want more of a translucent paint colour, add less acrylic paint to the pouring medium. You will need to experiment to find a paint-to-medium mixture that works best for you and gives you the desired effect.

Repeat Step 2 with the second and third acrylic paint colours. Set the bottles aside for ten more minutes to allow the pouring medium and paint mixture to settle. You should now have three plastic paint storage bottles filled with pouring medium and soft body acrylic paint. Add more colours to your palette if desired.

Set your canvas flat on your work surface and begin to pour a generous amount of pouring medium onto your canvas. It is not necessary to cover your entire canvas with pouring medium.
TIP: Work in small sections at a time, blending the sections as you go along.

Using a large flat brush, move the pouring medium around on the canvas and cover areas as desired. Where desired, add more pouring medium.
TIP: This method of working is very intuitive and should be approached with playful intent.

When you have areas of the canvas covered with pouring medium, begin to add your paint by squeezing or pouring the acrylic paint onto the pouring medium. Work with one colour at a time. The acrylic paint will start to slowly blend with the pouring medium in a fluid manner.
TIP: Try tilting your canvas to move the medium and paint around, as desired. You can also use your flat brush to help move the paint around in the direction you would like it to flow, but do this with a soft and gentle touch. Do not force the flow of paint.

Continue adding acrylic paint to the pouring medium on the canvas. Allow yourself to work intuitively with how the paint and pouring medium are blending on the canvas.
TIP: Try adding small amounts of water to the pouring medium/acrylic paint mixture on the canvas for unique effects. Do this with one of the flat brushes by dipping it into your container of water and lightly dropping water on small areas and moving the pouring medium and paint around. You can also use just the tip of the paintbrush for more control.

As the pouring medium and paint continue to flow and blend together, use a small round brush to help guide the flow of paint, as desired, in small sections. Use a light touch and "pull" the paint/medium combination.

When you're happy with the paint results, set your canvas aside and allow 24 hours to fully dry. Once your canvas is dry you can add another layer of paint if desired or try sketching/doodling on top of the glossy surface with a Sharpie® marker.

Project Notes: Paint and medium will start to dry and harden within an hour, but you should allow at least 24 hours for the canvas to dry completely.

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