Pour that paint baby.

The key ingredient you need for this project is an acrylic paint and stain conditioner that you get from your local Bunning‘s or B&Q. The one I use is called Floetrol. There are lots of different recipes for acrylic pouring on the Internet that use glue and other household products but after trying a few I say you really need to use Floetrol.

The key to being successful in this project is to have a consistent sand runny enough but not too runny liquid to pour.

My recipe is a guideline but the % of paint conditioner you will need to put in your mix will depend on the thickness of your paint whicvh varies with each paint brand. A couple of trys and you will get it right!

Parent time

An hour the first time then they can create their own projects

Kid time

Hours

Materials

Floetrol (acrylic paint and stain conditioner)

Distilled water

Paint (any color)

Paper cups or Plastic cups

A down sheet or a plastic sheet to put under the canvas

Canvas Or a piece of wood

Silicon (optional)

Jars or containers to store leftover liquid (optional)

Hairdryer (optional)

Blow torch (optional)\

String (optional)

Mini plastic cups (optional)

Instructions

1. Mixing the "pour"

Getting the mix right is the MOST important thing you do.

Set out a bunch of cups and decide which paints you’re going to use.

Put the same amount of paint in each cup.

Add the paint conditioner - I typically start with 1/3 paint to 2/3 paint conditioner.

Mix for 3 to 5 minutes. I use plastic forks but you can use anything as long as it breaks up the paint into the conditioner.

Now pick up your mixer (ie fork or other thing) and test the consistency of the "pour" by holding it a couple of inches above the cup and seeing how quickly it runs off your mixing device.

If it doesn’t run off in a nice medium to slow thin stream then add half a teaspoon or so of distilled water and mix again until you get the right consistency.

Just before the pour add a couple of drops of silicon in each cup (if you want)

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2. Now comes the fun....the pour

There are lots of techniques for pouring your paint onto your canvas.

In our house we have two techniques which we are getting OK at.

1) Layer in a cup and flip

Layer the paint in a cup.

Makes lots of layers.

Put canvas on top of cup upside down and flip them both over at same time!

Pull cup off canvas slowly and let paint roll of of cup and make beautiful patterns.

Tilt the canvas in all directions and make patterns as you slowly tilt canvas back and forward.

2) Pour onto canvas and blow dry

Make lots of white pour and pour thing coat over canvas.

Pour dollops of other colors on top and blow dry around canvas.

Tips

Make more than what you need and put the left overs in jars afterwards so you can do another pour the next day. Paints stored like this will last months.

Make sure you have a drop sheet down! Lots of paint comes off the edges and it will get over your hands!

Use an old blow dryer if you going to use a blow dry as it can get paint on it.

Dip string in a pour mix and place it on your canvas. Lift the canvas up and pull the string off at same time. Creates a great effect.

It takes one to two days to dry and best to dry and sunny place in the window on your balcony but undercover