I'm still practicing my paint pouring skills and wanted to do a kind of gallery wall with 12x12 panels in our bedroom. I am so happy with how these turned out!!
If you're not familiar with paint pouring there is lots of help available on Pinterest and You Tube. I have a paint pouring board on Pinterest
here.
The reason I love it is there's no ( at least not to me) right or wrong once you follow the basics. It's all about what you like and experimenting with the mix of the pouring medium and colors you choose. The best way I've found to figure things out is to just play with it and do it. I will say that if you're going for a coordinated look like what I did with this project, it's probably better to do all of your pouring on the same day so you can be consistent in your formulas. Weather can also be a factor so doing them on the same day ensures drying time etc. is also consistent.
There are also kits and paints designed specifically for paint pouring. I've just been winging it with a mixture of different acrylic paints and mediums. Here's what I used for this project:
Supplies:
- Paint Booster Paint Additive ( I got mine at Lowes)
- Artist Loft Acrylic Paints (Michaels)
- 12x12 Wood Panels ( Blick Art Materials)
- 12x12 Canvas (Michaels)
- Alcohol ( 91% or more is best)
- Water
You'll also need:
- Something to cover work area
- Mixing Cups
- Gloves ( eg vinyl or latex because your hands will get messy)
- Push Pins (push these into at least 4 corners of the back of your surface to make a little stand so the panel isn't touching your work surface)
There are different techniques to paint pouring. You can pour your paints directly onto the surface individually or you can layer in a cup which you'll then flip onto your surface. I used the former for the white panels and the latter for the black panels. I also thought I was going to just do four but decided six panels worked better for the space. I only had 4 of the wood panels so I did the other two on canvas since that's what I had on hand.
I didn't prep the wood surface but I did cover the canvases with a couple layers of Mod Podge as a sealer.
Layered Flip Cup Method
This is the method I used on the black panels. Once you mix each color separately with the mediums ( I used a couple capfuls of the paint booster, one capful of alcohol and a little water to get a pourable consistency...one that drizzles steadily from a stir stick) you can then layer each paint color in a separate cup. I just alternated colors.
Someday I'll do videos but not yet :)
Once you have enough paint ( I just used plastic drink cups and for a 12x12 panel filling to the top was enough) you put your surface on top of the cup and then flip it over.
Some will seep out so be prepared! You can slide your cup around your surface or just lift the cup off where it is.
Oooooo magic! This is my flipped puddle and you just start tilting your panel slowly to spread the paint. You want to make sure you cover the entire surface and then as the paint drips down the sides you can take a gloved finger and kind of finger paint the edges.
I love that no two are alike and each piece you make has its own personality. They're soothing for me to look at ad just discover new patterns each time I do. So much fun!