Art of Paint Pouring: Swipe, Swirl & Spin

50+ tips, techniques, and step-by-step exercises for creating colorful fluid art

Amanda VanEver

• Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781633228245
• eBook ISBN: 9781633228252
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art Techniques

Learn even more paint pouring techniques with The Art of Paint Pouring: Swipe, Swirl & Spin.

In The Art of Paint Pouring, you learned the basics of creating fluid art—from the essential tools and materials to the most popular techniques. Now with The Art of Paint Pouring: Swipe, Swirl & Spin, you can build on your existing knowledge of paintpouring by learning many new techniques and variations on your favorites to create your own art.

Written and illustrated by Amanda VanEver, author of Walter Foster’s much-anticipated The Art of Paint Pouring, The Art of Paint Pouring: Swipe, Swirl & Spin includes everything you need to take your skills to the next level, whether you are a beginning or an established paint pouring artist. From learning variations on several popular techniques—including flip cup, dip, swirling, spinning, and swiping—as well as more intermediate and advanced pouring techniques, you'll soon be creating colorful, textured fluid art on a variety of surfaces.

Amanda VanEver's YouTube channel, Amanda's Designs, has a huge following of subscribers who watch her weekly videos featuring simple instructions for creating various types of fluid art, from pieces done on canvases and other traditional surfaces, like wood, to objects such as jewelry, bookmarks, coasters, clocks, and vases. With her expertise, you'll learn about:

• The tools and materials needed for paint pouring
• How to mix paint to the right consistency required for pouring
• Tips for creating complementary color palettes
• How to finish a painting so that it lasts
• And much more

The Art of Paint Pouring features beginning as well as advanced pouring techniques for a well-rounded, appealing approach to fluid art.

Also from the Fluid Art series, refresh your paint-pouring skills and learn new techniques with: The Art of Paint Pouring and The Art of Paint Marbling.

Step-by-Step Projects

Dirty Pour

When I was learning to pour paint, the first technique I tried was the dirty pour. With the dirty pour, combine all your paints in one cup, and then pour that cup onto the canvas.

There are a few variations that will change the outcome of your final piece. If you want a more blended pour, use a stir stick to gently swirl through the paint in your cup. If you’d like less blending, pour the paints down the side of the cup to layer them before pouring.

TOOLS & MATERIALS:

• Freezer paper

• Canvas

• Cups

• Tape

• Paint (I used GOLDEN® Fluid Acrylics)

• Pouring medium (I used GOLDEN)

• Stir sticks

• Water

Optional tools for creating cells:

• Liquid silicone or dimethicone

• Torch

IF YOU PLAN TO LEAVE THE CANVAS ON THE CUPS WHILE DRYING, USE A LEVEL TO CHECK THAT THE CANVAS SITS EVENLY. IF IT SITS UNEVENLY, YOUR PAINT AND FINAL DESIGN MAY SHIFT AND CHANGE WHILE DRYING.

STEP 1

Cover your flat working surface with a sheet of freezer paper or another item, such as a plastic bag, newspaper, or a tablecloth.

Rest your canvas on top of the cups. I use four—one for each corner. Resting the canvas on cups allows excess paint to run off the sides.

Optional: If you’d like to prep your canvas beforehand, you can tape the bottom of the canvas to keep it free from paint. See here for instructions.

STEP 2

Add each paint color to a separate cup. I used white, teal, Prussian blue, magenta, and gold.

Each pouring medium comes with its own mixing instructions. In this project, I used a pouring medium by GOLDEN, which suggests mixing 1 part paint with 9 parts medium. This medium is white but dries clear.

Thoroughly mix the paint and pouring medium, and add water if desired to thin your mixture.

Optional: If you choose to use an additive to help...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Tools & Materials
• Color Basics
• Preparing to Paint
• Mixing Paint
• Creating Cells
• Finishing Artwork
• Saving Leftover Paint
• Step-By-Step Projects
• Inspiration Gallery
• About the Artist
• Copyright