Fluid Art Guide & Supply List

Materials & Equipment List
Fluid Painting Acrylic Pour Guide

Below are materials we used in the workshop and that will help you get set up to pour at home.

Here is the Acrylic Pour Guide which reviews the techniques we followed in the workshop and contains more info on materials.

I do not receive compensation when you purchase from the links I’ve provided; the links are for your information on the product only.

Workspace

Best to set up two areas: one to mix paint and one to pour. I use a combination of newspaper, trash bags as table cloths, and trays to protect both areas.

Trays – many people have asked where I got the workspace materials that we used in class. We used large Genpac foam meat trays and aluminum half sheet cake pans. I purchase the foam trays by the case from restaurant supply stores, you may never use up a case so I suggest you ask a butcher for one. I get the sheet pans at Ocean State Job Lot (I have found they cost less there

than at the Dollar Store – go figure). They also sell plastic lids which are good for keeping dust from settling on your painting as it dries (hint don’t close the lid completely on the pan so the painting gets some air to dry).

Other suggestions as a tray: recycle a take-out pizza box or donut box. Liquor stores and big box stores, like BJ’s, usually are happy to give you for free the cardboard packaging trays used to ship bottles and cans.

Tray liners – I like to use deli wax paper sheets like a placemat under my whatever I am pouring on. I buy a dispensing box of 500 pre-cut sheets. In between paintings I can dispose of the sheet and start with a new one. I find that I use them for a number of mix media projects such as making collage sheets (deli sheets), cold wax painting etc. A box lasts a long time.

When I want to let the paint that flows off the substrate (canvas, etc.) dry as a skin to use when making jewelry, book covers, etc., I place a silicon baking mat on my painting surface. The dried skin will easily lift off it. Parchment paper is another option. Use anything that is pliable and has a non-porous finish that won’t fuse with the paint so you can easily peel off the skin. These also can be purchased by the case from restaurant supply stores.

To make mono-prints I use index cards. I then use the mono-prints to make greeting cards or small pictures that I frame or mount on little blocks of wood. They can also be used as collage paper.

Both the mono-prints and skins are great for altered books.

Supplies

- - - Spatula or wood stick for stirring when mixing paint and moving paint around on your substrate. Popsicle sticks are great, but I like these paddle shaped sticks because they can also be used as a palette knife. In addition, to stir paint I keep the wooden disposable chop sticks we get with asian take out.
    - Straws to blow paint around on canvas
    - Containers to mix paint (one for each color) and a cup to layer the paint to pour. For large batches I use squirt condiment bottles. For smaller amounts I use portion cups with lids. I also recycle yogurt and condiment containers.
    - To measure paint when I am layering I use graduated cups that are marked with ounces and milliliters. FYI I don’t add additives to make cells to my acrylic and floetrol mix; I add it when I am layering the mixed paint to pour, that way I can use my mixed paint for other (non-cell) work.
    - Supports to raise canvas off tray, such as small bowls, cups, blocks. In the workshop we used small foam bowls like these, I like to this shape or similiar because they have a fair amount of surface area to hold the canvas and rims to keep the canvas resting on it level and can be used with multiple sizes of canvas. I also recycle other items, like yogurt cups.
    - Pre-primed / gessoed canvas. Stretched on a frame or a canvas board (as we used in the workshop). They can be purchased at local craft supply and discount stores or thru the links above.
    - Acrylic Paint. In the workshop we used Liquidtex. This set contains Primary red, primary yellow, primary blue, green, white, and black. Any acrylic paint will work, just adjust the amount of medium you add to it so the final mix is like heavy cream. In the workshop we started with the three primary colors so we could see how they blended when poured.
    - Paint Medium. Floetrol.
    - Or another brand paint medium
    - one with floetrol, cups, and sticks
    - floetrol and oil to create cells
    - a complete kit with everything you need to pour
    - Oil – Dimethicone or Silicone (optional). The oil used in class was Ogx argan oil of morocco miracle in-shower oil. The ingredient in it which creates the cells is dimethiconol. I purchased it at Ocean State Job Lot for $3 or $4. Walmart is offering it for $6.26
  Amazon sells raw dimethicone for making cosmetics. You can also use treadmill oil, Rainex, or just plain silicon (usually sold as a spray). I began using the hair care products because they smell nicer than the other oils.
  - - - Color wheel (optional)
      - Gloves
      - Apron
      - Finish / Sealer

Jacqueline Burke Volpe
The Creativity Curator
Jbvdesignstudio
Contact: Jacqueline at thecreativitycurator@gmail.com