Paint Pour

Creativity is the name of the game, so I am ALWAYS looking for new and decidedly messy ways to get creative! Being march break I also wanted to be able to involve the boys as much as I could. This was a great project to achieve both!

Let's start with a list of the supplies we used.

~Acrylic Paint

~%100 silicone (Cdn. Tire)

~framed/stretched canvas

~plastic/disposable cups

~gloves

~large flat space

~newspaper/flyers

~Popsicle sticks

~tiny bit of water

~torch

~something to hold canvas as it dries (I used the cups)

~straw. (This is optional, we used it to blow around the paint to cover corners and to make different shapes. Have fun with this, there are no mistakes.)

First thing I did was set up the table laying down the flyers and setting out all the cups for the different colors.

Each cup gets a different color with the silicon mixed in. The more silicon the more cells you will get. Each color is then poured into a clean cup on top of eachother. I found that the color you put on the top layer tends to be the one that is most dominant in your painting. (meaning the layer you start with in your cup)

You want your paint to be a nice pourable consistency, use the water to drop in if you find your paint a bit thick. Use your discretion here.

Your paint should look like this as it pours off your stir stick:

Acrylic paint is a cheap option for beginners. It is an easy clean up and what I prefer to use when I do these types of things with the kids, however there are drawbacks. The paint will dry with a flat finish, and sometimes cracks, depending on the amount layered on the canvas. The other drawback is the limitation in color. Very small drawbacks, but worth mentioning all the same. For those who like Acrylic and luster, there are spray lacquers you can use once your paint is dry. Another option is Latex. Latex paint will dry almost as fast as acrylic and will have more luster depending on finish. I used semi gloss for one of the projects and got a beautiful finish.

Ok, so let's start making art! First step; add each color you want in your painting to a cup. In each cup add a couple of drops of water and mix. Then add the silicone (the more you use the more cells you will get)

Once you have all your colors mixed in their cups, choose another cup to start pouring in your layers. Your first layer tends to be the dominant color in your painting. But that can also change depending on how much of any one color you use. Once you've layered your colors in the spare cup flip your canvas on top of your cup and turn them both over so your cup is upside down on the canvas.

Let this sit for a few minutes to be sure all your layers have dripped down. Here's where you can change the look of your painting. While your cup is dripping upside down you can drizzle white paint all around to outside where the bare canvas is. This will allow you more concentrated color in the center. You can leave it with white on the outer edge or allow the color to take over - your choice. Have fun with this!!

There are no mistakes here. You just tip your canvas and spread your colored paint, or blow it around with a straw, you can also use utensils to make the paint do what you want. I did a combo of all three until I was happy with what I saw.

Once you have your painting the way you like it you need to torch it. This will remove bubbles and bring your cells to the top of your paint.

Please be careful. Remember this is flammable material you are working with.

In this project I used the white paint on the outside, around the cup. Once I got the paint to meet I used the straw to blow the color into the white, creating these bleeding lines. Aren't they gorgeous?

I also made my paint go over the edges: