Fluid art is the process of pouring paints onto a canvas to create unique pieces of artwork. We can all agree that fluid artwork looks fantastic; something is mesmerizing about the way fluid artwork draws you in with all its hidden details. Today we have a tutorial on how to make an easy diy fluid art masterpiece, it looks tricky but is very simple! Not only is fluid art simple to do, but it is amazingly fun.

Fluid art uses an acrylic paint that is more liquid than traditional acrylics. Fluid art paint is easy to make using acrylic paints, acrylic medium, and water. Read on to find out how to make a fluid art masterpiece. If you would like to learn how to expand on fluid art then a great place to start is our Expanding On Fluid Art- New Techniques To Try article.

How To Make A Fluid Art Masterpiece

1. Set up your materials- The best choice of canvas for fluid art painting is a sealed panel or something strong enough to handle the weight of fluid acrylics. Set up your canvas and place your paints within arm’s reach of it. Keep the area clean and tidy so you can focus on your artwork!
2. Add a base paint to your canvas – Before starting your fluid painting, consider painting your plain canvas with one solid paint color as this will make the end result look more professional. Use regular acrylic paint for this. Let the painted canvas sit for 2-3 hours to dry before applying fluid paint to it.
3. Prepare the Paints – Pour your fluid paint into small containers ready to pour onto the canvas. Fluid paint can be made by combining acrylic paint, acrylic medium, and water. Fill each container halfway full with the acrylic paint of your choice. Fill the remaining half of the container with equal parts water and acrylic medium. Add the water slowly while stirring to ensure the right consistency of paint. Some people don’t add the acrylic medium and others less water so play around to find the consistency you like. Silicone can also be added to encourage more cells in the artwork.  
4. Begin transferring paint to the canvas – Different methods can be used for fluid art pouring, drizzling, dropping, puddling, brushing and splashing. We love the finished result of the multi-color pour technique but the scrape technique is a lot of fun.
5. Spread the paint –  Spread the paint by moving the canvas to let it naturally flow, apply a little paint at a time and keep going with the apply and move method until you are happy with the look. For an alternative design, you can use spreading tools or a dry paintbrush to disperse fluid paint across your canvas or put the paint on it one large pile, it is up to you!

Basic Fluid Art Pouring Techniques

With fluid art pouring, there are plenty of techniques that can be applied. Experimentation is key to understanding the best pouring technique for the masterpiece you are trying to create. But when starting there, two leading fluid art pouring methods to apply. These are known as the “Straight Pour” and the “Dirty Pour.”

Straight Pour

For you first ever painting we suggest this fluid art pouring technique. You simply pour one color at a time to the canvas building up the layers. As you start to understand how to the paint flows, you can move onto “puddling” with the straight pour. Puddling is where you pour puddles of individual colors on the surface and then tilt it on different angles to cover the surface of the canvas.

After a few experiments, you will be able to mix your fluid art porings with other techniques for enhanced effects

Fluid Art Pour Painting Scrape Technique

This amazing technique has added silicone to the paint mix which creates the amazing cells in the final artwork. This has to be the ultimate way to paint and relax! Watch more of Caren Goodrich’s videos here.  

Fluid Art Pour Technique

Poured onto a wood pallet plaque is a great way to add more interest to an already amazing piece of art. Source found here. 

Single fluid art pour method

This is a great video which shows the ratios of acrylic paint, medium, and silicone used. A dryer is used at the end which is amazing to watch! See more of Rick Cheadle’s videos here.