Pour Painting Made Easier

We did Pour Paint Art at the Stroke Recovery Art Group last month. I wrote about how much fun it was with Girl Guide Leaders and I wanted to be able to do it with other groups.
I tried it out a couple of times to figure out how to make it a little easier for our groups.

Materials

• 6 - 8 cups per participant (disposable cups are okay but should be more solid and not squish too easily)
• tarps, plastic or other types of sheets to protect the table and the floor.
• I made sure everyone had an old shirt or apron on.
• We used disposable gloves with Girl Guides and it certainly kept our hands clean but they do interfere with sensation and hand control which I thought was a good idea with my participants. 
• a large tray for each participant would be desirable and cut down on the potential mess.
  a bowl or dish that would fit under the canvas to keep the canvas from touching the table and to pour paint into.
• canvas ...the kind with a frame and not the flat kind would be a bit easier.
• acrylic paint ... as many choices of colour as possible, but at least the 6 or 8 colours.
• stir sticks or spoons. I used coffee stir sticks. Taller than the cups you have so you can stir the paint.
• a pitcher or some cups of water.
• a paint flow medium like Flotrol... This is available at craft stores but cheaper in the paint section of your hardware store. I think this really helps but if using chemicals is a problem just leave it out. It helps the paint spread smoothly and slows down dry time.
• a silicon treadmill lubricant. It is sold in small bottle kind of like eye drops and you would find it sold beside treadmills. I found mine at Canadian Tire.
• optional would be a final coating when it is dry, Either a clear spray finish or mod podge. It makes it shinier. 

Directions

Start by setting up the table and possibly floor and people with covering to protect from paint. I have not yet had a big mess but the potential is there for anyone.
Set up a spot for each participant but don't overcrowd participants.

Set up 6 to 8 cups per person. Into each cup put just enough of the flow medium to cover the bottom. Into this have the participant choose a colour of paint and then pour in some paint. The amount can be variable from cup to cup.

Mix the paint and the flow medium with a stir stick. You want the paint to be about the same consistency as whipped cream before it gets whipped. It should pour in a smooth stream but not seem watery. If it seems too thick just add a tiny bit of water at a time.

Each cup should have a few drops of the silicon lubricant added to it. Give the cups another little stir.
Now we are almost ready to pour! Put the canvas on top of the bowl so that it sits level. The bowl should fit inside the frame and the fabric part of the canvas should rest on it.

We are Ready!

The participant can then pick a colour of paint and pour a little or a lot onto the canvas. Then add another colour and another, maybe go back to previous colours. You would expect the paint to be flowing around a bit.

The participant should pick up the canvas by the edges and tilt it from side to side to try and get the paint to run in such a way to cover all of the surfaces. This gets very exciting! Try and tip the paint into the bowl because there can be quite a lot of it to just wind up on the table. If there are a few spots that are missed on the canvas you can do a little touch with the stir stick or a fingertip. The paint should pour over the edges and get the sides of the canvas covered as well.
When done set the canvas back over the bowl so it can drip off and not pool underneath and stick the picture to the table!
These come out very different than we expected. The colours, thickness of the paint, the speed they are poured, angles tilted and so many other things add extra surprises and excitement to the picture.
Experimentation is fun!  I don't think there is a wrong way to do this.
I had one person who began to finger paint and loved it. Another kept tapping it on its side and then started drawing the back of a pencil through the think paint and making impressions. Two people wanted me to go get the glitter to put on a top sprinkle on their pictures!
 If they have extra paint left in their cups that is okay. They can do another painting or people can pool their leftover bits of paint and make one together.

This project uses a lot of paint and winds up with quite a thick layer of paint so it takes a couple days to dry completely and to firm up/ cure. Have a spot to leave them to dry where you won't need to move them.

One final option is to but a glossy finish to it. When the picture drys the surface will have a little sheen. The glossy coat brings out colours and highlights the shapes in a different way.

One of my ladies did this at home on flat wrapped canvases and did not add the Flowtrol or silicone to her paint and was very happy with her results. It is just exciting to play with the paint so freely.

Have fun and enjoy your artwork.

If something isn't clear or you have any comments or questions please comment below and I will try to answer you.