INSPIRATION

a definite challenge…

this batch was born out of another project for my challenge group at a small cleverness (my favorite art/craft store!). this month, we were given the dina wakley media pouring medium and cell creator. of course i have seen this done in videos on the internet a few times, but i have to say that it was pretty intimidating to finally have the opportunity to try out the technique. however, i am always up for a new challenge and was excited to get started.

but things don’t always go to plan and i ran out of time… i showed up to my challenge group empty handed. although i felt bad, it was actually better because i got to hear about the process that the other artists went through while experimenting. i had the chance to learn from their mistakes and successes. therefore, when it was time for me to finally get started, i was feeling pretty confident.

TECHNIQUE

there are so many great videos for this technique! just go to youtube and type “acrylic pour tutorial”. find one you like and give it a try!

if you are a little confused (like i was!) while watching the videos, use this glossary to help you with those peculiar acrylic pour terms.

here are a few tips from my challenge group:

when inverting the cup of paint onto the canvas (dirty pour) to let the cup sit for about a minute before lifting the cup up. this allows time for the cells to develop while still inside the cup.
have patience. you have a better chance of having a successful pour.
pre-mix your paints and pouring medium in airtight containers to have ready and on hand instead of mixing paint for each canvas you make.
if the medium makes the paint too thick, add a little water to get the right consistency.
wear gloves.
dip smaller pieces of watercolor paper or other objects into the drippings – use as much as you can!
pours often look different after they have time to dry

i will continue to add more tips as they come. please feel free to add your own tips in the comments section at the bottom of the blog!

CREATION

when mounted on the front of my cards, these acrylic pours really stood out! i added a few flicks of white paint just before to give them a little extra pizazz. it was fun to get to practice on so many mini masterpieces! it gave me the opportunity to try multiple techniques and all the tips from my challenge group.