Now that I've prepped the canvas I can go ahead and start mixing my paint. This is one of the most important steps in pouring as so much could go wrong if I stuff up my paint mix.

For example:

• The paint and floetrol aren't mixed enough together you could end up with streaky lines instead of opaque coverage.

• If the mix is too thick it will have trouble moving across the canvas. It could even trap bubbles

• Too much water and floetrol could thin the paint too much causing colour pigments to separate.

If I don't stuff my mix:

• I should be able to tilt the canvas and have the paint move across and over it easily.

• The paint should settle well and keep it's vibrant colour once dry.

Materials

In previous pours, before I failed so much, I was more adventurous with my paint/pigment combinations. Lately I've devided to simplify things and just stick to my liquitex set for now since it's working great on all the YouTube videos.

• Acrylic Paint
  (If you could get a set or at least all the primary colours you're off to a good start.)

• Floetrol
  (You can use PVA but really if you want this to be easy do yourself a favour and get some Floetrol.)

• Distilled Water
  (Apparently because tap water can make your mix smell bad. I'm doing it just to be on the safe side.)

• Cups
  (Plastic shot glasses, small plastic cups)

• Stirrers
  (Plastic knives and spoons)

I prefer the plastic knives, spoons and cups because they can be washed and reused.

Get to mixin!

If you ask anyone about the paint mix, or you watch any of the thousands of pouring videos you will hear this thrown around all the time..

"The paint must run off like warm honey."

Look. I don't know about you but I have never really been a honey person and when I have had it I don't ever remember seeing it warm.

So those wondering and for my own reference.

source

How I do it

• Squirt a bit of floetrol in my cup, squirt my paint on top followed by another squirt of floetrol over it. I want to start with roughly a 1:1 ratio of paint to floetrol.

• Mix, mix, mix ~ until sides are scraped and all paint pigments have been blended into the floetrol.

• From here I either add more floetrol or I add more water until I get my warm honey consistency. Once I have that I stop.

• Once I have all my colours mixed I then add 1 drop of coconut serum in my shot glass and I'll stir it in a bit and let it marinate for a bit. (But this is more for the next post.)

TIPS

• I make a big batch of the colours I liked & store them in my spice jars. This way if I need more paint quickly all I need is to make minor adjustments instead of having to start from the beginning.

• It really does take a crap load of time to mix the paints up so when I can and have spare jars, I pick out a colour I want to use the next day, do my "floetrol + paint + floetrol" routine and leave it. The next day the paint would have mixed with the floetrol and only needs a bit of time stirring and fine tuning.

• Buy the big jug of Floetrol. TRUST ME.
  In terms of pouring mediums, the cheapest option is PVA . There are artist brands that sell their own pouring medium, but I've never tried them. If I were to pick one I'd go with Liquitex just because I love my basics set I and they're meant to be a decent brand. The pouring medium people seem to swear by the most is floetrol and yeh I'm on board that train too. My pours have improved 100% since I got it.

Now that the paint is prepped it's time for the pouring part! ... in my next post!

Happy Thursday Steemit!