You said YES to the mess! Thank you so much for your support. Whether or not you’ve already taken one of my paint pour classes, I hope you enjoy this messy and fun experience!
A few notes before we dig in:
The paint included in this kit is already pre-mixed with my preferred pouring recipe and is ready to be layered in the included cup. Your cup is already marked for the appropriate, approximate amount of paint needed to fully cover the 8” x 10” canvas.
Now, let’s begin!
First, prepare your work surface (a level one!) by laying out either some plastic drop cloth, or perhaps a foil, disposable baking pan to catch your excess paint. I prefer to elevate my canvas by either propping it onto some cups, using push pins in the back of the canvas, or sitting it on painters’ triangles. Elevating your canvas allows the paint to flow over the edges and not stick to your surface as it dries.
Give your paint bottles a little shake, and then layer your colors in whatever order strikes your fancy, filling the cup to the marked line. Please know that part of the fun with paint pouring is not knowing exactly what kind of outcome you will get! – You can try to have a dominant color by using more of one than others, but of course the results are never guaranteed. Keep in mind the basic color mixing principles, such as, if you layer blue and yellow on top of each other, you’ll likely get some green. If you layer blue and red on top of each other, you will likely get some purple, etc.
Once your cup is ready, you’ll want to hold your cup in one hand, while flipping the canvas front over on top of the cup, holding the back of the canvas against it to create suction. Then, continuing to hold the cup against the canvas with your other hand, flip the cup and canvas over (maintaining suction) and set it back down. Your cup should stay upside down on the canvas for a moment, allowing the paint to start to flow down the edges of the cup. When you’re ready, lift the cup up and away from the canvas, and watch the magic start to happen! Your paint will begin to flow over the canvas, and at this point, you can pick it up and begin tilting to each side/corner to create full coverage on your canvas. Try not to get too attached to the initial designs you see, as they will stretch and move as you tilt your canvas (there are tricks to avoid this that I share in my painting classes).
Once you’re done tilting, don’t forget to check the edges of your canvas for missed spots! I tend to just dab my finger in the “spillover” and touch those spots up.
There you have it! It’s possible that the composition of your painting will continue to change a bit over the next 20 minutes or so. Please note your colors may also darken more as it dries. Place your artwork in a safe space to dry for at least the next 48 hours. Temperature and humidity will affect exactly how long it takes your art to dry, but in my experience, it’s almost always dry within 72 hours at most.
If you enjoyed this DIY project! If you would like a more hands-on, detailed experience, including paint mixing recipes, tips & tricks, and different pouring techniques, please consider signing up for one of my in-person classes at Bonura Studios! Class schedules can be found online at www.bonurastudios.com and www.sayyestothemess.art and we always share the class details and events on social media; please follow Bonura Studios and Say Yes to The Mess on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date!
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