Whenever I do a pour painting, my natural inclination is to pick up several shades of blue and start mixing. Turquoise is my favorite color, and the liquid nature of pouring pushes toward a water-themed painting almost every time. Almost every time—but not this time. On this pour, I wanted something different. I wanted something exciting rather than soothing. I wanted something bold rather than calm. I was looking for some fire!
Supplies I Used
- Paints by Apple Barrel. The three colors used were: Black, Real Red, and Real Yellow.
- Silicone by 3in1 (The same company that makes 3in1 oil)
- Zinsser Paint Booster (a.k.a., Zinsser Flow Control Additive)
- Water (In Atlanta, I use the water right out of the faucet, but you may need to use bottled water.)
- One 16×20 inch canvas
I had never done a fire pour before, so I decided to keep things simple. I would only use two colors plus a swipe color. I went with what I had on hand, which was “Real Red” and “Real Yellow,” plus black, all made by Apple Barrel.
Lately, I have moved away from using Floetrol and have just been adding water to my paints, plus a few shots of Zinsser Paint Booster to help prevent the paint from cracking when it dries. I mixed up the red and yellow to a creamy consistency and left my black paint nice and thick.
I like to work fairly large, so I used a 16×20 inch canvas. I added several drops (actually a small squirt) of silicone to the red and yellow paints and poured it across the canvas. Finally, I poured on the black and carefully swiped it across the canvas.
What emerged was dramatic. The yellow and red stayed bright and the black added some beautiful dark contrast. I used a torch on the canvas just out of curiosity, to see if more cells would appear. A few did, but the piece mostly maintained its original splendor.
I think my fiery pour was a success. Take a look and see if you agree.
Steve Shaw is an artist and teacher living in Atlanta, Georgia. His days are spent in the classroom teaching his students the basics of art and self-expression. In the evenings and weekends, he paints. Steve has shown his work in several galleries in the Southeast and has illustrated three children’s books. Recently Steve has discovered acrylic pour painting and is putting all his other projects on hold while he journeys down this artistic road.
To see more, follow him on Instagram, visit his website, watch his videos on his YouTube Channel and purchase his paintings at Etsy.com.