Dirty Pouring with a Magic Ingredient

We all love a little sparkle, or at least I do, so I’m always looking for an opportunity to use a glitter or sparkle paint. But what if I could add some extra sparkle without any actual paint being involved? Time for my magic ingredient.

If you look back at some of my earlier experiments, you can learn more about where I used some soap making micas to create my own paint, and some of the projects where I used them:
* Making my own paints using mica
* Testing my mica paints on a mini canvas
* Pouring a record with my mica paints

I’d also made something else. Something magical? Perhaps. Time to test it. I used some fine iridescent glitter and mixed it with Floetrol to make something I could pour into my mixes and paintings. How would it perform? Let’s take a look –>

So I fell victim of the bending canvas panel again on this painting. Such a shame because it really was glorious before and then nice but not so glorious after the panel started to bend inwards and all the paint started to drain towards the center. I had to tilt it several times while it was drying to spread out the paint, and the nice design I had was mostly lost.

However what about the glitter? It dried really great. I’ll certainly be using that again.

Check out the slideshow below for lots more photos wet, dry and close ups of the details. Thanks for looking.

28 thoughts on “Dirty Pouring with a Magic Ingredient”

  1. At the end where you show the final dry canvas board, it looked like a giraffe.
    I thought it was wonderful.

    1. Have you tried to set your item on top of a piece of plywood or something to give you more support in the middle. Your pour was beautiful.

    2. Yes, I went back and could see a giraffe too, however I preferred it when wet. Thanks for your help, I’m still preparing for my first pour.

  2. Hi Deby:

    I really appreciate you sharing your tips and experience here. Nice work – I had the same thing happen with a canvas board. Looked pretty nice when I poured it, but hours later the board warped and I was left with a brown puddle in the center. Lesson learned!

    1. Seems sometimes they are fine, other times a disaster. Probably best to avoid them for pouring because of the wetness of the paint.

    2. Was a stretched canvas used? I always spray the back with water and let it tighten up before I paint. The canvas should sound like a drum.

    3. This was a canvas panel. Basically canvas glued to a piece of card. When it gets damp it sometimes warps, sometimes not. I’ve decided I can’t take the risk anymore, tried all the suggestions and they just aren’t reliable.

  3. It seems we have so many hobbies in common Deby. I didn’t actually make any soap but was interested in it and read so much and watched videos about it. Sewing was my next jaunt. I even became a collector of vintage machines. I still sew, but don’t always have to patience to finish something because I only have short periods of time to work on it. Then painting is another hobby I enjoy. I have created some pieces I’m proud of and then found out about acrylic pouring. Thus my new obsession.

    You are so wonderful in your videos. You explain everything and make it look easy. Thanks so much for all the fun you bring to yours and my hobbies.

    1. Thanks Tracey. Yes I understand about the sewing. Sometimes a single project can take weeks to finish where painting is a lot more instant gratification.

    2. I have undertaken to teach a blind woman from our Senior Center to do the dirty pour painting technique. Before she lost her vision, she did oil painting very skillfully. She has good ideas as to what and how to do things. So far we have had good results. Thanks for your tutoring!

  4. The dollar stores sell large wooden boxes that would work really well. If you didn’t want to keep it as a box just use outdoor spackle to close the seam.

  5. I tried putting something in the center underneath to keep it the same height as the edges while it dried and it worked pretty well

    1. Thats good to hear. I always find that it’s my corners that curl upwards off the cups, not the middle that sinks down. I think I’ll have to try to stick it down to a firm surface in future.

  6. Barbara Wasely

    If you find that after drying, there are a few edge spots that did not cover well, can you go back and put some paint back on without fear of it separating?

    1. Yes you can. You may want to just clean off any oil before you do your touch ups, but I do it here and there all the time if the sides are a bit thin in places.

  7. I love all your ideas and suggestions. I have all the supplies, but I haven’t got the nerve to try yet! I’ll keep reading and hope I’ll the nerve soon.

    1. It’s just a bit of paint, nothing can go wrong 🙂 Be prepared for some early failures, we all have them, but each one is an opportunity to learn.

  8. I’m very sensitive to scents, do I have to have a propane gun or can I use my heat gun for doing a dirty pour?

    1. You can certainly try an electric heat gun if the smell from the gas would be irritating for you. But do use it in a well-ventilated area and be careful not to scorch the paint.

  9. Do I have to use the propane gun? I don’t have one and honestly probably shouldn’t use one either lol.

    1. No, you don’t need to use a propane/butane gun. There are several alternative heat guns, or you could even try a hair blow dryer. More on that here if you’re curious!

  10. Love those colours and cells! I tried a canvas board yesterday, and though the pour turned out very nice. The board warped. 🙁

  11. LAURA CHANDLER

    Thanks for the great explanations Deby. I am going to be doing my very first pour later today and have decided, after seeing several of your videos, to go for a flip cup. I am a bit nervous because I am going to start off using some canvases. However, as you say, I’ll just give it a go and see what happens. Thanks again for your wisdom. 🙂

  12. Love watching your videos and I am in love with acrylic painting. Please tell me what you use to seal your work when finished. Do you have to use two part epoxy or is there something g easier? I don’t like the brush strokes. Does that mean it needs two coats? Thank you

  13. Hi Deby
    I am fairly new to acrylic pours but am really enjoying it. I have had the same problem with canvas panels bending but in my last one I also experienced the paint cracking as it dried. I was following some advice on a video that was to just use paint and water and no additional pouring medium. Do you know what causes the cracking and separating of paint. Thanks
    Heather

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