If you haven’t been following along you may want to skip back and watch the two previous videos—Beginning an Acrylic Pouring Landscape Series and Continuing in Creating an Acrylic Pouring Landscape. What I am trying to do is figure out how to use acrylic pouring techniques to create paintings that retain the beautiful unpredictability of a pour, but at the same time are recognizable as a landscape. This is my third video in the series and I’m learning a little more with every pour.
First attempt using the tilting technique:
Second attempt using a horizontal swiping technique:
This video shows my third landscape attempt and with each pour I try to build on what I have leaned from previous pours. So far I have discovered a few things that you may want to keep in mind if you are also trying poured landscapes:
Pouring horizontal lines of paint and swiping from side to side seems to work better than pouring lines and tilting.
Try to incorporate the rule of thirds—use 2/3 of the canvas for land and 1/3 for sky.
Choose a color for your sky that is much lighter than the colors used for the land. In my case I’m using a much lighter blue for the sky. It seems to better convey the idea that the painting is supposed to be interpreted as a landscape.
In this video I am trying two new things. I am taping off the sky area with blue painters tape and I am using a light yellow for the sky. We’ll see if these tricks make it to the list.
Here is a photo of the painting created in the video:
Detail of painting
In the video I try to share with you some of the thoughts that to come to mind as I paint. One bit of advice is to follow through with your ideas. Not many artists find success with their first attempt. My first, second, and third attempt is not the vision I have in mind for these landscape pours but I’m not giving up. Try to learn something from each pour and continue with the journey. I really want you to know that you can try new things and succeed. By watching me make mistakes (and have successes) I hope it removes some of the “fear of the unknown” so you will be inspired to get out your paints and start pouring.
One thing I think all of these landscapes are missing is a distinct horizon line. I believe figuring out how to create and more importantly, hold onto, a distinct horizon line will be challenge for the next video.
What to Read Next:
New Technique: Invading Tree Ring Acrylic Pouring
Creating A Nightmare Before Christmas Swipe Pour
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.
Fantastic Steve I enjoy watching you create
Re the 2nd ‘failure’ that you showed in the video…. can’t you see how it looks like a view down onto earth from up in the sky – its wonderful!!
Hello! I too recently discovered pour painting. I had been trying to think of something different, how to make pour painting more unique but keep the basics. I love nature, landscapes, mountains, rivers, oceans, you name it. So I got the idea landscapes and started searching techniques in pour painting. I came across your page and have found so much inspiration! Thank you and keep at it. Loved watching your videos!