Gray Matters: The Calming Gray Pour

I’ve been on a gray kick lately—and I don’t mean my mood! It seems like soft or deep cool grays have found their way into every corner of my life… my studio walls, my clothes, and now, my pours.

Creating a gray monochromatic pour might not seem very exciting, but there’s something very classy about an understated, muted palette that fits into just about any home’s decor.

Supplies I Used

• Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paint in White and Mars Black
• Nicole’s Craft Paint in Admiral (a rich, deep navy)

I love to create a very cashmere-soft gray by mixing six parts white with about one part black and a few drops of Admiral. Depending on the amount of black, the color can be deep and rich or “rain cloud on a spring day” light. If you use a navy to tint your gray, just be extra sure to mix thoroughly and don’t add too much, or you’ll end up with more of a dusty blue.

Choosing Grays

I have a belief that less is more when it comes to choosing shades for a monochromatic pour. Depending on your desired result, you’ll want to choose your color combination.

Light, medium, dark

You’ll get a lot of contrast and will also hit a large range of color mixtures as light mixes with medium, dark with light etc.

Medium, dark or light, medium

You will see more subtle swirling and patterns which can be very appealing in their ghostly appearance. Expect less contrast between colors.

Time to Pour!

If you’ve chosen a high contrast combination, layer your colors accordingly in your cup. For example, do a light layer followed by your darkest layer, followed by light, followed by medium—you get the drift!

You can use any pouring technique to create a monochromatic pour. Tree ring pours are especially stunning and pairing them with a monochromatic color scheme can give a very natural appearance to your creation.

Be creative with your technique, and choose your colors wisely to achieve your perfect monochromatic masterpiece!