Linda’s Acrylic Pour Class: March & April Supplies
Please bring to class:
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A loose-fitting shirt/or apron to cover your clothes—this method can be messy—and once acrylics dry, it is permanent, so protect your clothing.
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Papers or plastic covering to cover your car trunk or floor—for returning home with 2-3 wet canvases. If you wish to leave your paintings overnight, you may pick them up after 10:00am until Wednesday morning. This will safeguard any drips or smears or spoiling the paint until it is completely dry.
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Bring 4-6 acrylic craft paint colors of your choice to use in your painting.
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A small notepad for jotting notes and for your painting ‘recipe of colors’ you used/liked.
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Plan to have fun experimenting! This is what Acrylic Pour Method is all about.
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If you want to paint more than 2 paintings, bring your own extra canvas or object.
Supplies provided for you:
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Mixed colors: white, true red, navy blue, yellow, and black.
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3 canvases, 11” x 14” size. (If you wish to paint on another size to suit your home décor or gift idea, bring it to class.)
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Acrylic painting flow medium and cell activator, rubber gloves, tools, and a copy of the handout of instructions.
Handout of Instructions
Acrylic Pour Workshop
Monday, March 7th
Tuesday March 8th
Linda Bridges: If you have questions, please text message: Linda at 719-272-1947 or email: linda@lindakbridges.com .
I will begin and end promptly so those with other time commitments can leave on time.
NOTE: If there is inclement weather on class day, we will have the class on the next week, same times, following the bad weather alert contingent upon the availability of the room.
Please bring to class:
-
A loose-fitting shirt/or apron to cover your clothes—this method can be messy—and once acrylics dry, it is permanent, so protect your clothing. (I do not have extra clothing covers to lend you.
-
Papers or plastic covering to cover your car trunk or floor—for returning home with 2 wet canvases. Or if you wish to leave your paintings on location until the next day you may do so and pick them up on Wednesday morning after 10:00am. This will safeguard any drops or smears or spoiling the paint until it is completely dry.
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At least 4-6 acrylic craft paint colors to use in your painting. I will furnish white, true red, blue, yellow, and black.
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A small notepad for jotting notes and for your painting 'recipe of colors' you used/liked.
-
Plan to have fun experimenting! This is what Acrylic Pour Method is all about.
-
If you want to paint more than 2 paintings each class, please bring your own extra canvas or objects.
Here are some things to understand about Acrylic Pours (also called Kinetic Art)
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Have fun and let the paint create as you watch!
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Don't over-tip your canvas as you pour and spread the liquid over the surface of your canvas. Move slowly.
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Pick a few of your favorite colors, or colors of a room you plan to hang your finished art. DON'T OVER THINK THIS—4-6 colors are great. Bright colors and at least one metallic color make some brilliant combinations.
Three Methods you'll learn in this beginner class are:
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Dirty Pour with Flip, Drag, Tilt techniques
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Clean Pour & Swipe (using straw blowing
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String pulling/chain pulling technique to create designs, flowers, and leafy patterns in the wet paint
ABOUT THE PAINT
You can use any latex-based paint—even left-over house paint (it spreads more than regular acrylic—and is good for large pieces). Here are some name brands I have used: Artist Loft Flow Acrylic: Creative Expressions Acrylic Paint, Golden Acrylic paints, Master's Touch Acrylics, or any of the Craft Acrylics found at Walmart, Hobby Lobby or Michaels (Anita's All-Purpose Acrylic Craft Paint; Deco Art by Americana; or Applewood)
2oz sizes are substantial to start with. Later, add to your supply a large white, black, red, and green—or any color you use a lot.
THE PAINT SURFACE
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In this class, we will be using 2 gallery wrapped canvases and one ceramic tile.
Art paper and the flat canvas boards warp because of the amount of liquid you use in this method, so canvas or wood panels are the surface I prefer to work with.
Previously used canvases can be painted over— ‘repurposing’ an old picture you have hanging around or stuffed into a closet—is a plus for this method! (Find usable canvases at Goodwill, secondhand shops/yard sales and/or your basement closet! 😊) These must be washed down with a damp soapy cloth to remove dust and any buildup from their previous environment. A final swipe with alcohol removes any remaining residue.
Later, you can experiment with other surfaces such as flowerpots, glass, wood, metal tin boxes or plates, trays, old guitars, or—even tabletops!
Additives that I will use are FLOOD and Silicone Three-in-One oil. I will supply these for my classes.
These are used to increase paint flow, slowing down the drying time and to help cell formation: You can find these in the paint department at Lowes or Ace Hardware or Home Depot later for your own use.
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The 3-In-One Silicone is the brand name.
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Flood—Floetrol Brand is (Latex Based) as thinning and leveling agent
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Equipment: a heat gun (find on Amazon) or a small culinary blow torch (also on Amazon) for under $15. These are not totally necessary, but nice to have for trying different effects. I will provide these for our classes.
EXTRAS: You can try different effects on your painting: try sand, glitter, rocks, small sticks, leaves or anything you dream up to get the effect you want to try. Use a pallet knife, toothpick, kabob skewer, stick, or other tool to drag through your painting to create swirls or movement in the direction you want to go.
Cotton or wool string dipped in a favorite color and pulled through your painting for a flower effect is also beautiful. (This technique will be demonstrated.)
Finishing and Signing Your Painting: Wait until your painting is completely dry—12 to 24 hours to be safe. You can seal it with a clear lacquer or enamel finish—glossy or matt, according to your preference.
Some brands I use are:
Minwax Water Based Polycrylic Protective Finish-available in quart size at Loews or Home Depot or Lowes (this does not cause yellowing of white paints over time as some varnishes do).
Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover Clear Gloss-fast drying.
Or Rust-Oleum Spray lacquer-clear Gloss
Krylon Kamar Varnish #1312 (non-yellowing protection for oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings.
For abstract pieces, sign it on the back side—because you never know the orientation you or the purchaser may choose to view on these abstracts, or on the front if you wish with a white or black uni-ball "Signo" pen. They write on acrylic surfaces well.
WARNING:
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These paints muddy quickly, so be careful not to overwork it with your swiping tools or over tilt it. The changes happen quickly.
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Cover your tables and flooring before beginning a painting. These paints are messy—You can buy heavy tarp-like plastics at Walmart or use old plastic tablecloths, or large sheets of paper, or cardboard you can toss after a painting session or two. I find the builders' paper wonderful for placing around my tables to keep drips from hitting the floor.
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Cover yourself—save your clothing by wearing a work smock or old shirt.
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Cover your hands—I use the disposable lightweight latex gloves (I furnish these for the classes..
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Use push pins or small cups to hold your canvas off the tabletop. As paints dry they stick to the surfaces. I like the cups—but I will show you how to use the push-tacks/pins, also.
FRAMING YOUR ART: The finishing touch to a beautiful painting is the right frame. I have purchased floater frames from Jerry's Artarama: https://www.jerrysartarama.com They are reasonably priced and came within about a week. Or check with Academy Art & Frames Company in Colorado Springs. They do beautiful custom framing for reasonable prices and have a large variety of frames to choose from in their store.
See: https://www.academyframesco.com/
Address: 7560 N. Academy Blvd. Colorado Spgs, CO 90920 (719)265-6694)
Keep dreaming about the different techniques you want to try—
Now—"Go Do It!”