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PAINTING

How to Make Your Own Fluid

Acrylics
By
MARION BODDY-EVANS
Updated on 12/09/19

portishead1/iStock

Fluid acrylics are acrylic paints with a runny or thin

consistency, designed to flow and spread easily without
sacrificing color intensity. Fluid acrylics are ideal for pouring
or dribbling paint, rather than applying it with a brush.

Various paint manufacturers sell fluid acrylics, but if it's only

something you're going to want occasionally, you can make
your own version from your usual, more buttery acrylics (it
works best if the tube of paint you're using is artist's
quality and soft-body). Here's how to do it:

01 S 1 Fi d S i bl C i
01 Step 1: Find a Suitable Container Ad
of
09 Squeeze bottles

Marion Boddy-Evans

Ideally, you want a container that is squeezable and has a

nozzle for creating a fine line, but also has an opening that's
big enough to put a brush into should you want to load your
brush. You can often find inexpensive squeeze bottles at a
craft store or discount store.

If you know someone who does a lot of fabric painting or

decorative painting, they'll likely have paint in a similar bottle,
so ask them to save you an empty one. Or you can purchase
your own squeeze bottles in various sizes (Buy from Amazon),
your own squeeze bottles in various sizes (Buy from Amazon),
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depending on how often and how much fluid paint you will
use.

Continue to 2 of 9 below.

02 Step 2: Add Medium/Water

of
09
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Adding water

Marion Boddy-Evans

You can just use water to dilute acrylics, but remember you
don't really want to use more than 50% water (to the volume of
paint) otherwise you run the risk of the paint losing its
adhesive properties. It is better to use a 50:50 mixture of water
and a glazing medium such as Golden Acrylic Glazing Liquid
(Buy from Amazon) or Liquitex Professional Glazing Fluid
Medium (Buy from Amazon).

A dispersing medium would also work, but check the label to

see how much is 'safe' to use. With some, if you use a lot, the
paint may become water-soluble which could be a nuisance
paint may become water soluble which could be a nuisance
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when applying further layers of paint.

03 Step 3: Add 'Normal' Acrylic Paint

of
Adding
09 normal acrylic

Marion Boddy-Evans

Once you have your fluids in your container, it's time to add

some paint. How much is something you'll have to figure out
th ht i l d b d th thi k f th i t
through trial and error based on the thickness of the paint you Ad

are using. Too much and the paint won't be fluid enough, too
little and your fluid acrylic won't have much strength in its
color. It is best to stick to opaque colors rather than
transparent for a stronger result. Titanium White in a tube is
an opaque white that can easily be made​into a fluid white
paint with good coverage.

Another option worth considering is to use an acrylic ink

rather than paint, as these have a very fluid consistency and
intense colors.

04 Step 4: Consider Making a Funnel

of
09
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Making a foil funnel

Marion Boddy-Evans

If you are having trouble pouring medium into your

container, make a funnel using a piece of aluminum foil. Fold
it into a triangle, then around your finger or pencil to keep a
hole open, and crimp the edges together. Don't stress over it;
it's meant to be functional and disposable, not a work of art!

Continue to 5 of 9 below.
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05 Step 5: Mix It All Together Thoroughly

of
Mixing
09 it all together

Marion Boddy-Evans

Marion Boddy-Evans
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Mixing it all together is the boring part as you have to ensure

it's done thoroughly. Otherwise, you will get medium on its
own and little lumps of paint. Use a coffee stirrer or an
equivalent to stir it or shake the mixture gently so as not to get
air bubbles. If you can get hold of one, add a small ball bearing
in the bottle to help with mixing. 

06 Step 6: Using Your Fluid Acrylic

of
09 Putting your acrylics to use

Marion Boddy-Evans
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Spend a bit of time practicing the kinds of marks you can

make with your fluid acrylic. It will be influenced, for
instance, by how narrow the nozzle is on your bottle, how fast
you move across the canvas, and how hard you squeeze.

07 Step 7: Clean the Nozzle When You're

of
09 Done
Cleaning the nozzle

i dd

Marion Boddy-Evans
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Take the time to clean the nozzle of the container thoroughly

when you have finished painting. Yes, it's tedious to do, but if
you don't do that the paint will dry in it and clog it. You might
find a meat skewer, toothpick, or large sewing needle useful
for keeping the tip of the nozzle clear.

08 Step 8: Ensuring an Air-Tight Seal

of
Ensuring
09 an air-tight seal

Marion Boddy-Evans

As acrylics dry when the water evaporates, you need to check

that the container you are using for your fluid acrylics is air-
tight or well sealed. To ensure the paint is sealed in air-tight
and thus won't dry out too quickly, unscrew the nozzle, place a
a d t us wo t d y out too qu c y, u sc ew t e o e, p ace a
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small piece of plastic wrap over the bottle, then screw the
nozzle back on again.

Continue to 9 of 9 below.

09 Step 9: Experimenting With Fluid

of
09 Acrylics
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Drips of fluid acrylic paint

Fluid acrylics used for glazing and dripping

Lisa Marder

Fluid acrylics are good for many different ways of painting.

They are the best acrylic paints to use for watercolor-like
effects without diluting the color, since it takes less water to
thin them than is needed to thin heavier-bodied acrylics. For
watercolor effects, thin the paint down even more than you
normally would. A ratio of one part paint to three parts water
should be enough to break down the acrylic binder so that the
paint acts like watercolor.

Also use fluid acrylics for glazing over another color, for
d ( d k ll f h ) f
creating drips (an eye dropper works well for this), for Ad

bleeding colors into each other, and for pouring. To get an

even surface when pouring, mix fluid acrylics with Pouring
Medium (Buy from Amazon) in a ratio of 1 cup of pouring
medium to 1 tablespoon of paint. 

Watch Liquitex Pouring Medium and Using Liquitex Pouring

Medium, by Michele Theberge to see how to create a resin-
like coat on your paintings. 

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