Fluid Art basics – How to get started?

Preparing for your first fluid art casting

Perhaps the first question you might ask is how to get ready, how to set up the venue?

Make sure you choose a place where you can create comfortably, so it's important that you have enough space.
It is also helpful to have hand washing facilities nearby. If this isn't feasible, keep a large pot of water next to you, as well as paper towels or kitchen towels that you won't regret if it gets stained.

Since the paint will run off the medium density fibre board (MDF), it is advisable to use a box or a tray (see below) or choose a place where the paint can be easily washed away or wiped off if it gets spilled. You can also apply protective foil and even a garbage bag liner to prevent damage to surfaces, if necessary.

Remember to pay attention to the safety of your cloths. We recommend wearing a "play dress" or an apron. Unfortunately, even with the utmost care, you may still end up with stains, so we'd encourage to wear an outfit that you don't regret.

Once preparations are done, what materials will you need for fluid art?

• For beginners and those new to the subject, we advocate the use of the ready-to-use fluid art paints because they are easy and quick to work with and produce beautiful artwork. Feedbacks confirm that these products are also preferred by experienced artists, as they speed up the preparation significantly, leaving more time for the creative part of the process.

• If you prefer to mix the paint yourself, start by mixing acrylic paint with pouring medium. For the dilution ratio, we generally recommend one-part acrylic paint to four parts pouring medium. With this formula you can form the paint yourself to a consistency that you are happy with - you can still dilute it with water if necessary. In fact, beyond a point of experimentation, you can browse the web and find lots of specific recipes on how and with what to dilute acrylic paint for a particular technique.

• You will also need silicone oil for the " cellularisation ".

• Finally, you will also need an MDF, a frame, a canvas, or some other fluid art surface you would like to cast on.

What other tools will you need for creating fluid art?

• A large plastic or cardboard box (e.g., a banana box is one of my personal favourites), a tray or any similar container where you can safely drain off the excess paint from the MDF.

• A protective foil, trash bags, tablecloths, sheets, or waxed canvas to protect the surface you are working on.

• A small plastic box or bucket to put the MDF on, so excess paint can easily drip off.

• A container in which you can layer the paint for pouring, such as a glass or plastic cup.

• A cook torch or heat gun to blow out air bubbles.

• A spatula to mix the silicone oil.

• A " play dress " or apron.

• Water, paper towels, sponges for accidental paint stains.

• Rubber gloves or foil gloves to protect your hands.

Flip-cup technique - flip your canvas upside down

The Flip-cup technique is highly recommended for beginners and for those who feel they have no manual skills (which is not true, they do!!). It's one of the easiest and most popular techniques, which guarantees a sense of achievement and fun, and allows you to get to know fluid art paints (never used before), different materials, tools and the abstract art itself without being noticed. So how to get started?

• Follow the instructions above and then place the MDF or canvas on a box or bucket.

• Make the Printex Fluid Art or paints that you have mixed ready to hand. You should not work with more than 4-5 colours initially, but a little white is almost always advisable. This will add character to the painting and avoid any darkening that may occur during drying. You can read more about this here.

• Start applying layers of the paint into an empty container, such as a glass or plastic cup. Drip 2-3 drops of silicone oil into the first layer - just mix it with a few strokes - and then add the colours one after the other. You will need about 2-2.5 dl of paint for a 25x25 cm MDF.

• When you're ready, place the MDF on top of the glass, hold them tight, and then in one swift, firm motion, flip the MDF upside down with the glass. Wait for half a minute to allow the paint to flow off well, then carefully lift the glass up and let the paint pour out.

• Tilt the MDF in all directions to allow the paint to spread over the entire surface.

• Use a cooking torch or heat gun to pop the air bubbles.

• Delight in your painting.

• Finally, let it dry. After about 2-3 days of drying, you can no longer "touch" it, since full drying period for the MDF takes at least 3 weeks (depending on the conditions e.g., temperature, humidity, etc.). You can varnish once it is fully dry if you like.

More tips and ideas:

• If you are using a frame or canvas, make sure you have a proper support, as the weight of the paint can cause the canvas to bend and make paint to pool in spots.

• Pour a little paint into the corners of the MDF so that it can spread more easily in the corners.

• When the paint starts to spread, observe the pattern, and find the part that you like best. When tilting the MDF, "watch" this part, keep it on the board, don't let it slip away.

• You can use the cook torch/heat gun immediately after lifting the glass, or later when you have spread the paint over the entire surface. If you start blowing sooner, larger cells will form.

Still have questions? We're pleased to provide you with answers! Visit us in our Budapest store (11 Hajdu Street, 1139 Budapest, Hungary) and ask any question you have in person or contact us via email, Facebook, or Instagram. 

• Preparing for your first fluid art casting

• Perhaps the first question you might ask is how to get ready, how to set up the venue?

• Once preparations are done, what materials will you need for fluid art?

• What other tools will you need for creating fluid art?

• Flip-cup technique - flip your canvas upside down

• More tips and ideas