Day 18 of my acrylic pouring color theory series, an open cup acrylic pour, is the epitome of movement and has amazing cells and lacing.
If you’re curious about colors and color theory as it relates to acrylic pouring, head on over to my post about Choosing Colors for Acrylic Pouring and grab your FREE printable Color Wheel and Color Scheme Guides.
If you would like to follow along with my 30-day acrylic pouring color theory video series, grab your very own color wheel and color scheme guides and some paint, and head on over to the color theory section of Homebody Hall!
If you’re pouring for the first time and would like more explanation on materials, processes, and terms, you can head on over to my Beginner’s Guide to Acrylic Pouring. You can also head over to my Comprehensive Guide to Acrylic Pouring Techniques for more information on all of the different techniques and my How to Thin Acrylic Paint for Acrylic Pouring post to learn all about pouring mediums!
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Color of the Day (Day 18 – Open Cup Acrylic Pour):
- Green
Color Scheme:
- Split Complementary – Green, Red-violet, Red-orange
Shades Chosen:
- Green
- Red-violet
- Red-orange
Neutral Chosen:
- White
- Black
Technique:
- Open Cup Acrylic Pour
Paints:
All of the colors I used were mixed from the paint colors below. (Blue and yellow for green, red and orange (red and yellow for orange) for red-orange, and red and violet (blue and magenta for violet) for red-violet)
I used magenta for my violet hues because I think it makes a less muddy color because there isn’t a yellow undertone to it as there is with red. So if you ever want to make a very vivid violet color, go with magenta. I have found that I actually prefer the Liquitex Basics Quinacridone Magenta to the Artist’s Loft Brilliant Magenta.
- Artist’s Loft Brilliant Blue
- Artist’s Loft Brilliant Yellow
- Artist’s Loft Deep Red
- Liquitex Basics Titanium White
- Artist’s Loft Brilliant Magenta
- Master’s Touch Permanent Black
Pouring Medium:
- Floetrol
- Water
Canvas:
Tools:
- Open-ended cylinder, such as a cut down toilet paper roll or a small plastic cup with the bottom cut off
Sealant:
- Rustoleum American Accents Gloss Clear (1 thin coat)
Open Cup Acrylic Pour Video Tutorial
Open Cup Acrylic Pour Step by Step
- Lay down a thick layer of base paint on the canvas as a foundation for your open cup acrylic pour. Because my base layer was thicker for this one, I torched the base coat to get all the bubbles out.
- Place your cylinder onto your canvas and begin adding your paint to the cylinder. The order in which I added paint originally was: white, red-violet, red-orange.
- Begin to slide the cylinder along the canvas, adding paint to your cup as needed. Be conscious of the pattern that you move the cylinder in as this will dictate the movement in your final piece. As I went, I added different colors to balance out the composition. I added green, red-orange, white, red-violet, and white.
- Tilt as you’d like to stretch your cells and move your paint.
- You can always add the cyliner back to the canvas and add more paint to wherever it needs it to round out your painting. I added red-violet and white selectively andn also used the cylinder to adjust the composition.
Go Forth and Pour
And that’s how you make an open cup acrylic pour with tons of movement. Another way to do an open cup acrylic pour leaves the cup more stationary. Check out this open cup acrylic pour galaxy tutorial for a fun variation!
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Want to remember this open cup acrylic pour? Pin Day 18 of this Acrylic Pouring Color Theory Series to your favorite Pinterest Board!
