Paint Pouring - Notes on My first Attempt

Video HERE

Not actually the video I promised to publish this week... small problem with the memory card deleted the whole thing, plus a couple of other projects... not happy, but these things will happen (usually when I think I'm all organized and get things done ahead of deadline!)

Peter Brown published a video on resin pouring a couple of months ago, and it looked really good, so I was tempted to do one of my own, however, I don't have a seemingly endless stock of resin... which led me to paint pouring instead. This is pretty much the same technique, but for about 10% of the price...

You will need:
Wooden Box or a sheet of wood*
Screwdriver
Acrylic Paints
Brush
Sandpaper
Masking Tape (optional)
Newspaper or something to cover your surface
Blocks of some kind to lift the wood off the surface
Apron + Gloves
Disposable Cups**
PVA Glue
Water
Spray Lubricant (I use WD40)
Stirring Sticks
Heat Tool (optional)
Varnish

*Whatever size or shape you like. The usual choice is a sheet of ply or MDF. I used a selection of small craft shop standard boxes - pine sided, ply top. I half expected this to be a failure so I wasn't going to use anything more expensive - and thinking of that I don't think an expensive wood would benefit from this technique anyway. So go cheap, just remember to do a good job of the preparation before you start.
**I used plastic, you can use paper. A standard sized cup for mixing the colours and a shot glass for the pouring. Obviously, something bigger will be required for larger pieces.

Method:*

1. Prepare your wood/boxes. Remove the fittings then fill any cracks or splits and sand smooth, raise the grain with water and sand smooth - to 180 at least, you will not be able to go back and finish the wood after pouring.
2. Use a base coat of acrylic or primer, then sand again.** If you're aiming for a clean edge then use tape to mask off as required - a good smooth finish will also help to keep a crisp line and reduce bleed-through. You can paint the overall body of the box now to save a stage later, or wait and use the top coat to cover any spills or unwanted drips later.
3. Arrange your wood over some newspaper on raised blocks to allow for the excess to drip off. MAKE SURE it is level in all directions.
4. Mix your paint. Start with 50:50 paint:PVA, then mix in enough water to get a consistency like cream. Spray in a little lubricant.
5. Add a splash of 3-4 colours into a small cup, with another spray of lubricant - let them settle however they will, do not stir.
6. Invert the cup onto the wood and allow it to sit for a few seconds before pulling it off. Gently tip the wood so that the paint flows across the surface evenly.
7. You can swipe once or twice with  a stirring stick or piece of plastic to encourage mixing, but DON'T FIDDLE or the colours will get muddy. You can also add more paint in small additions, but be careful not to smother the patterns as they emerge.
8. If you have a heat tool use it to gently blow the paint and also make it more fluid.
9. Leave to dry for at least 2 days, the lubricant will slow this process considerably.
10. Once dry remove any masking tape and apply top coat of body colour and varnish to finish.***
11. If required, you can add a strip of ribbon to accentuate (or hide) the transition.

* I suspect that much of what I did was wrong so have a look at some of the other videos online before you start. This is what I think is the ideal approach...
**Like most woodworkers I hate sanding, but this really benefits from a good foundation. If using acrylic as a base give the top a very good sanding to break the surface up and reduce beading.
***I lined with felt and stuck some foam on the bottoms because I like the neater finish.

I started this with 6 boxes of different shapes, expecting them all to go wrong... however, only 1 box was a fail and that was down to me not being able to leave it alone to dry. I just kept fiddling until the colours turned muddy, but 1 out of 6 isn't bad for a first attempt!

There is no real way of predicting how this technique will look, the colours marble together and mingle in odd ways that also change as they dry, continuing to blend because of the lubricant. I have plans for some more of these, and perhaps a few boards to sell as art... the future is bright... it might actually include resin!