Some Of The Best Fluid Artist On Instagram Share Their Tips

I wanted to make the ultimate list of fluid art tips, so I thought what better way than to ask the pros. I shared all the tips I had. Then I asked some super inspiring artists to look over my tips and add what they have learned through their many experimenting!

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Hannah Collins is well known for the gorgeous pieces of circular art she creates. Here’s some advice she shared:

• “Be sure to make sure you are familiar with copyright. While some artists have no problem with having their work copied, others are against it. Being inspired to create your own work is great. Copying a piece with the intention of making your work look like someone else’s is not okay.”

• “House paints are great for fluid art. Tester pots are a cheap, but great alternative to acrylics. While the colors may not be as bright, they are very opaque and can create some wonderful pieces.”

• “If you don’t manage to completely cover the sides with the pour, you can paint them any color you like, or a complimentary one.”

•  “If you are working with wood or MDF it is best to prime the surface before painting. This will prevent warping and any chance of any stains seeping into the paint. B.I.N primer/sealer by Zinsser is my favorite.”

• “Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Often new and exciting techniques and color schemes can be discovered.”

• “Another way to tighten a canvas is to spray the back with water. Make sure it’s completely covered with water. Once dry, when you tap on the front it should sound like a drum.”

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Jenelle Elizabeth creates gorgeous mixed media and shares lots of videos of her process. Heres what she shared:

• “Start small. As appealing as big canvases can be, you want to save your money until you’re confident enough to cover that much space. I used to work on 4×4 and 5×7 canvas boards that each came in a 5 pack for a few dollars. Canvas boards also have space to write on the back so I could leave my notes there.”

• “Keep a notebook of your ratios/ observations”

• “Don’t pour too much water in your paint at once. Similar to cooking, you want to mix your water in batches with your paint. This helps you find the right consistency and avoid clumps.”

• “Mix and then mix some more (you don’t want any little clumps sneaking in!) For a 5oz cup I stir it for at least a minute.”

• “Be patient and enjoy the process. Fluid art takes a lot of experimenting and patience, but the reward is worth it. Not every painting is going to work out either, and that’s okay.”

• “Don’t struggle too much, if things just aren’t going your way let the painting take the lead.”

• “Step back every so often. It’s easy to get lost in the details of your fluid art, so if you notice yourself picking at one spot too much, step back and look at the bigger picture. Sometimes when I do this I realize I should just walk away and stop messing it up more (it can be so hard to stop playing with a painting).”

• “Start off with a small practice painting each time. I use this painting to get out all my negative feelings and to get rid of any nerves about wasting materials. Sometimes I realize all I wanted to do was just play with the paint, so I get to do that and then be serious on the main painting.”

• “Have a plan, but be ready to let go of expectations too. Fluid art is a delicate balance of control between you and your paint. It’s good to have a plan of how you’re going to pour, but don’t force yourself to stick to it if you have other ideas in the moment.”

• “I look for my consistency to be like cake batter”

• “Keep it simple until you’ve found a recipe that works (i.e. no oil or alcohol)”

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Briana Coleman creates awesome fluid art and is well known for providing awesome tips and answering questions. Heres some tips she has shared:

• “COMPOSITION: when tilting, focusing on the final composition of the flow is as important than focusing on the cells or micro-moments you like. Pause frequently when tilting to ask your self how the overall piece is shaping up. Golden paints titanium white does triple duty. 1) it increases the opacity of any other pigment instantly: 2) thins out a heavy body paint; and 3)  creates beautiful pastels and lighter values. Ps zinc white is the transparent sister of titanium white.” • “Don’t accept your initial pour as final. I use my flip cup as a base and then add to it. Free yourself to make in the moment decisions: adding a white corner so you don’t have to overstretch the cells; using strategic ribbon colors to enhance the shape; etc.” • “GESSO: I’m asked often why I gesso my boards or canvas. I always use Liquitex professional gesso to prep my surfaces because it: seals the board (prevents moisture the can cause the board to warp), gives a good tooth to the substrate to let the paint adhere better, provides a clean white base (in case my corners don’t get covered), help prevent cracking and crazing, and also minimizes the texture the texture that peeks through the canvas. PRO TIP: let the gesso dry completely before painting or cracks are more likely.” • “I’m often asked, “what are your ratios of paint to Floetrol?” The truth is: it depends! Each pigment requires a different amount and it is just about eyeballing and feeling -this is an intuitive art. You have to FEEL if your paints are the right consistency and adjust is not. After much practice, that allows you to pour the right amount every time without the need to adjust. Experience beats recipes every single will time.”

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Kari Hertzog creates simply gorgeous art. Heres some tips she shared:

•  “Always paint what you feel, not what you think others want to see and don’t be afraid to work outside of your comfort zone. Some of my best pieces have come from trying new techniques and taking risks. Practice with different mediums. Each medium is so different and challenging in its own way and they all serve different purposes and if you really want to get creative, try mixed media. That’s taking painting to a whole new level.”

•  “Learn from other artists. Study their techniques, watch their youtube videos and instructional tips on Instagram. Study their color palate choices but be authentic. No one appreciates a copycat and if you do create a piece similar to that of another artist you admire, make sure to give them credit. It’s nice to know our hard work is admirable and useful to other like-artists.”

•  “If you are wanting to practice fluid art, it is extremely important to prep your area and make sure it is very clean/absent of dust and dirt. Prep your board/canvas with gesso and I always tape off the backs of pieces for cleaner, paint-free surfaces. Make sure to mix all of your paint ahead of time and let the colors sit for at least a half-hour to get rid of bubbles. I personally do not like using silicone in my paints as I have been told that in time, silicone can cause paint separation between paint and surface area. However, I like to use different techniques like blowing through a straw, using a hair dryer, running a cake knife over certain areas to raise the bottom colors to the surface, etc. Also, it’s important to learn which colors are translucent and which ones are opaque as paints will respond differently based on this knowledge. Always remember that the color at the bottom of the cup will end up at the top of your pour. Use your pour as the basis for your painting but remember, there is SO much more you can do once those colors are laid out on your surface.”

•  “If you are working with resin, ALWAYS wear gloves and clothes that you could careless about because once resin gets on them, it’s almost impossible to get it off. Never use a heat gun or blow torch too close to a resin surface because you can not only burn the surface but can actually create wrinkles in your piece. Once poured, use a heat gun to heat up the resin and then spread it around with a credit card. This will help pop resin bubbles and is very easy to maneuver at the same time. Always tape whatever area you don’t want resin to cover and make sure that you have it securely attached to that surface. If resin gets underneath the tape, it’s a major job to remove it. Work fast and if you are resining large pieces, always cover the piece as you work so that you are protecting the already covered piece from dust and dirt particles floating around. Finally, always have everything prepped and ready to go before you start pouring. There is nothing worse than stopping in the middle of a pour to find your torch, spreading tool, or whatever it is you need in order to complete your pour.”

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Kelly Johnson creates awesome art and is sharing really cool process videos! Heres what she shared:

• “I would make sure to paint in an area that is not too breezy and is warmer rather than cooler. if it’s breezy or cool, your painting might crack. This happens when the top layer dries to quickly and paint underneath is still wet. the slower the piece can dry, the better!”

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Evgenia Suvorova creates a variety of amazing art. Heres some tips she shared:

• “If you are chasing those cells, those eye catchy magical formations you probably should try some sort of silicone additives. The list of different additives you can use is actually overwhelming, from silicone spray to coconut oil. I can’t tell you what the best formula is cause you need to decide for your self what your fancy is, but I find treadmill silicone oil works well for me as well as WD40. WD40 creates smaller cells, more intricate than treadmill silicone oil. The rule here is the less the better, maybe don’t even mix any in some of your paints, and see how different the result is. How you torch will also change the result. You will find that with WD40, for example, if you do not torch you might not even see any cell formations. Also, try adding Floetrol to your paint mix and maybe you will not even want any silicone additive in it as Floetrol adds to the cell formation with certain acrylic paints and the result is spectacular without any oil residue.”

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Brittany Akers creates pretty art with amazing cells. Heres some tips she shared:

• “Playing around with different transparencies can bring depth into a painting. When I’m planning colors, I try to layer opaque against a transparent or translucent paint, and vice versa. The opaque can brighten the translucent paint that sits on top of it, or it can create a new color without over mixing the paint, which can get muddy when you use contrasting colors.”

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Brittany Zick is well known for her mesmerizing colorful pour paintings filled with cells. Heres some advice she shared:

• “Record with video and narration. That way you can actually see what you are doing vs writing it down. Notes are easier to misunderstand and it sometimes hard to explain consistency in notes etc”

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Kristen Herrington creates large stunning pieces of fluid art. Heres some tips she shared:

• “Dark paint colors have a tendency to overpower light paint colors. Keep this in mind when adding black, or other deep colors to your surfaces. Less is more in some cases!”

•  “Paint when you feel it, not when you have a deadline to meet. I know this is easier said than done at times but your art is a reflection of what’s happening on the inside. Painting from an energetic space that is free and clear will almost always result in a more beautiful and accurate representation of self. Let it flow!”

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Britany Baum Creates Beautiful vibrant pieces of art. Heres some advice she shared:

• “Before I start any project, I like to take a couple minutes to tape off the back. It gives it a nice finishing touch with clean lines and also saves time later possibly sanding drips off when things get really messy!”

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Jennifer Krol has a uniquely beautiful style. Heres what she shared:

•  “Work in layers, I use one color at a time so I have control over where the colors are going. This helps with having a consistent look. Depending on your piece sometimes base colors to map out the different colors on canvas. But find the style and techniques that work best for you. Give the paint a purpose and with practice and time then you’ll know when you can let loose.”

• “Practice with different paint brands and the reaction they have to each other on canvas. You’ll be surprised at the different effects you get from different colors and paint brands.”

• “Add texture, besides layers of paint, use molding paste in your canvas prep to make the piece more interesting.”

• “Choose your colors wisely do a small test canvas, you don’t want your colors to look muddy. Study color wheels to make sure you have enough contrast and depth.”

• “Varnish! I love a high gloss varnish once paints are completely dry. I use Liquitex high gloss varnish to bring out the vibrancy in my paint colors, especially the dark rich colors.”

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Nancy Wood Creates absolutely  beautiful fluid art. Heres what she shared:

• ” Spread one color over the entire canvas before pouring color. This helps avoid over tilting that wastes paint and distorts cells.”

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Tatiana Mack creates awesome fluid art and shares videos of her techniques. Heres what she shared:

•  “When painting on the vinyl record, I use the masking tape to cover the hole from the back side. This way paint will not drip through the hole.”

• ” I like to use the 3-in1 or coconut oil as my oil additives to create cells. 
Torch your paint before moving it around – creates larger cells.”

•  “No matter how much you want to get to that finish line, be patient. Try to move paint slowly, cells do not get overstretched this way.”

•  “If you want to keep paints from mixing too much and creating mud, put layers of white in between your colors for a flip cup.”

•  “To keep your canvas elevated during painting and drying, you can use the pushpins. Pushpins will elevate your canvas and you do not need to worry about cups move from under the canvas.”

•  “To filter the Floetrol, you can use the fine strainer from your kitchen.”

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Wendy Stroik creates beautiful fluid art. Heres what she shared:

“Make sure you mix more than enough paint, especially if you are doing a bigger piece then you are used to. if you don’t and you start doing your pour, you may have to stop and mix more and while your doing that, your paint will start drying and you may not get the results you were hoping for.”

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Don’t forget to go check out all my tips!!

I want to give a big shout out and thank you to all the amazing artist who took part in this! Seriously if you need some inspiration go check these ladies Instagram’s out. very inspiring if I do say so myself! I hope this post taught you something new, I know I learned some great tips. If you found this post helpful, please share it! If you haven’t already be sure to go and check out all my fluid art tips. https://happilyevercrafty.com/fluid-art-tips/ Thanks for stopping by my blog. I would love to hear what you thought of this collection of tips and any tips you might have to share!

xoxo Taylor