Pouring paint is a fun way to make some abstract art. The charm of the whole thing, at least for me, lies in the fact that it works even if you are severely artistically challenged like I am.

Vidya and I have been talking about making some pieces of art by ourselves for years. We’ve bought and disposed of more than a couple of sets of art supplies because we have never got around to doing it. I suspect a lot of it has to do with my recalcitrance given that I cannot draw, paint or sketch worth a damn.

But then we came across paint pouring somewhere, and after watching a couple of videos, realized this might be our best chance to make some art. We procured some readymade pouring kits, set up a pouring station and finally made some art. While I don’t think it is anywhere near display quality, even in our own spaces, it was fun, and we definitely don’t hate what we made!

A few things we learned:

1. Definitely start off with a premade pouring kit. This helps a lot, and lets you get your hands dirty. Our third pour was definitely a lot better than our frst two – so there is something to be said for the power of repetition and learning!
2. Cover everything in and around your station – once you get pouring, you’re going to f\drip that paint everywhere. We used newspaper, and managed to keep all the dripping to the paper.
3. Gloves – preferably surgical rubber gloves. They allowed me to go crazy without worry about getting my hands stained with the paint.
4. Wear clothes you son’t mind getting paint on. No matter how careful you are with your smocks and aprons, your clothes are bound to get a spot or two on them. The more fun you have, the more paint you get everywhere!
5. At least initially, don’t bother too much trying to control the result of what you are doing – that is something you do after several pours.
6. YouTube is a rabbithole (like it usually is) and it shows some really complicated pours that require serious skill and practice. So don;t watch more than a couple of very introductory videos before you pour for the first time. After that of course, watching pouring videos can supplant your Netflix addiction!

So that’s our pouring story! We will mos probably do some more bigger pours sometime. Will update you then!

Watch a short video – 29 seconds – of the fun we had!