If you want to try paint pouring, but don’t have lots of canvases to practice on, then don’t worry, there is a simple and cost effective way you can still do paint pours without breaking the bank, and it’s a question I’ve been asked a lot over the years.
Can you paint pour on paper? Yes, absolutely you can, there are a lot of different paper types you can pour on, I find the best one is 140lb watercolor paper, but you can also use Yupo, photo paper and canvas.
Why Use Paper For Paint Pouring
It’s actually a great idea to paint pour on paper when you need to practice, because if you were always to paint on canvases, then you would need a heck of a lot of storage space. However, when you paint pour onto paper, you can easily stack them and they take up very little space.
Paper is a great surface to pour on when you are testing out color themes, or different paint pouring techniques. It’s a lot cheaper than using the more expensive canvases, or cradle boards too.
What Type Of Paper Should I Use For Acrylic paint Pouring?
There are quite a few different types of paper that can be used for paint pouring, I will outline the most popular ones and give you my thoughts on them as I think it will help you choose the type you would like to try
Watercolor Paper
I have tried and tested many different types of paper for my pours, but my favourite is Watercolor paper, and the brand I typically use is Strathmore’s 140lb, which is nice and thick, giving it extra strength which enables it to stand up to the water and paint that I pour onto it.
I do give it a couple of coats of gesso first, as this helps to strengthen the paper and it becomes less absorbent, You can also do the same on the back of the paper to give it even more structure.
Yupo Paper
I also use Yupo paper, and it’s a great option because it is quite a hard wearing paper and is completely smooth. It is actually made from 100% polypropylene, is non porous and completely waterproof. Because Yupo paper is so smooth, it means the paint flows very well over it and it doesn’t absorb the paint and water.
It is typically used by people that do art with alcohol inks for the very reasons stated above.
Another plus for Yupo paper, is that you don’t need to gesso it before you pour.
The reason it’s not my first choice of paper to pour on, is because I’m not 100% convinced that the paint won’t peel off after a period of time, but this is great for using to cut up to make jewellery out of.
Photo Paper
This has a similar finish to Yupo paper and is much cheaper, although it’s not as sturdy. It also helps the paint to flow easily so is a good option to use.
Now here’s something a little different, Magnetic photo paper! Just think of all the things you could make with this… I now have visions of everyones fridges being adorned with their creations cut into pretty shapes! 😃
Canvas
I’m not talking about a framed canvas, I mean the canvas you get in a pad, just like the other papers. With this type of canvas, you have the benefits of it being more cost effective and space saving, along with doing your paint pouring on the same texture as you would do on a regular framed canvas.
Canvas ‘paper’ is less likely to tear and is a really great choice.
Mixed Media Paper
This paper does have it’s uses, but sadly not for paint pouring! It is cheaper than all of the others, but it just doesn’t hold up well with the amount of moisture you typically get with paint pours.
How To Do An Acrylic Paint pour On Paper?
It may sound like an odd question, but there a few things to consider when doing a paint pour on paper, rather than a typical cradled canvas.
First of all, it is obviously not a rigid surface, so you need to have it supported somehow on a flat surface. You can cover your work surface with a protective plastic sheet and lay it directly onto that, but what I mostly use is a baker’s cooling rack.
By using a cooling rack, or something similar, I find it easier to tilt my painting to move the paint around. To prevent the paper from sliding around I put a little piece of double sided tape under it to help hold it in place on the rack.
Alternatively, you could tape it to a flat surface with low tack masking tape all around the edge of the paper. By doing this you will have a bare border when you remove the tape, if you prefer, you could paint this after it has dried with a contrasting color, or cut the bare edge off.
When I have used the masking tape around the edge, I leave it on for a few hours until the paint has stopped moving, but before it has completely dried, and then I carefully remove it.
Or you can simply hold onto the edges of the paper when it’s on the rack so it doesn’t slide off.
Be extra carful when picking up your painting when it’s still wet, as we don’t want any torn edges on our creations, so make sure to slide your hands underneath it for support.
Does Paper Curl When Used For Paint Pours?
The very short answer is, yes it can, but there is an easy fix for this.
When I use the watercolor paper, it often curls or wrinkles, but once it’s dry I spray the back of the paper with water and then place it between two pieces of kitchen towel and then sandwich them between two pieces of cardboard and place something heavy on the top, such as a big book, or a baking try with some weights in it.
I leave it like that overnight, and the next day they are beautifully flat again.
Some Advantages Of Using Paper To Paint Pour On
- If you have a commission painting to do, with particular colors or technique, then you can practice it on paper first, instead of going all in on a big canvas and then not be happy with the final outcome.
- A great idea when you are using paper to pour on, is to use the back of the painted paper to record your process. The technique you used, the brands and colors of paint, and any mediums you may have used.
- If you are not entirely happy with your painting, then the beauty of it being on paper is that you can cut it up and use it in collages.
- As already mentioned above, it is much cheaper to use Paper
Can You Still Use A Torch If Painting On Paper?
Yes you can still use a torch, but obviously with caution… Only torch if the paper is completely covered with paint, and hold the flame further away than you would with a pour on a regular style canvas or board.
With the plastic papers, like Yupo, you would have to use even more caution because you don’t want it to melt.
A good idea is to place the painting in a baking tray before you torch it for an added safety precaution.
What Can You Do With A Paint Pour On Paper
There are many ways you can use your painted papers, and this is one of the reasons I like doing them so much!
- You can use them to create beautiful birthday cards, which gives a real personal touch. But I would suggest cutting it, rather than folding the paper in half to ensure the paint doesn’t crack at the fold.
- You can also make some great jewellery by cutting the shape out to fit your bezel, sealing it with something like Mod Podge (front, back and the edges) and then fixing it into the bezel.
- When you paint onto paper, once it’s properly dried, you can scan them and use them as backgrounds. This is a particularly good idea if you are using silicone oil, as the printed image wouldn’t have the same problems we face with having to clean the silicone off.
- Another idea for your scanned images… You can sell them as digital downloads. I think this is such a great idea and a way that you can earn money to fund your painting.
- If you do scan it into your computer, you can then go on to embellish it with digital art. This is become very popular, and can look very effective if done right.
- Make bookmarks… Cut them into strips and glue two pieces back to back, you could attach a pretty tassel between the layers before you glue them, then laminate them.
- Cut them up and use in collages.
- When you do a painting that you particularly like, you can glue it onto a cradled canvas or board. I prefer the surface I’m gluing it onto, to be a little bigger than the painting, because I like to paint a contrasting colour around the edge.
How To Store Your Paintings
Make sure they are completely dry before you stack them at all… This could take several days.
When storing them, a great idea is to put a layer of freezer paper in between each one, that way it protects the paint and stops them sticking together.
It’s perfectly OK to stack them, this is one of the great advantages at being able to save on storage space and it won’t damage them at all.
I hope this has been helpful for you and you go on to have lots of fun with your paint pouring! 😃