With acrylic paint pours, there are a huge variety of questions people want to know about them, wether they are new to paint pouring, or they are interested in buying some of my art. But there is one question that is always top of that list of questions.
How long do paint pours take to dry? Most paint pours take between 24 and 48 hours to dry to the touch, and 3 to 4 weeks to cure before you can seal them. There are a lot of factors that can dictate the drying time, such as heat, humidity, airflow and the surface you paint on.
It always surprises people when I tell them that it does actually take 3 to 4 weeks until it is fully cured, but I will explain why and what will happen if a painting is sealed before it is completely cured.
Why It Takes A Paint Pour So Long To Dry
A paint pour is not like a typical acrylic painting where a brush is usually used to apply the paint. When using a brush, the paint is put on in quite thin layers, so will dry much quicker.
With an acrylic paint pour, there is a lot of paint poured onto the painting surface, and then usually tilted around to make it flow and cover the canvas. During this process, there will be some of the paint that is tipped off, but to keep the composition of the piece, there will be a lot left on, which is often very thick.
We also add different pouring mediums to the paint to help it to flow nicely, and most of the mediums prolong the drying time of the paint.
The amount of paint and the pouring mediums, both add extra time to the drying and curing process.
What Can Affect The Drying Time Of A Paint Pour?
- Temperature & Humidity make a big difference to the drying time of a paint pour, first of all where the painting was done, and then where the painting is placed to dry. It is best practice to create and store paintings in an area that has a constant room temperature with low humidity.
- Ventilation is also an important factor, it is not a good idea to place a painting in a cupboard to dry, as it really needs a good circulation of air flow. I don’t mean you should put it in front of a fan, or an open window, as this can cause cracking, but just in a room that has normal airflow.
- The Type Of Surface you paint on can also make a difference to the drying time, if the surface is porous, then the drying time will be quicker because it will dry from the top of the painting and also from the bottom. However, if the the surface you paint on is non porous, then it will only be able to dry from the surface of the painting, so will take longer to dry.
How Do You Make Acrylic Pour Dry Faster?
I don’t advise you to try and speed up the drying process of your acrylic pour painting.
This is not like a typical brush painting, with those, you can speed up the drying by using a hairdryer on a low level.
If you try to force dry a pour painting it could cause the painting to crack, as the top dries at a much faster rate than the paint below.
Don’t place your painting in direct sunlight or near a radiator to dry as that could also cause cracking.
There are a couple of things that will help naturally speed up the drying time, that is to make sure the humidity is below 75% and the temperature is 70° to 85°F, and you have airflow to all surfaces and edges of your painting… Putting it on a wire rack for example.
My DIY Painting Drying Rack
A great idea for a drying rack, if you have the space, is a wooden crib.
I bought this one secondhand from Facebook marketplace… I cut the legs off and turned it onto its end, then got some plywood sheets cut to size for the shelves.
I put some brackets on the back and attached it to the wall to keep it stable and level.
It works really well as it gives lots of drying area and the air can flow freely around it.
Make Sure Your Painting Is Completely Level
It is vital that when you place you paint pour in the drying area, that you make sure it is completely level.
It only has to be a couple of degrees out, and because the paint will still be fluid, it could move over to the side that is lowest and in some cases it could run off the canvas.
Once the paint starts to move towards one side, the weight of the paint will get heavier on the lower edge and will pull even more of the paint over with it.
How Long Does Your Paint Pour Need To Be Flat Whilst It Dries?
I typically leave my painting to dry flat for about a week, as it can appear to be dry before that, but it may still be wet on the bottom layers.
After that you could hang them on the wall to dry, or use something like a plate rack like this one I have.
make sure they are not touching each other, otherwise they will stick together, even after you think they are dry.
Another good idea it to hang them on a pegboard, but you will need to be carful not to poke the pegs through the canvas.
What Will Happen If You Seal Your Painting Before It’s Completely Cured?
If you resin or varnish your painting before it has completely cured, the top coat could go cloudy as the moisture tries to escape.
The varnish or resin could also crack as the paint underneath will still be moving slightly.
If you’ve taken the time, and spent the money, to do a painting, and it’s something you’re really happy with, then it is worth waiting a few weeks for it to dry completely before you seal it with anything at all.
Why Did My Acrylic Pour Crack?
Paint cracking on an acrylic paint pour is such a common problem, It has happened to me many times in the past.
There are a few reasons paint pours crack:
- The paint is too thick – I know it can be difficult to know what consistency to have your paint when you first start paint pouring, but if it is too thick, then unfortunately it does have a tendency to crack as it dries.
- The paints are not all the same consistency – If you don’t have all your paints the same thickness, then they will dry at different speeds, and if the top dries at a faster rate than the paints underneath, then as the bottom layers dry it will pull the top layer of the paint down causing cracking.
- Drying your painting too fast – If you dry your painting out too fast, for instance trying to force dry it with a hairdryer or heat gun, or placing it in direct sunlight or near a radiator, then it is very likely that it will crack.
You might find this article I wrote helpful – How Do You Prepare Acrylic Paint For Pouring – Best Results
A Top Tip That All Paint Pouring Artist Can Give You!
Don’t assume it is dry to the touch the very next day after you have done a paint pour… and put your finger on it to test it, only to find out it’s not!!
Not only have I done that, but my husband AND daughter have both done it with my paintings too!
Just because it looks dry, doesn’t mean it is dry!
I know I’m not alone in doing this, because so many of my paint pouring friends have done exactly the same thing.