Pour art development - mixing, colour and consistency

I find the colours I use in the paintings I make to have a dramatic effect on the outcome of the piece. Because colour is so important to me within my practice, I tend to spend up to an hour or two simply mixing the right colours for the paint pours, before any painting takes place. I find that using colour straight from the tube can sometimes dampen the quality of the paintings and can result in your work looking too ‘samey’ and generic. I find that mixing my own paints allows me to create my own artistic aesthetic that is personal to my style and reflects the narrative I’m trying to portray; something that will aid in my creation of 'Gehenna'.

Alongside the importance of creating a colour palette that is pleasing to the eye is the consistency of the paint mixture. If the mixture is too watery or too thick, the paint simply won’t have the correct body to spread organically across the surface of the canvas in a way that allows you to manipulate the direction of the pour. It is essential that the mixture is ‘just right’ to achieve a successful pour that isn’t ‘muddy’, ‘merky’ or ‘clumpy’ in appearance. Once the colour and consistency of the paint is of a standard that allows the pouring to work successfully, I then apply the paint to the prepared backgrounds. 

More often than not, once I have poured the pre mixed paint onto all the prepared canvases, I am left with a selection of cups half filled with left over paint from the previous pours. With the dregs from each of the different cups, I pour them all into the same cup to create a multi layered cross section of paint that’s ready to pour. Often, these pours end up being my favourite, as the colours featured in the paintings are so varied. Alongside this, the pressure with these pours are virtually non existent because you’re simply using up paints that you don’t want to go to waste. The pressure to pour the paint in a compositionally attractive form is eradicated and you can simply play with the leftovers.

Pour art development

Before proceeding with my 'Gehenna' painting, I have been developing my paint pouring skills in a variety of ways to ensure that my techniques are up to scratch before committing to a final planned piece. There are certain areas within the thumbnail that I'd like to fill with paint pours to create a multi-dimensional, multi-media affect to the piece; further accentuating its otherworldly and surrealist aesthetic. I started by creating a series of 'test' pieces on a smaller scale, working with acrylic and canvas. 

I primed the surfaces with two base layers of gesso, as this helps to preserve the paint’s pigment on the canvas after having being mixed with the paint pouring medium (in this instance, floetrol). I then applied a base colour to each of the canvases. Once this had dried, I experimented by using some spray paint on the canvas (a medium I’ve not used before, so this was an interesting experiment) to try and add some depth to the piece before applying the pour. 

I think the composition of this painting was rather successful as it harbours a central hub that anchors the elements of the painting while still maintaining a floating fluidity to the appearance of the piece.

I’m not massively pleased with the colour palette of this painting. I think in the future I should be a little more patient with mixing my paints to a degree where I’m happy with the colours before applying the acrylic to the canvas.

Next time, I plan to continue incorporating spray paint into the backgrounds of my pours within the confinements of using tape to maintain sharp and controlled lines that juxtapose against the grainy texture of the air brush finish that spray paint provides. 

Gehenna thumbnail trials, amends and final image

After experimenting with the composition, differing reference images and colour palette, I eventually decided on a thumbnail outcome that I felt very happy with. I used photoshop to render the image, bringing all the separate components together by warping the dimensions and angles, re-scaling and editing the properties of certain proponents. Creating the thumbnail has helped me envision my painting in a much more detailed manner, allowing me to map out the scene in my head from a source that is constant and unwavering, the reference image is now a complete whole, for me to work with and from. By adding a grid, I am also able to more successfully and accurately transport the scene from the thumbnail to my working surface, with out fear of losing the accurate dimensions in the transferral process. 

I'm really happy with how the final thumbnail turned out, I wanted the image to harbour a sinister, dark and gloomy atmosphere; which I think I've been successful in creating. Both visually and emotionally I feel satisfied with the portrayal of the tale and message I am trying to convey through the piece, and I'm now excited to start the painting phase of the project.

Final Image after amends: