Love where you live. Sign up for our newsletter

How to Make Abstract Art with Fluid Painting

by on Aug 4, 2020

Marbling is gorgeous on just about any surface. It’s the perfect way to decorate your home, your clothes, your walls, your cakes, etc., so I decided to test out a new way to make beautiful marbled art with fluid painting. You can make abstract art with fluid painting techniques using any regular acrylic paint, glue and water, and each piece turns out completely unique. Grab your favorite colors that match your home decor, and you’ll quickly have a piece of art to brighten your walls.        

Make this!: Fluid abstract art

Fluid painting is a mess but it’s such a FUN mess! I’d highly recommend working on this outdoors on a protected surface and wearing gloves for easier cleanup. Paint is fun to play with, but it can easily get everywhere. 

Watch the video to see the fluid painting in action, and keep reading for all the details.

Materials:

Materials needed to make fluid painting
  • Canvas
  • Acrylic paints, variety of colors
  • Mod Podge or similar glue
  • Water
  • Plastic cups
  • Wooden stir sticks
  • Aluminum foil
  • Lipped pan
  • Plastic or latex gloves (recommended)

Step

Add paint to each cup – amount varies according to your preference. 

Step 1: Fluid painting

Step

Add approximately equal parts Mod Podge as the paint in each cup. Then add about half that amount of water to each and mix well until mixture is thin and pourable. Measurements do not need to be exact. 

Step 2: Fluid painting

Step

Take a separate cup and begin pouring the individual colors on top of each other in the cup. DO NOT MIX.

Step 3: Fluid painting

Step

Cover a lipped baking sheet with aluminum foil and cover your work surface with plastic or a drop cloth. Prop the canvas up with cups or similar on top of the covered sheet so that it is elevated. 

Step 4: Fluid painting

Step

Pour the paint into the center of the canvas and tip it from side to side to let the paint move across the entire canvas. If needed, use an extra popsicle stick to help move the paint to unreached edges.

Step

Let the paint rest for about 10 minutes and run a popsicle stick underneath the canvas to remove any drips. Allow the paint to dry for about 6 hours or overnight until no longer tacky.

How to make marbled, abstract painting

Now your abstract art is ready to display! What can I marble next?! 

3 Comments

  1. Chris Gardner

    Awesome job, Holly! This is one of my favorite DIY project you’ve ever done. Really nice work. Thanks!

  2. Ely

    “Add approximately equal parts Mod Podge as the paint in each cup. Then add about half that amount of water to each”

    Half the total amount or half the amount of paint? Is it 1-1-1 or 2-2-1?

  3. Holly Wade

    @Ely Sorry for the confusion! The measurements should be approx 2 parts paints, 2 parts Mod Podge, 1 part water