Paint Pouring Comparison Experiment: Understanding DIY Pouring Medium Ingredients
Hi! 👋🏼 I see more and more questions and comments on Facebook about using Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint, along with Glue-All and water. These are some of the most commonly used ingredients in acrylic paint pouring, so I decided to record a paint pouring comparison experiment to show you the differences between each pouring medium and how they affect your results.
During this experiment, I learned a lot about how each pouring medium interacts with acrylic paint pouring techniques, including how Floetrol improves flow, how Glue-All affects structure, and how water alone changes paint behavior. This helped me better understand how each ingredient contributes to consistency, movement, and overall performance.
I am not too concerned about the final design for these paint pouring comparison experiments. Instead, I am focused on ingredient effectiveness and understanding the specific role each pouring medium plays in achieving successful acrylic pours.
THE VIDEO: Paint Pouring Comparison Experiment
TIMELINE: Paint Pouring Comparison Experiment
A paint pouring comparison experiment using Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint, Elmer’s Glue-All, and water in acrylic paint pouring techniques.
In this video, I test each pouring medium using the same paint and process so you can clearly see how Floetrol, Glue-All, and water affect paint consistency, flow, cell formation, and overall results. Floetrol is widely used as a pouring medium for acrylic paint because it improves flow while helping maintain strong color separation and structure.
00:09:33 Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint recipe
05:07:20 Elmer’s Glue-All and craft paint recipe
09:35:18 Water and craft paint recipe
SUPPLIES: Paint Pouring Comparison Experiment
To complete this paint pouring comparison experiment, I used Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint, Elmer’s Glue-All, and water along with several acrylic paint colors. These supplies allowed me to compare how each pouring medium affects paint consistency, flow, and final results.
Here are the main supplies I used:
Floetrol
Elmers Glue-All
CraftSmart Black Acrylic Paint
CraftSmart Light Pink Acrylic Paint
CraftSmart Purple Acrylic Paint
CraftSmart Light Gold Acrylic Paint: Not available for purchase any longer
PROCESS: Paint Pouring Comparison Experiment
In all three experiments (and in the bonus experiment at the end), I used the same colors, recipe ratios, layering pattern, and paint pouring technique (Tree Ring) to ensure accurate and consistent results. This allowed me to directly compare how Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint, Elmer’s Glue-All, and water each affect paint flow, movement, and final appearance.
Mix the paint in 3-ounce Dixie cups using the recipe ratios: 2 parts pouring medium to 1 part craft paint. This ratio was used consistently for the Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint, Glue-All, and water experiments.
Layer the paint in a 5-ounce cup using the layering pattern: Black, Purple, Light Pink, and Light Gold.
Pour the paint mixture over the canvas using the Tree Ring technique.
Tilt the canvas slowly to cover the surface, sides, and edges evenly.
Let dry completely before evaluating the results.
Floetrol Pouring Medium for Acrylic Paint: Recipe and Results
In my first paint pouring comparison experiment, I mixed my craft paint with Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint. This recipe mixed well, but it is important to scrape the sides of the cups to ensure the paint and Floetrol are fully combined.
When working with Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint, it is important to shake the container very well before use and strain it before adding it to your paint.
This helps prevent small clumps or “strings” from forming, which can appear in the final dried painting if the Floetrol is not properly prepared.
The Floetrol recipe performed exactly as expected. It held the design structure while allowing the colors to flow and soften naturally as the painting dried. This balance between movement and control is one of the main reasons Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint is so popular among acrylic pouring artists.
Elmer’s Glue and Acrylic Paint Recipe
In my second experiment, I mixed my craft paint with Elmer’s Glue-All as a pouring medium. This recipe mixed very thick, similar to heavy pancake batter, and it held onto air bubbles after mixing each color. As I layered the paints into the 5-ounce cup, I could see the air bubbles pour with the paint, and they did not release easily. Although the paints looked very chunky while pouring onto the canvas, they still spread across the surface.
Mixing PVA glue with acrylic paint produced very different results compared to Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint. The Glue-All mixture held onto air bubbles, even after tilting, which affected the smoothness of the surface. The design structure was also reduced, turning into more of a wavy or ripple pattern instead of maintaining the clean Tree Ring definition seen with Floetrol.
This comparison helped highlight how different pouring mediums affect paint flow, bubble release, and overall design control in acrylic pouring.
Water and Acrylic Paint Recipe
In my third experiment, I mixed my craft paint with water as a pouring medium. This recipe was very thin and much harder to control compared to Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint. When I poured the paints into the layering cup, each color quickly blended into the previous one. Although the colors looked interesting in the cup, they lost separation during the pour.
When poured onto the canvas, the paint spread too quickly and ran off the surface more easily. The gold paint also did not mix well with water, and small lumps remained visible on the canvas. This made it difficult to maintain a clean design structure.
The water recipe was my least favorite to work with. It was messier and much harder to control than both Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint and Glue-All. Water alone does not provide the same binding strength or flow control, making it less suitable for structured acrylic paint pouring techniques like the Tree Ring.
BONUS Acrylic Paint Pouring Medium Recipe
After finishing my three experiments, I decided to combine the extra paints from each pouring medium test and see what would happen. This included paints mixed with Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint, Elmer’s Glue-All, and water. I combined all three black recipe cups into one cup and repeated the process for the remaining colors.
I was amazed at how pourable and workable the combined mixtures were. Despite being created from different pouring medium recipes, the paints maintained a smooth consistency and layered surprisingly well in the 5-ounce cup. This showed how Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint helped maintain stability and flow, even when combined with other mixtures.
Pouring onto the canvas was especially interesting because of how well the colors interacted. The design remained strong and held together very well after tilting. I was surprised by how successful this pour was, especially since I did not measure the ratios when combining the leftover paints. This bonus experiment reinforced how important pouring medium properties are in maintaining structure and flow in acrylic paint pouring.
RESULTS: Paint Pouring Comparison Experiment
I learned several important things from this experiment. Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint works very well on its own and provides excellent flow, leveling, and design retention. It allows the paint to move smoothly while still maintaining the integrity of the pattern. However, Floetrol can also benefit from small adjustments depending on your goals and technique.
Elmer’s Glue-All was extremely thick and provided strong binding properties, which helped hold the paint colors together. However, it did not preserve the design structure as well and tended to trap air bubbles if the mixture was not handled carefully.
Water acted as a powerful thinning agent, but it reduced control and caused the colors to blend too easily. It should be used minimally, as too much water weakens the paint structure and makes it harder to maintain clean designs unless you are intentionally creating softer, more blended effects.
When used thoughtfully, these pouring mediums can each play a role in acrylic pouring. However, Floetrol pouring medium for acrylic paint provided the best balance of flow, structure, and usability, making it one of the most reliable choices for consistent acrylic paint pouring results.
Try water again but use less, just enough to loosen the paint a bit and allow it to “flow” when poured