So true Ellie. Especially this one that has 3 different distinct parts that all have to be just perfect. I still haven't mastered the original SheleeArt blooms.
I finally watched this again. Super experiment, thank you again for your time and resources. You are appreciated. Do not know what is going on with your mom, but hope all is going well.💙🙏🤗
@@LeftBrainedArtist well, a few things. I don’t get cells unless I use silicone. I’ve tried floetrol, glue, water, and a combo of the three... no cells. The second thing is that it’s not pretty... it’s muddy and ugly. Also, it doesn’t flow across the canvas. I add more liquid and it’s too fluid! Ugghh!
yes, you are absolutely right. They make it look so easy on the videos but it is not that easy. I found it a total waste of pain time and effort. Feel guilty destroying the earth.
@@LeftBrainedArtist I've used the water and paint ca on all my mixes and it worked on most. The glue I used was Cleopatre PVA glue because I can't get elmers glue here.
I know this is off topic but I've been watching videos where they use spray varnish. Since I bought one, I'd like to try it. Everyone shows how to apply the spray but no one tells if the painting has to be cleaned (baby wipes, Windex) before spraying. Have you done a video about the spray varnish? I couldn't find one. Thanks for teaching me everything I know about acrylic painting!
Yes Erja, you need to clean your painting before adding any kind of varnish. Spray won't be affected by small amounts of silicone like resin will, especially when you do multiple layers.
These lessons are the best part of Saturday morning (while I'm in the office it's a nice 15 min break). Thanks for more on the Leftie Paint Bloom technique!! Using a clear glue, this could look fantastic over a patterned tile, like layers of designs. Because of the way the glue settles, is there a way to spread the cell activator as a thinner layer over a slightly wider area? (If it was thinner I'd suggest a spray bottle - that's the kind of coverage I picture). I'm also curious to know if you've tried the Elmer's glitter school glue. It looks like it has more substance, in the bottle, but I didn't think of it for a bloom until just now so I haven't tried it yet.
You could make both paint and CA slightly thinner so it moves better. That would allow you to drizzle in in a thinner layer. Not sure how well that would work though with the bloom.
Love this. On my monitor I could not see the cell activator consistency at all, at all any of the times. I don't know if its my monitor or your camera focus??? Are there any tips as to what direction to blow into away from? Mine come out muddled and unattracted and often bare the canvas.
Sorry on the camera. It is really tricky with white on white. I'll see if I can't tone that down next time. You aren't blowing down hardly at all. Just enough to pick up the cell activator and move it across the top of the paint. That's why it should be slightly less thick than the paint so it can do that as you blow.
This is Sandra Luibersbecks base recipe: Pillow 50:50 Colour (Neo Acryl) | Vinyl glue (Artist Junior) Water or acrylic primer Di you think to use a Gesso or primer with your glue for the bases?
No gesso or primer. Just glue, paint and water to consistency for my pillow. My tests showed that having some paint in the pillow made it work better when using glue as the pillow also.
#experimentsarefun ! You said something about house paint but it didn't sound like you were referring to interior (wall) house paint... What did I miss? P.s. I'm secretly hoping you've done some pour experiments w interior house paint. I'm not into cells or silicon (yet?) so am mostly just curious how the paint flows and dries. Crazing/cracking seems like a greater than 50/50 odds chance... (I have a bunch of cans that are calling my name to open them so experiments await here too...)
With this experiment I wanted to use the least amount of paint as possible. So this uses glue as the base. My video the week before has regular house paint as the base and then uses school glue to get the colors/cells/lacing.
I just found your channel and I really enjoy listening to you. I have a question: What do you do with all the paintings? Do you sell them or give them away? I want to start painting but I wouldn't know what to do with them.
I give a way a lot Mandy. Some I just reuse for testing multiple times then throw away. Some I have sold but only for people that ask or family at the moment.
For tiles, I generally use resin Karen. Looks the best, hides to texture that this technique usually makes and if the right one is used is heat resistant.
That is a great question Sandi. The problem is I don't use those craft paints very often anymore except their specialty colors like metallics. They just don't produce very good results compared to student level acrylics and they actually cost more per ounce than doing paintings with higher quality paints. An example would be $1.50 for craft bottle 2 ounces. Mixed 1:1 with medium you get 4 ounces of total mixed paint for $1.50 (.38 per ounce). For student level acrylics you pay $4.50 for 4 ounces of paint (or less with higher quantities). Mixed 1:2 (paint:medium) you get 12 ounces of mixed paint (.38 per ounce or less with higher quantities). The math just doesn't make sense for using craft paint. All that math was done with standard pricing for craft and artist's loft paints at Michaels. Discounts and buying in bulk can skew that math but usually it is in favor of student level acrylics.
Yes, it totally does. I explain a lot of those things in my blog post on how long it takes for acrylic paint to dry leftbrainedartist.com/how-long-do-acrylic-pours-take-to-dry/
The base is not what makes cells. The difference in density and consistency between the colors and what many call the "cell activator" is what makes cells. The base is just there to allow you to move your composition around without stretching or contorting it too much.
Why is the house paint as the base layer the commonly preferred method? I've watched a ton of videos now and not seen anyone address why it's important to use that type of paint. Been watching a ton of your videos and they're super helpful, hoping you know the answer to this one.
Great question. Regular acrylic pour paint as the base with the same on top tend mix and react more and there is a lot of sinking and rising of those paints. When you put a latex based paint on the bottom you limit that reaction. So it is almost like a "pillow" where other paints just sit on top (even when you blow out the blooms) and then pillow paint is just acting as a vehicle to move the top paint around without losing the design on top as much.
@@LeftBrainedArtist that makes so much sense, thanks for explaining. Understanding the how and why things work really helps to be a better artist and have more control over our creations. I appreciate all the experiments you do and the great pieces you've created. You've made this art form feel accessible to me, even though my space is limited. Now to figure out where I'll dry my pieces to keep them away from curious cats. 🤔 😂
Thank you for your sharing but I think difference is in using artist’s loft paints... I mean that nothing or far less happens without using artist’s loft paints...Have you tried with Amsterdam or other paints brand? It’d be really meaningful
@@LeftBrainedArtist ... I made several tests not for bloom but for cells popping up everywhere and without artist’s loft almost nothing happens.... But I couldn’t try artist’s loft in order to see if it’s really this brand making difference or something I do wrong. Artist’s loft paints in Italy are very difficult and expensive to find... As for my tests, I think I’m doing right as I used reasoning... thank you again and more if you can enlighten us 😊
This was adding white paint in the glue base/pillow Jolie. In my initial tries I didn't put any white for the base/pillow. The second run I put white in. That makes it a little heavier and have some color to mix when the other paint is spread overtop.
This is really the only time I'd use school glue and this was also done a year ago. I think using a drop of Penetrol is 1000x better than this method but you could do this if school glue was the only thing you had.
For beginners and doing almost every other pour type it is the best. It just happens to be that school glue has some property that allows it to cell with the bloom technique unlike regular glues.
Pain on one side of the body. Intense for 45 minutes or so then gradually went away. Initially thought it was the heart but that checked out fine. Probably nerve related. No diagnosis. Just went over to talk to her. She looks fine. Just tired.
I love watching your testing! Been bingeing for a couple hours now🙏😊
Thanks my friend. Glad it is helping.
Gosh I love your videos
Thanks Yoli. I love doing these experiments.
Another fine experiment to point us all in the right direction. Thanks so much. Hope your mum is doing fine. All the best.
Yes, thank you Hawk.
"You know me, I gotta test that" Your catch phrase lol!! Thanks for testing this I was was curious if the Amsterdam white was the magic ingredient.
It is a big part of the picture but not the only one for sure Rhonda.
Beautiful! Love the colors 💜
Thank you! 😊
I love when you do these tests...thank you so much, I learn a lot!♥
You are so welcome Evie.
Have you considered using a straw or hair dryer? I love your experiments. It makes the science teacher in me so happy.
I haven't had luck with either. The straw is too focused and the dryer is just to powerful overall.
Love your videos, so good for me as a beginner, a little overwhelmed by the recipes.
So true Ellie. Especially this one that has 3 different distinct parts that all have to be just perfect. I still haven't mastered the original SheleeArt blooms.
I finally watched this again. Super experiment, thank you again for your time and resources. You are appreciated.
Do not know what is going on with your mom, but hope all is going well.💙🙏🤗
Thanks Cindi. I am so glad there are helping and thanks for your concern.
Another great instructional video, thanks heaps! ❤️
Glad you enjoyed it Bron. Good day to you mate.
Beautiful work! Love the colour combinations 👏🏼💕
Thanks Shuma.
Thank you, this is much more practical for me!
You are welcome Melody. I definitely prefer to master something the cheapest way possible then move up to nicer ingredients.
@@LeftBrainedArtist I also asked myself what satin enamels would work as the base, I have a jar of it I was using for cloud pours.
Thanks for the information, it’s greatly appreciated
No problem Julie. Hope it helps.
Love the purple in it!
So true. I need to do more testing on how to layer colors to make the patterns I want next Mggie.
😎👍Thanks, this inspires me to try it♥️ I liked all of your pours🤗
Thank you Angela.
Thanks for another great experiment
Always my pleasure Mary.
Thank you !
Anything for you Macska.
You guys make this technique look so easy. I’ve tried so many times and I just can’t get it right 😭
Which part isn't working? The cells? The blow? The pillow?
@@LeftBrainedArtist well, a few things. I don’t get cells unless I use silicone. I’ve tried floetrol, glue, water, and a combo of the three... no cells. The second thing is that it’s not pretty... it’s muddy and ugly. Also, it doesn’t flow across the canvas. I add more liquid and it’s too fluid! Ugghh!
yes, you are absolutely right. They make it look so easy on the videos but it is not that easy. I found it a total waste of pain time and effort. Feel guilty destroying the earth.
Love watching your videos. Yours always so helpful 💙
I'm so glad Amy. I'll admit they are fun to make too.
Have you tried making your CA with just an opaque Amsterdam paint and water? That worked for me on top of a color and glue mix.
Worked for me as well.
Not with these tests but I have tried that with the regular SheleeArt method Randy. That's another interesting thing I could try.
@@LeftBrainedArtist I've used the water and paint ca on all my mixes and it worked on most. The glue I used was Cleopatre PVA glue because I can't get elmers glue here.
I know this is off topic but I've been watching videos where they use spray varnish. Since I bought one, I'd like to try it. Everyone shows how to apply the spray but no one tells if the painting has to be cleaned (baby wipes, Windex) before spraying. Have you done a video about the spray varnish? I couldn't find one. Thanks for teaching me everything I know about acrylic painting!
Yes Erja, you need to clean your painting before adding any kind of varnish. Spray won't be affected by small amounts of silicone like resin will, especially when you do multiple layers.
Thanks so much! This is great information!!💕 Hope your Mom's doing well and still enjoying your spelling and grammar!😉🤣
Thanks Karen. We're supposed to hear more later today.
These lessons are the best part of Saturday morning (while I'm in the office it's a nice 15 min break). Thanks for more on the Leftie Paint Bloom technique!! Using a clear glue, this could look fantastic over a patterned tile, like layers of designs.
Because of the way the glue settles, is there a way to spread the cell activator as a thinner layer over a slightly wider area? (If it was thinner I'd suggest a spray bottle - that's the kind of coverage I picture). I'm also curious to know if you've tried the Elmer's glitter school glue. It looks like it has more substance, in the bottle, but I didn't think of it for a bloom until just now so I haven't tried it yet.
You could make both paint and CA slightly thinner so it moves better. That would allow you to drizzle in in a thinner layer. Not sure how well that would work though with the bloom.
Love this. On my monitor I could not see the cell activator consistency at all, at all any of the times. I don't know if its my monitor or your camera focus??? Are there any tips as to what direction to blow into away from? Mine come out muddled and unattracted and often bare the canvas.
Sorry on the camera. It is really tricky with white on white. I'll see if I can't tone that down next time.
You aren't blowing down hardly at all. Just enough to pick up the cell activator and move it across the top of the paint. That's why it should be slightly less thick than the paint so it can do that as you blow.
This is Sandra Luibersbecks base recipe:
Pillow
50:50 Colour (Neo Acryl) | Vinyl glue (Artist Junior)
Water or acrylic primer
Di you think to use a Gesso or primer with your glue for the bases?
No gesso or primer. Just glue, paint and water to consistency for my pillow. My tests showed that having some paint in the pillow made it work better when using glue as the pillow also.
#experimentsarefun ! You said something about house paint but it didn't sound like you were referring to interior (wall) house paint... What did I miss? P.s. I'm secretly hoping you've done some pour experiments w interior house paint. I'm not into cells or silicon (yet?) so am mostly just curious how the paint flows and dries. Crazing/cracking seems like a greater than 50/50 odds chance... (I have a bunch of cans that are calling my name to open them so experiments await here too...)
With this experiment I wanted to use the least amount of paint as possible. So this uses glue as the base. My video the week before has regular house paint as the base and then uses school glue to get the colors/cells/lacing.
I just found your channel and I really enjoy listening to you. I have a question: What do you do with all the paintings? Do you sell them or give them away? I want to start painting but I wouldn't know what to do with them.
I give a way a lot Mandy. Some I just reuse for testing multiple times then throw away. Some I have sold but only for people that ask or family at the moment.
I have just started and my plan is to keep doing it and give to people but my plan is to sell .You can decide what you wanna do with it .
What do you use to make the final piece remain permanent on the tile (sealer?)
For tiles, I generally use resin Karen. Looks the best, hides to texture that this technique usually makes and if the right one is used is heat resistant.
I wonder how floetrol and glue would do as a base, being Floetrol is latex based like house paint.
Good question Melody. In this case I just wanted to see how simple I could get my setup. I might just put that down as a future video idea.
Can you do a comparison between deco art and folk art both mixed with floetrol and water.
That is a great question Sandi. The problem is I don't use those craft paints very often anymore except their specialty colors like metallics. They just don't produce very good results compared to student level acrylics and they actually cost more per ounce than doing paintings with higher quality paints. An example would be $1.50 for craft bottle 2 ounces. Mixed 1:1 with medium you get 4 ounces of total mixed paint for $1.50 (.38 per ounce). For student level acrylics you pay $4.50 for 4 ounces of paint (or less with higher quantities). Mixed 1:2 (paint:medium) you get 12 ounces of mixed paint (.38 per ounce or less with higher quantities). The math just doesn't make sense for using craft paint.
All that math was done with standard pricing for craft and artist's loft paints at Michaels. Discounts and buying in bulk can skew that math but usually it is in favor of student level acrylics.
does it make a difference on the climate you live in? dry vs humid? hot vs cold?
Yes, it totally does. I explain a lot of those things in my blog post on how long it takes for acrylic paint to dry leftbrainedartist.com/how-long-do-acrylic-pours-take-to-dry/
What about PVA glue can you use that as a base ? And does it give you cells
The base is not what makes cells. The difference in density and consistency between the colors and what many call the "cell activator" is what makes cells. The base is just there to allow you to move your composition around without stretching or contorting it too much.
I'd like you use a variety of whites for the CA, so we can see the difference.
I haven't found any other white that works for cells. I'll admit I've only tried Blick, Artist's Loft, and craft though.
🔥🔥🔥🔥
TYVM Edwina.
Why is the house paint as the base layer the commonly preferred method? I've watched a ton of videos now and not seen anyone address why it's important to use that type of paint.
Been watching a ton of your videos and they're super helpful, hoping you know the answer to this one.
Great question. Regular acrylic pour paint as the base with the same on top tend mix and react more and there is a lot of sinking and rising of those paints. When you put a latex based paint on the bottom you limit that reaction. So it is almost like a "pillow" where other paints just sit on top (even when you blow out the blooms) and then pillow paint is just acting as a vehicle to move the top paint around without losing the design on top as much.
@@LeftBrainedArtist that makes so much sense, thanks for explaining. Understanding the how and why things work really helps to be a better artist and have more control over our creations. I appreciate all the experiments you do and the great pieces you've created. You've made this art form feel accessible to me, even though my space is limited. Now to figure out where I'll dry my pieces to keep them away from curious cats. 🤔 😂
Thank you for your sharing but I think difference is in using artist’s loft paints... I mean that nothing or far less happens without using artist’s loft paints...Have you tried with Amsterdam or other paints brand? It’d be really meaningful
Interesting. I don't think these create much more cells than other types but I will definitely do some testing around that.
@@LeftBrainedArtist ... I made several tests not for bloom but for cells popping up everywhere and without artist’s loft almost nothing happens.... But I couldn’t try artist’s loft in order to see if it’s really this brand making difference or something I do wrong. Artist’s loft paints in Italy are very difficult and expensive to find... As for my tests, I think I’m doing right as I used reasoning... thank you again and more if you can enlighten us 😊
By having white in the base do you mean white paint with cell activator?
This was adding white paint in the glue base/pillow Jolie. In my initial tries I didn't put any white for the base/pillow. The second run I put white in. That makes it a little heavier and have some color to mix when the other paint is spread overtop.
What is you cell activator?
School Glue, water, Amsterdam titanium white paint.
What I find hard is, I’ve had a stroke, so I only have one workable hand/ but I still like to try
Bravo for still getting after it Kim!
I'm so confused now...
This is really the only time I'd use school glue and this was also done a year ago. I think using a drop of Penetrol is 1000x better than this method but you could do this if school glue was the only thing you had.
I'm confused - which was the Elmers?
I used Elmer's glue as the base instead of regular house paint for the pillow paint.
I found that very confusing too. I am glad I am not the only one. Anyway, I leave this for a while.
I notice more crazing when I use glue too. I keep thinking maybe my paint is too thick?
That could definitely be the case. For this method having the right consistency is so important.
School glue?? I bought a gal of glue-all, thought that's what you said was best!!? Dang!
For beginners and doing almost every other pour type it is the best. It just happens to be that school glue has some property that allows it to cell with the bloom technique unlike regular glues.
I found that very confusing too. I am glad I am not the only one. Anyway, I leave this for a while.
Last experiment you used the Elmer's SCHOOL glue not Glue all
Last experiment it was the School Glue. That is the glue that makes the best cells.
@@LeftBrainedArtist ohh I misunderstood 🤭
I had no idea something was up with your Mom. I'm sorry. Did you hear anything yet?
Pain on one side of the body. Intense for 45 minutes or so then gradually went away. Initially thought it was the heart but that checked out fine. Probably nerve related. No diagnosis. Just went over to talk to her. She looks fine. Just tired.
@@LeftBrainedArtist Well that's a relief! Prayers for you both!🙏