In this review, we will analyze the technique of acrylic pouring Swipe. With its help, you can create quite interesting pictures. This is one of the methods of working with acrylic paint, which is easy to base on the more complex SheleeArt technique.
Required components
To work in the Swipe technique, you will need at least three components:
- Acrylic paint diluted by a medium.
- Cell activator paint.
- A tool for stretching paint on canvas.
Acrylic paint
With acrylic paint, everything is simple. It will take several colors that will make up the composition of the picture. All colors are mixed on the medium. The medium can be any:
- PVA glue and water;
- Floetrol;
- medium for SheleeArt Technique (polyurethane varnish, base C paint in a ratio of 1:3 or 2:3) or any other ready-made medium.
The density of the finished paint depends on what cell size you want to get. The more liquid the paint, the smaller and more unstable the cells will be. The thicker the paint, the larger the cells will be.
Make sure that the paints are of the same density, otherwise they will stretch unevenly when stretched.
Cell activator
To work, you will need a cell activator – this is the paint with which you will stretch the rest from above. White or black paint is most often used.
For the standard Swipe technique, add a few drops of silicone to this medium paint, mix thoroughly. The activator of the cells can also be the paint that is stretched. It is enough to add silicone to any one paint and everything will work.
For the SheleeArt technique, the classic cell activator is Amsterdam paint and Australian floetrol in a ratio of 1:3 or Amsterdam paint and water in a ratio of 2:1. Silicone is not added.
There is another recipe for a silicone-free cell activator. He works both with ordinary acrylic paints, PVA glue and water, and with medium paints from the SheleeArt technique. This composition is made from cheap components that can be bought in construction stores.
You will need latex paint, PVA glue and water. Very little water is added to improve the consistency. Medium is prepared on the basis of 40% water and 60% PVA glue. Medium is mixed with paint in proportions of 1:3, 1:4. If necessary, you can add more water. You need to stretch the paint on the canvas carefully. Not to scrape off the top layer, but to drag it along the bottom.
Paint stretching tools
To stretch the acrylic paint on the canvas, it is permissible to use different tools:
- A paper napkin, paper towel or toilet paper for standard Swipe technique.
- A strip cut from a transparent file or a food film for the standard Swipe technique.
- A strip cut out of a thick plastic paper folder for standard Swipe and SheleeArt technique.
- Cardboard or plastic card for standard Swipe and SheleeArt technique.
- Silicone spatula or pastry spatula for standard Swipe and SheleeArt technique/
- A cotton rope or chain can be used to stretch the paint.
This is what stretching acrylic paint with a cardboard card looks like. Mirror longitudinal stretching in the SheleeArt technique.
A pastry spatula can be a convenient tool for stretching paint.
This is how the paint is stretched with a paper towel.
You can use a flat and wide brush for stretching acrylic paint. In this case, a single stretch is done.
Swipe technique
The preparatory activities are over. We proceed to the description of the Swipe technique itself. Consider the standard methodology.
We apply the paint to the canvas in strips from one of the edges with a single stretch or from the middle with a mirror stretch. Stripes can be applied along, across or diagonally on the canvas. You can dilute the stripes with puddles of paint. The main thing is that the canvas is filled with paint almost completely.
We pour the paint working as a cell activator on the canvas from one side with a single stretch or in the middle (along, across or diagonally) with a mirror stretch. We take a stretching tool, put the edge on the strip with the paint activator cells and stretch, slide to the edge of the canvas.
Another option is also possible. Lubricate the edge of the stretching tool with a cell activator and slide it over the canvas.
If the paint was not very liquid, then shake the canvas from side to side to stretch the drawing on the canvas or use a rotating table. Be careful not to destroy the shape of the resulting cells.
This is how the shape of the cells broken after stretching the pattern by swaying looks like. It may look good, but it often leads to frustration.
You can create a two-color picture. To do this, we apply strips of paint in the middle of the canvas (across or diagonally). On one side from the middle of the canvas we apply paints of some colors, on the other side other colors. The cell activator is applied between and stretched mirror-like, in opposite directions.
If you use a cell activator with silicone, then warm the drawing with a gas burner or a construction hair dryer.
This is what a mirror transverse stretch of acrylic paint looks like.
And this is a diagonal mirror stretch of acrylic paint.
Acrylic pouring in the Swipe technique is one of the basic ones. It is mastered by most artists working with acrylic paints.
