Are you looking to create an amazing piece of artwork to hang on your wall or gift to a friend? Worried that you don't have enough painting experience to make it happen?
No matter what level your artistic skills are at, the acrylic pour technique makes it possible for you to create an amazing painting in a short amount of time, especially if you use complementary colors!
But your acrylic pouring journey doesn't stop the minute you finish pouring your paint. If the paint dries too quickly, it can crack. But if it dries too slowly, the paint will be gummy and ruin your design.
Whether it's your first time doing acrylic pouring or you're looking for a few tips to help the paint dry faster, we've got the best tricks n' tips to help. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know.
The Drying Stages
Before we get into how to dry your acrylic paint faster, let's do a quick review of the stages of drying that your painting will go through.
It's important for you to know which stage of drying your painting is so you can decide whether to try to dry it faster or let the painting dry on its own.
When you first pour your paint, it will be easy to move around the painting surface. As the paint is exposed to air, the solvents and water start to evaporate, causing the paint to dry.
Next, your paint will form a "skin" on the top layer. This process can take anywhere between four and eight hours.
Once the skin forms, you may think your painting is dry because it is dry to the touch. However, the paint underneath is most likely still wet, so don't go touching anything yet!
Finally, the paint is considered cured when all the paint has dried down to the bottom layer. Depending on the paint you bought, it could take up to five days to become stable. After this, it can take a few weeks for the small number of remaining solvents to evaporate from the paint.
At this point, your painting is ready for a few layers of varnish to protect your paint pour.
Keep in mind that paint also dries faster in the areas that are most exposed to air. This means that the corners may dry faster and be in a different stage of drying than the middle of the painting, for example.
Use Caution
In their rush to get their paintings to dry quickly, many crafters can cause the paint to dry too fast, which can result in unwanted cracks.
This can either be because the paint was too thick when you poured it, or that the painting dried too quickly. This is why it's important to get acrylics specifically made for pouring.
To avoid cracks, make sure that you don't expose the painting to direct sunlight. You also want to make sure the temperature of your room isn't too high.
If the painting dries too slowly, on the other hand, then the paint could become gummy. This instability can ruin your design.
Keep an eye on your painting as it dries. This way, you can make adjustments to your room's environment depending on whether you need to slow down or speed up drying time.
Tips for Faster Drying Paint
To decrease the drying time of your painting, you can control both the materials you use and the environmental conditions of the room you're drying your painting in.
Use Canvas
When you use a porous surface like a canvas board, your painting will dry faster.
This is because the solvents and water in the paint leave the painting through the back of the canvas in addition to the top of the painting.
Use Thinner Layers
If possible, use thinner coats of paint to help your painting dry faster.
Again, when you use paint that's made for acrylic pouring, it should be pigmented enough that you don't need to use thick layers to get a good color.
Get Specialized Paint
Paint like our 8oz Acrylic Pouring Paint has the right amount of pouring medium mixed in already.
This means that your paint will flow in a way that makes it easy to pour, but since it's made specifically for paint pouring projects, it's been designed to dry properly.
Get a Heat Lamp
You can use a heat lamp to increase the temperature near the painting. The ideal temperature is between 65 and 75° F.
Even if you're using non-toxic paint, you'll still want to dry your paint in a well-ventilated area for safety and convenience.
Control Humidity
Higher humidity makes your painting dry more slowly, while lower humidity makes your paint dry faster.
Rooms that may be more humid in your house include the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room, so try to dry your painting in a less humid room in the house.
Use a Heat Gun
A heat gun is a hotter version of a hair dryer and is a great option for drying paint. It can also help remove air bubbles if you have any in your painting.
You can also get a 2-speed heat gun for more control over the heat settings.
If you don't have a heat gun, try using a hair dryer. If using a hair dryer, make sure to use it on the lowest setting
Ready to Create Beautiful Acrylic Pour Paintings?
Now that you know how to speed up the drying time of your painting, you're ready to create your own unique acrylic pour artwork.
Remember that if you end up speeding up your drying time too much, you can also slow it down by controlling the environment of the room.
Ready to start pouring? You may want to check this Acrylic Pouring Paint Review and see the beautiful consistencies of our paint!
Hippie Crafter has everything you need to get started.
Check out our catalog to get all the supplies you need for your next acrylic pour project and more.
