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This is a set of paintings that were rendered to fit this apartment’s newly-remodeled interior space. This article will provide a detailed look at my process (including concept development and creation) and the detailed steps I take when creating a work to meet a customer’s vision and idea. I chose to use a pour medium with acrylic paints because it can give a more sporadic and random feel to the paintings, which helps complement the interior space. The interior space (chair, walls, sofa, pillows, chest, etc.) consists of mostly simple solid colors and tones with minimal pattern, so the abstract texture that the acrylic pour medium creates helps to bring movement to the room, while also holding a consistency through the use of a color scheme.
In order to visualize the color scheme that I want to use (I chose to use a monochromatic color scheme but I wanted to first make sure I know how it will look), I create an experimentation pour painting on a much smaller scale.
1) Wood board (smooth surface .5cm thickness) X 3 pieces all cut to the same size. The 3 pieces will be a mini-triptych replica of what I intend to create for the actual paintings. I attach (screw) all 3 pieces to a wood slat which will allow the paint to be poured consistently and the boards will be separated after the paint is dry.
2) The paint pouring medium brand I am using is Pebeo. I mix roughly a 1:4 ratio (1 part acrylic paint 3 parts medium) into a cup and I use a pallet knife to mix until the mixture is smooth. I sometimes will also add more medium into the mixture if I am not satisfied with the consistency of the paint. To achieve a pour that can be shifted easily, the paint should be at a fairly runny consistency.
3) After layering different colors (in this example I am layering white, black, 2 tones of gray and a bit of gold metallic for accent), I lift the board up and shift it in different directions to manipulate the paint. I also use a hair dryer to shift the paint, which gives me a completely different type of texture. Other tools can be used and experimented with as well.
4) After the paintings are completely dry (this usually takes a full 24 hours, but could be longer depending on how thick the paint is), I take a clear image of the mini-triptych and I bring it in to Photoshop for edits.
5) With Photoshop, I edit the image of the mini-triptych and superimpose it into the realistic space of the interior. This not only helps me get a good idea for what the work will look like when finished, but it is also a way for me to update my client that I am doing the commission for.
The final work’s process uses very similar techniques (compared to the experimentation), only on a much larger scale.
1) Because the 3 canvases are quite large for this triptych, I used a bit of trial and error to figure out the amount of paint I need to use.
2) I layer each color (tone) one at a time. Because the nature of the pour medium, each layer stays intact without mixing together. This allows for interesting patterns that can only be made by pouring.
3) After each layer of paint begins to cover the canvases, I use a hair dryer to manipulate the paint. Using air to move the paint around mixes and pushes the colors subtly. This can be changed with the amount of pressure that is being applied to the surface.
I also created 2 more compositions that fit with the 2 bedrooms in this apartment. I chose to use more of a complementary color scheme for these 2 pieces, pulling from the color of the bed linens and pillows. Because the tones of the rooms are mostly monochromatic, the use of a few bright colors makes paintings very vibrant within the interior of the rooms.
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