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Paint Additions into GAC 800 for Pouring Applications

40 thoughts on “Paint Additions into GAC 800 for Pouring Applications”

  1. I love this information I just received samples of both and now I won’t make a mistake with the mixing ratio love the marker and your paint, beautiful bold Colors that can be mixed easily! Wonderful products!
    Thanks for the samples and God bless 😇

    Reply
  2. Hi Michael,
    I found your experiments very helpful. This info will certainly help me when I start exploring “pour painting” soon. Is this the “pouring medium” almost every artist mentions in their youtube videos?

    Thanks for this article. Cheers, D

    Reply
    • Hello, Dolores.
      Thanks for the kind words and I’m glad you found the information helpful. “Pouring Medium” has become a somewhat ubiquitous term used to define any medium used for pouring, such as Liquitex’s Pouring Medium, GAC 800, Elmers Glue-All, Floetrol, etc. Most can be used similarly but they will not all produce a long-lasting durable film. However, we can only speak to our own product and state it’s a great medium for doing color pours and should hold up well to the tests of time.

      Reply
      • I can tell you that Elmer’s said they don’t recommend using their glue as a pouring medium. It not only can yellow, but can become brittle with age. Not to mention that it can absorb moisture.

        Reply
        • Hello Crystal!
          These are all important facts about the use of PVA glue as a pouring medium. I’d assume if one contacts Flood about Floetrol being used as a pouring medium, they would also caution using it in a similar manner.
          – Mike Townsend

          Reply
  3. I’m curious to know more about the shaken mixture. How many days did the mixture sit before being applied? Do you think given more time to settle, the shaken mixture would produce better results?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hello, Seth.
      Thank you for your questions.
      Shaking the paint mixture of Fluid Carbon Black and GAC 800 generated a much higher amount of foam bubbles compared to stirring the same mixture. In the first application, I applied both after mixing, and then for the next several days, I applied pours of the shaken mixture. Even after several days of rest, there were still more bubbles remaining than the stirred mixture (that was applied right after mixing it up). It is possible that this is due to the Carbon Black paint and might not be indicitive of what will happen with other colors, but that testing still needs to happen.
      – Mike Townsend

      Reply
  4. Can you say if Golden is doing any testing with how silicone (as you must know, now a very popular additive in acrylic pours) affects the longevity of GAC800?

    Reply
    • Hi, Crystal.
      Thanks for your questions. At this time we do not have any conclusive testing to show whether or not the addition of silicone is going to impart any short or long-term paint film stability or adhesion issues. We hope to provide such test results in the future!
      – Mike Townsend

      Reply
  5. Thanks for the information
    I’ve been using GAC 500 for pour onto sketch book covers with fabulous results
    Care to comment on this vs GAC 800
    I can provide photos

    Reply
    • Hello Deb.

      Thanks for your question!

      There are certainly many acrylic mediums that may be used for pouring acrylics. GAC 800 is the least likely to develop crazes, but GAC 500 could be used if the paint layers are kept thin so they can dry evenly. I’d recommend avoiding puddles and use gravity to spread the mixtures out, rather than a “pancake pour” on a level surface.
      – Mike Townsend

      Reply
  6. Hi,
    Can you give me some direction to the amount of prepared flow paint I need for the size of the canvas or board? I am moving into large pieces and don’t know how much paint to prepare.
    oz/sq in would be very helpful. Even a range..

    Reply
    • Hello, Patti.
      Thanks for your questions.
      Although the true response depends on how much you tilt and manipulate the panels, I’d suggest preparing 3 or 4 ounces per square foot. Also, appreciate that you can make mixtures and store them if you don’t use them that day.
      – Mike Townsend

      Reply
  7. Love all your info. I’ve been pouring since summer and really enjoy this! Hopefully I will be soon instructing this here in my home town. I have appointments with a few places here including the college. I have not used any of these products yet but will be soon. I requested some samples today. Can’t wait to see what comes. Your videos are wonderful also. Thanks. Cathy

    Reply
    • Hi Cathy.
      Thank you for your kind words!
      Best of luck with your testing and the classes. Be sure to share your work on our Facebook page, Goldenpaints.

      – Mike Townsend

      Reply
  8. Thank you so much for another fabulously informative article. I am planning a huge canvas pour of abstract flowers with perhaps some resin areas and was thinking I’d have to get some more Liquitex pouring Medium. Now I can save my money as I have a large bottle of GAC800, your generosity of information and fantastic products is what keeps me returning time and again to Golden 😍😘

    Reply
  9. I am curious to know if i could add water to extend the paint mixture and what effect that would have on each of the Golden paints. I’m about to try them with the Gac 800. With thanks

    Reply
    • Hello Patricia.
      You can add water with most acrylic paints and mediums. If you pour thickly however, you’ll likely end up with crazes during drying.
      – Mike Townsend

      Reply
  10. Hello Michael

    Very informative, I cant wait to try this product out, as have been pouring recently with
    poor results. (no pun intended)

    Reply
  11. Hi Michael,

    May I ask a question about adding paper collage pieces over the top of a pour and the best way to attach the paper? I have used Golden fluid paints and Floetrol. My pour is on a cotton canvas and has been curing for 4 days. I added silicon to my pour. I haven’t talc/washed it yet to remove the silicone. I have some artwork on fairly thick paper (made for acrylic paint) I would like to glue it on top of my pour.

    Should I gesso the back of the paper, allow to dry and apply PVA directly to the paper? Would I need to prepare the paint on the canvas also?

    I will try using GAC 800 from now on after reading your article. Do you know where I can buy it in Poole, Dorset, UK? Many thanks for any advice you may be able to offer.

    Reply
    • Hello Josephine.
      Thank you for your questions.
      You’ll want to remove the silicone as best as you can, as it tends to create surface that doesn’t accept additional paint layers or topcoats.
      Assuming you can apply a coat of acrylic medium onto the poured surface and it adhere’s well, you can then use either PVA glue or an acrylic medium as your collage glue. Fluid Matte Medium is a standard product for this application, however, you may desired the clarity of a gloss medium do it doesn’t obscure the pour. We have a video about collage, with several methods: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCPO-VJQB1s I prefer the method #2 for thinner papers (at 1:30 mark on the video). Please let us know if you have any other questions.
      – Mike

      Reply
  12. I’ve had really good luck spraying denatured alcohol on the surface of a pour to completely eliminate bubbling (either GAC 800 mixed with pigment or as an isolation coat).

    It Certainly beats hovering over your work with a bobby pin.

    Reply
    • Hi Sean.
      Yes, it does aid in popping the bubbles and probably gets many more than you would even see. It can affect the smoothness of the color pours unless it’s a solid color but I tend to like the fine lace pattern that results. Thanks for your comments!
      – Mike Townsend

      Reply
  13. I Mike,
    I am new in Pouring acrylic paint over Canvases..
    I like to have the famous CELLS formation during a dirty pour (several colors of paints in a single glass).
    I just flip the glass over and let the paint run until the canvas is covered.
    Which is the best combinations to use to achieve the CELLS FORMATION –
    It is acrylic paint + floetrol + Gac 800 + Isopropyl alcohol
    or is something different…….I tried on several canvas, different combinations but NO CELLS FORMATION.
    I like to star doing Cells Formation with my 2 granddaughters,….they love the results we see on YouTube.

    Reply
    • Hello Mario.
      Thank you for your comments.
      It’s hard to know why you are not getting the cell patterns in your work without knowing your recipe, but each paint mixture needs to be created individually first, and should be readily pourable, so test this first. Then you can do small pours of one color over another and see if any of the mixtures are not working. Once you get each color dialed in, then carefully layer several colors in a cup. The poured product should be moved around onto the canvas by tilting it to spread it around. If you don’t get cells after doing this, at the very end you can flick a little alcohol onto the surface. Be VERY careful using isopropyl alcohol and floetrol, and even acrylic paints and GAC 800 around children. They should not touch any of the paints while working and you should be the one to mix the materials together.
      – Mike Townsend

      Reply
  14. Hej Michael,

    excellent article, thanks for your effort continuously to give us new information about the use of GAC800.

    I have a question:

    If you use GAC800 with the High-Flow colors in 20:1, sometimes the mix still is a bit thick.
    What medium would you recommend to use to thin the mix without losing binding strength?

    BR Michael
    https://artbylonfeldt.dk

    Reply
  15. How does GAC800 behave without added pigment? Is it essentially a slightly foggy transparent, or pretty opaque. How deep can I pour it straight without crazing?

    Reply
  16. Hi Michael,

    All pretty informative. Thanks for the effort and insights.

    My question would be that I seem to use GAC800 in the wrong way.
    I use it as the last 10% in a medium with 60% PVA glue and 30% water. I added it instead of 10% Floetrol which caused the pour to get trapped bubbles and little white specks.
    Would GAC800 still do its thing in this setup?

    Or let’s put it the other way around.
    To keep our pouring hobby affordable we use PVA glue, thin it down with water to make it pourable and ad some stabilizer to make it all work. What would you suggest would a good mix be with PVA glue and possibly GAC800?
    Is there any other, better product for this?

    Regards, Jan.

    Reply
    • Hello Jan.
      Thank you for your questions.
      The GAC 800 is meant for use as the main painting medium. If you blend it with a PVA glue, the two products should mix well together, but it isn’t going to impact the glue the same as Flood’s Floetrol paint additive. Therefore blending the PVA with GAC 800 is just mixing two binders together. The Floetrol adds retarders and flow improvers, and surfactants which facilitate the development of cells. I have added isopropyl alcohol into the paint to help generate cells and other patterns, but it the pigment density should also be factored in. The only branded product we have that would be similar is the GOLDEN Airbrush Medium. However, I have not done any testing using the Airbrush Medium as an alternative to Floetrol, so it is just a guess as to what to try.

      – Mike Townsend

      Reply
  17. I have a bottle of GAC 900 that I won’t ever use. Should I see if I can exchange it for 800 or do you think I could get decent results from doing a pour with GAC 900?

    Reply
    • Hello Tanya.
      Thanks for your question.
      The GAC 900 would result in a very sticky poured surface, so you would be much better off swapping it for the GAC 800 or Color Pouring Medium Gloss.
      Regards,
      – Mike Townsend

      Reply
    • Hi Stephanie!

      Nope. You can swap out the GAC 800 with the Pouring Medium Gloss without much of a difference. You are ready to paint!

      – Mike Townsend

      Reply
  18. . Hi Michael. I really liked how you lucidly explained everything. I am a beginner but really want to learn. I have RM and Floetrol tell me please how can I dilute them correctly in what proportions? And I also tried PVC glue + varnish but nothing worked. Help to achieve a good result. thank

    Reply
    • Hello Tatjana.
      Thank you for your kind words and questions. What are you referring to as “RM”? Floetrol is a paint additive, and it depends on how you want to use it. If you use it the way the manufacturer “Flood” suggests, it’s around 20% max. If you are adding it to paints to create cells, then it’s hard to know how much to use until you make some mixes and test, because every color and type of paint will respond differently. Keep testing and take good notes!
      – Mike Townsend

      Reply

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