COMPLETE Cell Activator Recipe and Bloom Walkthrough | Painting for Beginners

[@lowpoul5552]

Hi Gee, cheers from Paris. I saw this video yesterday and decided to try your cell activator recipe this evening. I've been doing pouring since a year and been using all kinds of stuffs seen on YT silicone, alcohol etc but unfortunately never been able to get any kind of cells bigger than a dime and never more than five lol. So.. i used a good amount of house paint for the pillow and a mixed paint (liquitex and Ams) with Easycryl (cheap acrylic additive here in france 5 euros/ L). So i've had 0-5 tiny cells for about a year and now i have i pouring canvas with a hundreds of cells (yeah i used too much of your cells activator recipe (i used wood glue and wood varnish) in that pouring), this is just amazing and right now while i'm writing, sure that others are poping. A huge thx Gee, i have now my first nice pouring canvas thx to you.

[@GeePours]

Sorry that im replying a little late to you! That's wonderful to hear! it can be so frustrating when you've been trying to get results for a while and it just wouldn't work for you! Im glad that this is :D

[@lowpoul5552]

@@GeePours Yep mixing with tbs, %, was too confusing as were the results. Now i do my mixing in gr as you did in your video, every thing is fine, my painting is getting better and better with beautiful cells. Thx for the advice.

[@cuvarsnova]

I've watched a ton of videos on tubes, your explanations are the best for me. Thank you for helping me, man whom you don't know and don't ask for anything from me. I'll start these days this way painting the walls of the house to me a very special dog. I wish you a gentle day~

[@NateBrightArt]

thank you for this recipe and tutorial Gee. I've never even tried to do Blooms because I don't have access here in Costa Rica to any of the ingredients that everyone else uses. Now I have no excuses! LOL

[@GeePours]

I have the same problem man! I got my brother to bring me back a couple bottles of floetrol a year ago, and when I finished them this happened haha Try it out and let me know if it works for you man!

[@galinamy310]

Great, thank for wonderful tutorial- easy to understand and follow! Extremely appreciated!

[@SkitchBean_aka_Christine_E]

Wowza is right! I am in love with the colors in this bloom. Plus the cells are beautiful.

[@CarolinaSkincareBeauty]

Hello from Argentina!!!! This video is so helpful! Thank you 😊

[@GeePours]

Thank you so much for watching😊🙏 hello from Egypt!

[@CarolinaSkincareBeauty]

@@GeePours thank YOU ! I can't stop watching your videos ! Do you do dutch pour? It would be awesome to watch your dutch pour. (Excuse me for my English, I'm learning, I speak Spanish) hugs from Argentina ❤ 🇦🇷

[@GeePours]

@@CarolinaSkincareBeauty thats so sweet thank you! I do but not very often, heres a couple kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3Knh4yQqaeFgLs kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXqwg3yAqKZnhac

[@holisoyloli]

I am going to try the recipes in your tutorial, which has been very interesting and explanatory, it is always good to have an alternative for when the blessed Floetrol runs out, greetings buddi!😊

[@ZenFool]

Loooooook at that!! Lol…. I love the success feeling! Beautiful bloom with cells :)

[@Lee-Anne-ow3uo]

Brilliant work, thank you 😊

[@robinbartel5317]

I'll be here for sure! Charging up the phone so no drop of power!!😁

[@GeePours]

Sweet! see you there my friend😊

[@SandyNoblitt]

@@GeePours I took my medication because I just had surgery last Wednesday,. I'll watch this tomorrow. I'm sorry. I was so looking forward so I could ask questions. But I'll watch it tomorrow first thing.

[@GeePours]

@@SandyNoblitt no worries Sandy! Hope you feel better soon.

[@CheriBomzArt]

Thank u Gee for this! I don't want to spend all that $ on Australian again! 🤪

[@janicelambson5206]

Great step by step Gee! The bloom is gorgeous!!! Wowza is right!🤩

[@patricialoosli7166]

Merci beaucoup Gee et bravo pour toutes ces vidéos bien expliquées. J'espère que je vais réussir à faire des cellules maintenant.

[@karleebell7911]

Soooo Beautiful!

[@catpender9807]

I just found your channel and I am so excited. Your work is beautiful and I can't wait to tru your recipe

[@GeePours]

Thank you so much! I look forward to hearing about it from you☺️

[@mirandamitchell8955]

Finally a face to go with the black gloves ... Thanx gee will try this

[@GeePours]

Hahahaha ive never hidden my face 😅 let me know how it works out for you Miranda😄

[@cherjones1717]

Loved watching the step by step!! It’s beautiful!! Thank you for sharing your video!!!

[@ItsArtByDonna]

Interesting recipe Gee! I’m so lucky to have access to all the good stuff! It’s still nice to experiment though! Beautiful lacing! Great job! Bravo 👏🏻

[@GeePours]

Thank you so much Donna😊

[@joelleaebi6691]

this is awesome. And today as per other videos that I watched I bought a hairdryer to do the bloom 😖

[@barbaradeerfield2204]

Thank you

[@GeePours]

You’re welcome!😊

[@traeartpeace]

Thanks Gee, I love the colors & information!

[@karenferguson7420]

I love your videos!❤ I am a beginner and your videos are very helpful!

[@GeePours]

Thank you so much Karen! :)

[@dorothygrierson2740]

This is fab . Many thanks.

[@GeePours]

Thanks for watching Dorothy!😊

[@SandyNoblitt]

I am definitely checking this out. Thank you

[@GeePours]

Awesome Sandy! See you then!

[@emiliosaldana5670]

GRACIAS, GREAT WORK GREETINGS FROM MEXICO

[@GeePours]

Thank you Emilio!

[@marymay9073]

I did the same recipe, but the hot in Florida not work the cells activator.

[@Sueskk]

Hi what varnish are u using ? Love your instructions on how to make cells 😍

[@Gobald113]

Thankyou very much Gee. I was getting frustrated because I could not make any cells.

[@deonaeddy7749]

I bought sherwinn williams expensive indoor outdoor high gloss house paint. It was on sale. I normally use valspar. Anyways I poured it on my canvas and it had millions of bubbles that I could not get all out with a torch and skewer for the life of me. Anyways I went ahead and did my pour and yes it was way cool but because of the bubbles popping when surfacing, my painting has hundreds of tiny house paint cells all over it!!!! Grrrr…. know any way to combat this for I have two gallons I want to make work. Thank you

[@BrandiWineRn]

What if u like the floating bloom look . Do u have to spin it out? Also you covered the canvas with pillow paint and the first puddle of the same color was also pillow paint? My minwax polyacrylic looks clear not white like yours was and not as thick.

[@GeePours]

You do have to spin or tilt at least a little because there's too much paint in the center and it will likely crack. but it doesnt have to be all or nothing. If you don't use a lot of paint in the color puddle you can spin to expand it while still maintaining the floating bloom in the canvas. Sometimes I also like to bloom off center so I get some negative space. On the varnish. I'm only using varnish here because i don't have access to the proper materials. Normally for the color puddle you would use a pouring medium made of 1 part untinted base paint (like behr 8300) or also called Base C in other parts of the world, and 3 parts varnish. This actually takes into account that varnishes in the west are quite runny, unlike the one im using in Egypt. Because my varnish is very very thick, I can skip the untinted base part.

[@tarastavelingpaints4811]

Absolutely helpful!! Thank you Gee

[@serenac4665]

Buongiorno, che differenza esiste tra varnish vernice e paint,perché io che sono all'inizio uso paint , mezzo di colata e acqua la vernice perché? GRAZIE

[@GiftedGoddess88]

Can you list the names you are saying ? Are you mixing pillow paint with water to get varnish ? I’m confused what is the varnish

[@jodywipf9203]

Absolutely stunning ty for sharing this!

[@PhoenixFlowArt]

Thanks for all the tips and tricks.

[@olgahauch5352]

Como se llama el activador de células.Gracias.Exitos

[@gailwong3329]

Thank you! So informative. May I know if you have tried silicone oil for activator? Seems to have similar properties to minwax and I’d love to know your experience if you have.

[@GeePours]

I have, its pretty bad when used in a cell activator because its very slippery and wont give you the same look, however, if you spray the silicone from a brush or toothbrush as opposed to mixing it in a CA, you can get something close! I demonstrate that here kzbin.info/www/bejne/oX_TonmngcSrfJI

[@zms3377]

Please show the tin the varnish you use

[@kimbrecheen6656]

Very informative

[@raghdaashraf2481]

Plz recommend the good type of glue to get in cairo... Does fevicol work well

[@GeePours]

Hey Raghda, you’re better off using Okay glue

[@raghdaashraf2481]

@@GeePours really? I used to use it before i shifted to acrylic varnish as a medium. I'll reuse it and try your recipe for blooms. Appreciate your help a lot

[@GeePours]

@@raghdaashraf2481 i only use as part of the cell activator recipe, its not my medium - I still use the varnish

[@BrandiWineRn]

What brand varnish are u using and is your house paint tinted titanium white or are u using untinted house paint and tinting it yourself? Is the house paint flat or ultra high sheen?

[@BrandiWineRn]

Also my varnish is minwax polyacrylic in clear semi gloss. It is clear no color like yours. Am I using the wrong one

[@GeePours]

Okay I see why you could get confused because there's usually two kinds of house paint being used. The pillow (the white that goes on first) is titanium white, and is flat. IF you're using untinted house paint in the pouring medium, that you will want in high sheen. Your polycrylic varnish is fine, but you'll get better results if you combine it with untinted base paint, as opposed to using it alone

[@LauraJayne64]

Do you have a video about making a spinner?

[@GeePours]

I never made one but thats a good idea ☺️

[@LauraJayne64]

@@GeePours ok maybe where to find one and what to look for?

[@GeePours]

@@LauraJayne64 theres an aluminum spinner on Amazon by Kootek thats recommended by many people ☺️

[@LauraJayne64]

Is the varnish you mix with the paint the same varnish you apply after it’s dry?

[@GeePours]

Yes! The difference between this and the varnish you would have in your stores is mine is thicker and needs watering down

[@simyperez321]

Merci pour vos précieux conseils. Si je comprends bien vous n'utilisez pas de silicone et vous préparez vous même votre cells activateur ? Quel vernis prévoir ? Un vernis basic pour le bois, les meubles ? Et de la colle d'écolier ? Cela semble facile.... encore faut-il que je vous ai bien compris. Qu'est-ce que le PVC ou PCV ? Qu'il faut rajouter... merci d'avance. Vos 2 tutos récents sur le mix.... j'avoue que c'est trop compliqué pour moi. Je préfère celui-ci qui est plus compréhensif pour la débutante que je suis. Au passage je dois que ce que vous faites est tout simplement magnifique.

[@marylukaszewicz]

what varnidh do u use

[@marthadowling2953]

Can any Amsterdam paint color work as a cell activator or only Titanium White? Thanks.

[@GeePours]

Most of the opaque ones do well

[@marthadowling9934]

@@GeePours Many thanks. Love and follow your channel.

[@GeePours]

@@marthadowling9934 thank you I appreciate you!☺️

[@brifernandez8836]

Thanks, Gee. I'm interested in using polycrilic because I don't want to use silicone as a cell activator. Is your CA mix Amsterdam Titanium white, polycrilic and water? What ratios are you using? I've tried using Amsterdam and water but I'm not getting many cells.

[@GeePours]

hey Bri! No not quite. You may have slightly misunderstood (or mostly likely I didnt explain it well enough) - the polycrylic, or the varnish, Isnt a replacement for silicone or the part that creates cells in a cell activator. Im using it as the pouring medium here. It also helps some of the cell activator alternatives (a little) when you’re NOT using Australian floetrol by helping bind everything together if you try some of the recipes that call for ink or glue. Silicone is not a cell activator, and you wouldnt use it in a bloom. Silicone is a cell additive, its used in many other techniques by adding just a drop or two. A cell activator is the name of the original SheleeArt recipe for creating lacing on top of the bloom technique. I recommend this newer (and shorter) video on blooms kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGSmlKtjg8R_ppo

[@brifernandez8836]

@@GeePours Yes, I was trying to find a replacement for the aussi floetrol but don't like the idea of using pva glue or silicone. I rewatched some of your videos and understand better. In effect, the pva in your recipe would act as a CA? Also, I can use the water-based polycrilic instead of floetrol as a pm in a base or in paints. I have worked with alcohol inks, is that the kind you might use as a CA?

[@TheScarletSorceress]

Beautiful! 👏🙂

[@teresaroper9993]

Thank you! I bought 1 bottle of Aussie Floetrol 1 litre - $117.00 Canadian with shipping. Never again!

[@GeePours]

Thats insane! 😵

[@teresaroper9993]

@@GeePours I know, and BTW your painting ended up GORGEOUS! I am trying this!! ( plus I liked and subscribed!)

[@GeePours]

Thank you so much Teresa! I really appreciate that🙏😊

[@Gobald113]

I live in Australia and thought $67.00 was dear for 4 litres 😲

[@teresaroper9993]

@@Gobald113 Ive been using US Floetrol and add wood conditioner, ends up costing about 65 for 4 litres, but will try this and see how it works for me.

[@BrandiWineRn]

Sorry to keep asking questions but if u had floetrol would u use that instead of the varnish?

[@GeePours]

Hey Brandi! SO if you wanna use floetrol as a pouring medium in the bloom, it is possible, but it works best if you make your cell activator from just paint and water like this kzbin.info/www/bejne/i37Ena2rga95iZo&ab_channel=GeePours I would use 2 parts paint to 1 part water - and that works over colors made with floetrol. What DOESN'T work well is using floetrol in the colors AND the cell activator.

[@TimberFrameHomes]

I love this. I do have a question. When you call for varnish what sort of varnish is it?

[@GeePours]

Hey Bonnie! Thank you!😊 aim using an acrylic polymer varnish here, kind of like polycrylic only thicker. This can work with water based polyeurethane like Jo Sonja too. A water-based varnish is the important part.

[@TimberFrameHomes]

@@GeePours Thank you! I love your videos

[@GeePours]

Thank you so much Bonnie😊🙏

[@terrorgotico]

Thanks, you're very kind Do you think that this type of chemical would be easy to obtain to manufacture something similar? I'm investigating

[@GeePours]

Honestly i think so yes - its not super advanced chemistry

[@terrorgotico]

fantastic, I was looking for someone like you who experimented without the use of floetrol, you have a new subscriber congratulations. forgives. I'm from Spain Barcelona and I translate what I see and read on your channel I have some questions about the video. In the 1 pillow layer I have seen that you modify it with varnish and water. Isn't painting alone enough? I use the wall paint without anything additional, sometimes with some water, - I use as medium Colorless polyurethane varnish mixed with clear acrylic wood and metal enamel my problem is with the cellactivator I have tried with tube paint and water sometimes I get cells but when they dry they deform 😩

[@GeePours]

Ive been adding Spanish translation to my subtitles, I hope it helps! So for your cell activator, it could be two things, either the cell activator is too thin, or the colors are too thin

[@terrorgotico]

@@GeePours Thank you, I see your translated videos, Do you know what chemicals Australian floetrol contains? . I think that would be the key

[@GeePours]

@@terrorgotico Australian floetrol is n-butyl vinyl acetate with an added stain conditioner

[@terrorgotico]

@@GeePours You could mix a normal floetrol with the stain conditioner, did you know what type of stain conditioner it has?

[@GeePours]

@@terrorgotico the most common stain conditioner people use to mix with US floetrol is minwax prestain. Ive never tried any other conditioner because its a very uncommon product here in egypt

[@bellewaters1346]

so when you say varnish you mean house paint ?

[@GeePours]

No I meant that in Egypt our varnish is thick like house paint. I use that as the closest thing to the thick base paint (house paint before its colored) used traditionally

[@luce73172]

Por favor explicar bien,yo uso Floetrol Americano no consigo cells,nada 👎😥

[@bentesvans9479]

I just found your channel and I am so excited. Your work is beautiful and I can't wait to try your recipe 1

[@GeePours]

Welcome welcome!😄 this video is a little old i would recommend you check this out www.geepours.com/post/bloom-technique-for-beginners