Liquitex Pouring Medium vs Floetrol

[@silverpromidi]

What I really love about these sorts of paintings is their unpredictability :)

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Kerry Williamson me too :)

[@lizzielonglegs1980]

Thanks for this I tried to copy your recipe and colours and for the first time got cells in my paintings super excited !

[@5DNRG]

Thanks for this great display of the difference of these mediums. Would love to see same comparison without the silicone. :)

[@CanuckLynn]

Thanks for doing this! I've been wondering about this very thing. I personally prefer the liquitex pouring medium as the cells have more clarity, a nice shape, and definition!

[@brendam.7538]

It's really amazing how different they turned out. Both beautiful, but so different.

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Brenda thanks! I really love them both too :)

[@traceyodonnell1969]

Wow, so different.. I love the pouring medium!! So beautiful

[@midwinter78]

So it seems that if you want something that looks like something you'd see down a microscope, use Floetrol, and for something you'd see through a telescope, use pouring medium. Very pretty either way, but for my tastes, Floetrol wins by a nose.

[@pearlshaynea]

Peter Corbett great comparisons! Lol

[@theroadtocosplayandcomicco5840]

HOW THE HECK DO I USE THIS I THOUGHT THIS WAS GESSO

[@darinacitbajova7496]

W

[@anniesexton57]

so cool how they are so different and how colorful, love them but the one with the yellow is my favorite, each is very cool though!

[@patricksartdesigns]

I like them both, Floetrol though you did move the cup more before just lifting it up which is why there maybe less yellow. The look of that one may have been different if you would have just lifted straight up like the other.

[@AndreaClinton]

I was wondering that also, but then we saw the red take on a life of its own with the liquitex. So I wondered does it matter what color the cells were dropped on? White with floetrol & I think on red with liquitex. Idunno. Interesting tho

[@rfsmith3297]

Today I did the same experiment and preferred the Liquitex results better than just the Floetrol. Liquitex gave a lot more cells and I thought a much brighter painting. It is expensive but worth the money for the Liquitex. Might try mixing both together and see what happens.

[@estellegoodnight6338]

I love watching what the paint does. I like them both and the fact that they are so different.

[@hollyxo.]

The pouring medium one looked better to me before the cells popped up everywhere, but it's still cool. I'd probably be happier having the floetrol one on my wall though. Fabulous experiment!

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Fischer Holly thanks!

[@alpha6games751]

It depends on how much paint you are using as well. With Liquitex you really don’t need to use a whole lot of paint. Also you can achieve an amazing affect depending on the technique you use other than just dumping them out and saying hey look this one’s better.

[@alpha6games751]

Also there is no need for silicon

[@MixedMediaGirl]

Lol this video is from over 3 years ago, no need to be so critical. I can only assume when you first started that you didn't know everything and you did some experiments, but hey, maybe you started out perfect

[@alpha6games751]

@@MixedMediaGirl oh I wasn’t trying to criticize. My bad. Was just making an observation and my thoughts on the medium.

[@momofdiego]

I've just been watching your two experiments with ''water vs floetrol' and no silicone was used in those two experiments, so I was excited to see this comparison of floetrol vs Liq, Pouring med..But I was so disappointed when you used silicone in this comparison. Silicone makes cells, and I just think it would have been a better comparison of the two mediums w/o the silicone. I'm sorry if I sound like I'm criticizing you, I LOVE your videos and you. I just don't like silicone and wish you'd have done the comparison w/o it. 😞 Please don't hate me. 😢

[@awomanstwocents4529]

The pouring medium is to keep the paint from cracking when it dries. The floetrol helps make cells. Add them together and you get both. :)

[@le9051]

I am new at this and so far what I learned was you mix the pouring medium with the paints and then you layer them or whatever technigue... But here the pouring medium is another layer of paint so what is mixed with the paint? I'm a little confused at this. But I'm so glad I found your comment because I think I have seen other artists who have done the floetrol and the pouring medium together and your statement help make sense of that.

[@susanasamaniego4253]

You are forgetting to mention the % of water and painting and floetrol that you u r u using

[@destinyweaver5656]

Yeah kind of unhelpful .... I would like to know hahaha

[@WhileAwayWithUs]

Me too

[@The-Portland-Daily-Blink]

So beautiful. I love both of them...but I think I'd go with the Liquitex gloss medium....

[@emmismee]

I would like to see a comparison between both of them without any silicone. I like a marbled look so I liked the Liquitex side better before the cells popped up.

[@yoteriyo]

Thank you so much for doing these comparisons! I've thought about doing them myself but then I found your videos. 😁 I'm subscribing. Thanks again.

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Teri Young you're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@kathyg3416]

Thank you! Excellent comparison and very helpful.

[@jannettaktibbs7268]

My goodness!! What a totally different ending. So much beautiful color in both. I have to say I love the one on the left. I would take both of them, just saying I am amazed at how much the left one changed from what I thought it would be. I like watching you work very much. Always surprised at your pours. I am inspired to get paints and do my own pours. Thank you for sharing your art.

[@ziggiezag938]

The Floetrol kept the colors truer than the Liquitex, although, it looked like it would be the opposite when you first lifted the cups. The Liquitex muddied the colors whereas the Floetrol allowed more blending. The Liquitex did have a lot more cell action after sitting awhile. I wonder if you used half Floetrol and half Liquitex if you might get the advantages of both. I really wish you put pictures of the dried paintings at the end of your videos (or the start of the next, numbering your videos would help, too) so we could all see them. Thanks for sharing the comparison experiment with us. I always look forward to seeing your videos!

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Ziggie Zag I'm working on that, it's just a lot more editing time and I'm pretty short on time right now. But I am working on it :)

[@melaniejeeves176]

I would be curious what both mixed together would be like, too.

[@TinaFromTexas1]

Ziggie Zag pictures of the dried product would be awesome once Mixed Media Girl has time.

[@carolalter6697]

The Floetrol colors were cleaner but both paintings are nice - I am not a huge fan of lots of cells because they can tend to take over a piece and it becomes just another cell painting - I have seen painting without silicone and when torched the cells are more subtle

[@ayellessnuffelhoek]

Some also use liquid glue next to the pouring medium (or floetrol) in it... Do you know why? And what silicone do you use? Thanks Karin

[@alsoarty1]

Very interesting and both turned out great.

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Andrea-rose Hutton thanks :)

[@linaufenast2913]

this is a very instructive lesson to me. Thank your for your comparison between the pouring medium and Floetrol. I am trying to get more cells, but so far I did not really succeed. With this knowledge, I will keep on... Lina

[@TinaFromTexas1]

I think Ziggie Zag mentioned trying have liquitex & half floetrol. I definitely liked the colors & all the cells with the liquitex.

[@DaleStAmant]

Love both of them! Really enjoy your videos. I have learned a lot watching them!

[@kv2142]

This is a great to watch and to see the differences. I just have a question, you swirled the Floetrol side before lifting the cup yet you did not with the Liquitex Pouring Medium. You just lifted the cup straight up. Do you think this would have played a role in the outcome?

[@TinaFromTexas1]

I was wondering about Liquitex vs Floetrol. Thanks for the comparison.

[@AcestarArtworks]

what about trying one on a clear surface just as a test to see what the pattern is underneath. also really loved how they came out so different I love the colours that came out with the pouring medium one

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+ruth anderson awesome! I'll do that :)

[@twilsstanton9506]

So far the best two comparisons.

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Twils Stanton thanks!

[@SH3DXZ]

They're both beautiful but I prefer the Liquitex because of the yellow lol. I'd love to try pouring but the only paint I have is Winsor & Newton Galeria. I'm not sure how well it'd turn out even if I get my hands on some pouring medium.

[@squishyliz3032]

Have you ever varied your silicone technique? It would be interesting to see a comparison because I know some other pouring artists add silicone to each separate color before pouring and apparently the higher up you pour from the more cells? Also the more you stir in the silicone into each color the smaller the cells? This is just what I've heard on other channels etc so I'd love to see a comparison sometime in the future if you haven't done it before!!

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Squishy Liz great idea! I'll do a video on that this week :)

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Squishy Liz here you go! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZ_XqmB6iaqnZtU

[@andreaharutunian3316]

Great comparison both look great!

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Andrea Harutunian thanks!

[@andychapman6397]

Thanks Media Girl that was so interesting first i liked the Floetrol then it all changed and the Liquitex shone through with all those lovely cells so i may have to change and give Liquitex a try and test it for myself. Very expensive tho here in the UK compared to Floetrol. Love ya xx

[@ginafeddersen8200]

The colours are more Vivid with PM, Thanks for sharing this experiment!😊 an observation I noticed, is that there are a lot more white dots with the floetrol painting, something I have noticed with mine as well, hmmmm and I do not like the white dots, thought it was my white paint. 😊😊Wow Thanks for doing this comparison! ❤️👍☺️

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Gina Feddersen yeah I noticed that too!

[@nataschareich]

Beautiful pours! What ratio of floetrol:paint did you use? And how much water did you add?

[@annamariafazio2847]

Bellissimi, tutti e due. Complimenti. . . !! I colori sono straordinari .

[@wendyrobertson2404]

Love, love, love them both. Amazed how vibrant the pouring medium came out. I'm thinking it's a lot more expensive to use it. And I am very pleased with the results I get with the flowtrol. But maybe sometimes using the pouring medium might not be a bad idea 😊 thank you for sharing, and have a great day sweetie. P.S I think this might be an older video, and it played after you funny video you just shared ❤

[@joshfry4991]

Sorry if you've covered this 100 times, but could you share your formula for mixing?

[@tracylj5128]

I have a question because I’m a total newbie. In looking at the video of your gorgeous paintings, it looked like each had little flecks in areas? Is that normal? Good? Bad? I thought they added interest and texture! How do you get more of the flecks?

[@pl6453]

the painting using Pouring Medium seems to have more distinctive/clean layers of colors, while the Floetrol one's are more blended in.

[@hollylowery26]

Have you ever thought about doing a test of 2 paintings with your normal mix of paint. Both cups with the same colors in the same order. Just to see and show us if the 2 will look totally diffrent or if the kind of look the same. I really think how the paints mix in the cup have alot to do with the final look. Just a thought.

[@leightadlock4877]

I really like the one on the left. Probably because it has more purple and my favorite color is purple. Lol. Also, a lot more colorful.

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Leigh Tadlock thank you!

[@inspiritusgardenartdesign9534]

Hi! Really enjoy your videos! I was wondering if maybe the water doesn’t play well with the PM?? How about no silicone, and no water? Thanks!!

[@SalemSphynx]

💜Love💜 these!!! Both came out beautiful ~ Im curious to see what using ½ Floetrol ½ pouring med. + little water will look like!

[@DoraVass-0]

Very nice video. Very good way to show us the difference. I just want to ask you the dosage of the pouring medium or floetrol with the paint to have this result.

[@siclusiferx]

Great video, but it would have been perfect if you described the looks of the final result technically, which is shinier glossier and such .. so which one gives a shiney glossy look or finish ? or do both have to be varnished at the end with a glossy spray ?

[@IAMGiftbearer]

I think the Floetrol definitely gave it a better look. I'm thinking the pouring medium may have been too thick to let enough of the silicone rise to the surface.

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

When you say the Floetrol, you mean the one on the right, correct? Asking because the one on the left (Liquitex) seemed much 'thinner' to me with more movement, and I wanted to check if we were thinking of the same ones.

[@brendatress8400]

i do not know if i agree with your viewpoint on using Floetrol. I experimented with it and it turned dull after drying time. I am now exploring a different approach using Silicone and wait and see how it turned out tomorrow.

[@estellegoodnight6338]

Thank you for the comparison. How much Floetrol to how much paint do you use? And, do you measure the paint and the Floetrol. I use Floetrol (and water and silicone) and can't figure out why I don't get cells like those above. Any help would be appreciated.

[@D.Nies_]

I never heard of this technique before, this is amazing! So damn beautiful!! 😍

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Denise thank you!

[@pearlshaynea]

Very cool experiment!

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+pearlshaynea thank you!

[@ruthannmolyneaux478]

Thanks for your experiments.

[@alliedarky]

Why do you pull the cup off from the top compared to doing it from an angle so that no extra drips get on the pour? Do you prefer that effect?

[@MixedMediaGirl]

There's no specific method to that madness, I just pull the cup off :)

[@LindsAyWithAttitude]

Love it. Once again. You're my favorite!! Also, I loved hearing the birds lol

[@doplinger1]

Have you ever tried using the pouring medium in a couple of the colors only? I wonder how they would interact? It seems to me that no mater how much you try to duplicate the pour, you get very different results.

[@MixedMediaGirl]

Not yet

[@DidiArte]

What size bottles do you get of the Flow Acrylic? Basic colors and then you mix your own for shades, tints, blends, secondaries, etc....?? I'm looking for quality with economy here. Love yur work!

[@MixedMediaGirl]

I get the 32oz bottles, and yes, just the basic colors and then I mix my own colors

[@lisajameson8483]

Love them both.

[@krisy254]

Can you do a video on how you set up for your paintings and maybe like more in depth description of the products you use? I am curious about how you catch all the excess paint. I recently started flow painting, and my clean up is always a nightmare. If you have any tips for clean up too that would be awesome :) I really like your comparison videos btw (super helpful!)

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Kristin yes, absolutely! I'll be doing that some time in the next week :)

[@caroljohnson-rm1tj]

Buy a plastic tub that sits under a washer. They sell them at Home Depot and Lows.

[@ceez1]

You never mentioned which pouring medium you liked the best. Obvious differences but how do you think each affected the paint?

[@donaldrobbins6464]

Great test of products. Have you tried doing the same test without the silicone? Thanks great site.

[@thenerdymillennial]

What is the difference between the Liquitex Professional Flow-Aid Fluid Medium and the pouring medium? Will both do the same thing?

[@MixedMediaGirl]

Flow aid doesn't contain any binders, it will blend the paints into a mud ;)

[@thenerdymillennial]

Good to know... glad I waited before using it lol...gonna exchange it asap

[@MixedMediaGirl]

:)

[@jazsiddiqui8874]

it looks very good i like it and it's beautiful

[@Caitcat442]

So I’m confused. I thought the pouring medium just changed the consistency easier to pour? The silicone is what makes the cells

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Caitpirells yes, I noticed the one with the pouring medium moved a lot more. I can't explain the difference in cells, but they definitely had very different cells, so they must react a bit differently to the silicone. This is why I do these experiments because I love to see the differences :)

[@Lulubug23]

I liked the pouring medium one better before the cells popped up 😂 i love these expirements!

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Lexi Lulu thanks!

[@angeladooly8511]

Hi! I love your video and the comparison between the two. I am watching video's and working up the courage to start painting. One question I have is.....what does torching do to the painting? I have seen several video's using it and there was no explanation as to why. Thanks and please keep the video's coming!

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Angela Dooly thank you! It helps get rid of air bubbles and can help create cells :)

[@thecs2837]

Those both turned out great. Love those bright colors. Do they dry the same?

[@MixedMediaGirl]

Pretty much :)

[@hologramhair]

Thank you so much for doing these "vs." Tests!

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+hologramhair no problem!

[@NasrinAhady]

Thank you which kind of silicone you used?

[@kittykatgaming8296]

Maybe get some of those little medicine cups that have measurements on them and pour the colors into it and then into the cup so you can get the exact amount of paint in each cup! So like 1oz of blue in both, 1oz red etc.

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Nichelle Bell that's an idea!

[@kmworship09]

are you using regular acrylic paint?

[@biggwheel1983]

How much water did you use?

[@biggwheel1983]

Also what paints did you use?

[@kawestley1965]

Pretty love both.

[@theelaavar]

Have you done a video using Liquitex medium without any silicon? I'm interested in what the results would be. Thank you for all these wonderful videos; I am learning so much from your experiments.

[@alpha6games751]

Honestly I get way better results never using silicon. It’s not needed at all imo

[@arlenerosen2289]

I'm new to this. Which Floetrol do you use. I don't mean which brand. I see additive. Is that the one?

[@MixedMediaGirl]

This is the exact one :) www.amazon.com/dp/B000C029PM/?ref=exp_inf_pl_mixedmediagirl

[@kellyforste6127]

Just curious, did the liquitex one crack on you once it dried? I had a problem last night where I woke up and when I use the liquitex medium my whole painting was cracked .I was so sad.

[@esrayuksel5037]

Liqutex one stays so much vividly. but I couldn't choose I liked both of them :}

[@leightadlock4877]

What would happen if you put more silacone in it? A lot more cells?

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Leigh Tadlock I found if you put to much silicone the paint simply won't stick to the canvas, so you can definitely use too much. I haven't found the exact limit, but I generally use 3-4 drops and it works quite well. I accidentally used like 7 drops once and it did not work well at all

[@judyfrank2380]

My imagination says that the painting on the right is a nice deep pool of water inviting me to dive in off of the pink rock formation in the upper left corner :) The painting on the left in another form of lava flowing into yellow water. FUN.

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Judy Frank Yep, lots of fun :)

[@shantarathie4415]

Judy Frank Happy

[@skallzburr]

What does torching do?

[@nancymckinnon2974]

Would you post your dried experiments to see the difference between floetrol and liquitex pouring medium? They look fabulous now but curious if they stay how we hope they will😘

[@MixedMediaGirl]

Nancy McKinnon I'll post it on Instagram when it's dry and then post the link here :)

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Nancy McKinnon here you go! instagram.com/p/Baj3_kYFCid/

[@CanadianEhh93]

Could you do this again without the silicone?

[@MixedMediaGirl]

Sure!

[@vjpearce]

Do you reuse your plastic cup? Like, do you wash them out, then reuse them or do you just use new ones?

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+vjpearce I let the paint dry and peel it out and reuse them when I can :)

[@ICanCraftThat1]

I am curious how you finish your painting s? How do you remove silicone after it is dry?

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+I Can Craft That yes, I generally lightly wipe it with alcohol to remove excess silicone and then spray it with varnish

[@leeree6475]

Mixed Media Girl What type of spray varnish do you use? And what paint to liquitex ratio do you use?

[@LindsAyWithAttitude]

lee ree I think she did a vid where she said she used rustoleum spray enamel. And I can't be sure but I think her ratio is the same. 2 parts medium to 1 part paint. I have the best luck with this ratio but I saw someone else use 1 to 1 ratio which turned out great...didn't work well for me though, as it was too thick

[@totallybionic123]

Do you use coffee stir sticks to mix?

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Annie Gorman lol I used to, now I use the fat popsicle sticks because its so much faster :)

[@totallybionic123]

Mixed Media Girl I use tongue depressors because popsicle sticks just weren't getting the job done lol

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Annie Gorman yeah I guess that's the correct term, lol. I called them fat popsicle sticks but they're tongue depressors :)

[@TexasRose50]

I don't really have a suggestion, just a question. I have a hand blown glass vase. The design is just like it was poured, but of course it wasn't. The colors are on the inside of this vase, or so it appears. Anyway, it got me to thinking, do you think it would be possible to pour from the inside rather than the outside? My vase has a pretty good size body, but the neck comes up narrow at the top, sorta like a soda bottle. I love all your work and appreciate your tutorials. Thanks!! Btw, I love both these paintings. :)

[@prashansadhingra887]

Which silicone do you use?

[@realtalk1368]

My pours keep cracking. Is that because I didn’t use a pouring medium or floetrel?

[@SwirlySquidly]

It's possible, personally my pours crack much less when I use the pouring medium. I've yet to try Floetrol... otherwise if I haven't got the medium, I'll just use a bit more water (1/3 water with 2/3 acrylic) to get it to spread more easily! Hope this helps (:

[@kristynhodgy6341]

What kind of silicone do you use, and where did you buy it?

[@MixedMediaGirl]

+Kristyn Hodgy I use spot on 100% silicone and I get it from Amazon :)

[@jenniferpierce9669]

is the rack your are using in an aluminum tray? Do you finish with the product Art Resin for glass effect

[@antidrama84]

Could you use both Floetrol and liquitex?

[@ceez1]

I want to make these in my garage since there is nowhere to make this inside the house. I am thinking that I need to cover them to avoid dust, bugs etc. Do you cover these until dry?

[@sunnysim7921]

So you have to use silicone too? Floetrol seems to give better cells from what I've seen, and read, but a bit confused now as the Liquitex painting had more cells in this.

[@lyssaayeah]

Where do I buy the silicone?

[@MixedMediaGirl]

I get mine on Amazon

[@lyssaayeah]

Mixed Media Girl thank you so much for responding I will be looking for it there now. Thanks! And cool vids also. Really helpful.

[@MixedMediaGirl]

No problem! I do have most supplies up on my website with links to buy them, that may help :) beinganartistinla.com/artsupplies/

[@john7027]

Can you do one with only water and paint? I hate cells and want to know what is the best way to do this to not get bubbles but still have a good solid painting that will last.

[@Chlo-xu2ob]

What kind of silicone do you use in this?

[@kingphaze1]

I love them both! Have you done one color &floetrol and one color &pouring medium and did that in a pattern and poured them in the same cup like color 1 w/floetrol, then color 2 w/pouring medium, then color/floetrol and color/pouring medium. And they pour out the same cup. If that made sense lol.

[@mikael7071]

Black and white artist... Never used colour before... What causes the 'cell action'? Silicone?

[@diunjenai]

Can someone tell me if a blow dryer works as well as a torch for paintings like this?

[@melimel9265]

idk if I missed the part of the video where u said how much pouring medium did u mix with paint and same with water and floetrol. we will never know....

[@Chonkachella]

I found liquitex to thin. Maybe it's because i'm using craft acrylics, but the colours mingled way too much. I'm a beginner, so I would appreciate any advice :)