When I started trying out the bloom pour technique (also called sheleeart bloom), I had to give Colourarte's Vivid Polypour a try. And let me tell you that it is absolutely AWESOME!!!
When this pouring medium is mixed with colourarte's luscious Primary Elements pigments or the Bling it mica minerals, it produces beautiful colors!
If you are doing bloom pours and haven't tried theVivid Polypourpouring medium yet, I highly suggest that you give it a try along with theirbeautiful pigments!
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What is Vivid Polypour?
Polypour is a pouring medium made with 100% acrylic polymer and Varathane varnish. Even though it was made to be used mostly for the bloom technique, it can also be used a regular pouring medium for other more traditional pouring techniques if you thin it down with a little bit of water.
It was manufactured to be used specifically with Colourarte's Bling it Mica Mineralsand Primary Elements Arte Pigments. However, you can also use this pouring medium with other dry pigments or acrylic tube paints.
Vivid PolyPour's smooth consistency mixes with dry pigments and acrylic paints in seconds and it is ready to use in bloom paint pouring projects.
Take a look at the following video to see an example of the bloom pour technique results you can get by using Vivid Polypour.
What is the Difference Between Vivid Polypour and Vivid Enamel?
One difference between Colourarte's Vivid Polypour and Vivid Enamel is that the Polypour has some varathane varnish added to it.
Because of this, the Polypour can be used as a regular pouring medium and also in a bloom pour with a cell activator.
Also, Vivid Enamel is more viscous than Vivid Polypour.
How to Use Vivid Polypour
For brilliant acrylic blooms, just mix 1oz PolyPour with 1/4 tsp Primary Elements Arte Pigments.
Vivid Polypour Substitute
If the Vivid Polypour is so great, why would anybody want a substitute?
Well, some people are on a budget and need something a little bit more affordable!
And even though I love and highly recommend Vivid Polypour to anybody that wants to try thesheleeart bloom technique, I also understand that some people need an alternative option!
So here are a few recipes that I have compiled that will work as a Vivid Polypour substitute!
*NOTE:Keep in mind that the bases that are used in the following pouring medium recipes don't have any color in them. These bases are the stuff that your home improvement store adds pigments to in order to make the different house paint colors that you see for sale on the shelf. A tintable paint base is used to form the foundation for a particular color.
Paint manufacturers typically offer bases in white, light, medium, and deep. Clear bases/Deep bases are used to create darker colors, while white bases make the lightest colors. For paint pouring, you want to use a clear or deep base so that the pigments of your acrylic paints are not altered in any way.
So make sure you purchase the correct base!!!
When you ask for these bases at your home improvement store, make sure that they give you the stuff that doesn't have any pigment in it. It should be a clear or deep tintable base!
Recipe #1
Karen fromWaterfall Acrylicshas a great recipe for a bloom pouring medium. She uses Behr Premium Plus High Gloss Deep Base 8300 + Minwax Polycrylic Gloss Varnish. Here's the recipe:
INGREDIENTS
- 2 parts Behr Premium Plus High Gloss Deep Base 8300
- 1 part Minwax Polycrylic Gloss Varnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix the base with the polycrylic until completely integrated. This is now your pouring medium substitute for Vivid Polypour.
- When you are ready to paint, just add some acrylic paints, mica powders, or powdered pigments to your pouring medium and mix until completely integrated. Your paint mix is now ready to be used over your desired pillow paint. (Karen uses 4 cups of Glidden Essentials white house paint in eggshell or semi-gloss sheen + 1/4 cup Golden GAC800 as her pillow paint).
Recipe #2
Karen also has an alternative recipe in which she uses Sherwin Williams HGTV Ultra Deep Base + Minwax Polycrylic Gloss Varnish. Here's the recipe:
INGREDIENTS
- 2 parts Sherwin Williams HGTV Ultra Deep Base
- 1 partMinwax Polycrylic Gloss Varnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix the base with the polycrylic until completely integrated. This is now your pouring medium substitute for Vivid Polypour.
- When you are ready to paint, just add some acrylic paints, mica powders, or powdered pigments to your pouring medium and mix until completely integrated. Your paint mix is now ready to be used over your desired pillow paint.(Use the same pillow paint as mentioned in Recipe #1).
Recipe #3
Jodie from The Painted Dreamer has a few recipes. Since she has too many, I will just share one of her recipes with you. This one along with the other two recipes should be plenty to give you some options to substitute Vivid Polypour.
For one of her recipes, Jodie uses Sherwin Williams HGTV Infinity Semi-Gloss Base C 535121 + Jo Sonja Gloss Varnish. Here's the recipe:
INGREDIENTS
- 3 parts Sherwin Williams HGTV Infinity Semi-Gloss Base C 535121
- 1 part Jo Sonja Gloss Varnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix the base with the polycrylic until completely integrated. This is now yourpouring medium substitute for Vivid Polypour.
- When you are ready to paint, just add some acrylic paints, mica powders, or powdered pigments to your pouring medium and mix until completely integrated. Your paint mix is now ready to be used over your desired pillow paint.(Josie uses Glidden Premium Base 1 Pure White House Paint in Satin as her pillow paint. You can also use Valspar Ultra 2000 high hide white in Satin 670350)
Conclusion
Vivid Polypour is the best pouring medium for the bloom technique. It gives great results and saves you time since it is ready to use!
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However, if you are looking for a more affordable pouring medium, then the previous 3 pouring medium recipes will all work as a Vivid Polypour substitute. Which one you decide to use will depend on what materials are available in your area.
If you live in an area where none of the above materials are available, check your local home improvement store and ask for a tintable base paint with no color in it. Then find a polycrylic or polyurethane varnish and mix some of that varnish with your base paint.
This should give you a great starting point!
Play around with the ratios until you find the consistency that works for you.
