Using Easy Flow in your acrylic paint pouring

Fluid acrylic paint pouring has been getting more and more popular in recent years and we can see why! Take a look at these beautiful examples;

These beautiful pieces made by Caren Goodrich were created with the helping hand of Easy Flow.

Easy Flow is a paint conditioner that is traditionally used to help alleviate the appearance of brush and roller marks when painting your walls.

However, we have had many artists asking us lots of questions regarding the use of Easy Flow in their art projects, so we thought we would let you all know the answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Can Easy Flow be used with acrylic paints? Specifically artists acrylics?

Easy Flow can be used with any water or acrylic based paints.

Will Easy Flow yellow or change the hue of the paint over time?

No

Once cured/dry, should we expect any changes in future? With artwork we like to be sure work is archival in a sense, and whilst this is not an artists material… can we assume the product is inert once dry?

No, Easy Flow will not change overtime. Any changes that do occur will be due to the natural aging of the paint.

Is it safe to heat/torch Easy Flow when working?

Easy Flow is non-flammable so should be safe to heat/torch when working.

Should we be worried about any fumes or skin contact in general?

When used as is there is no concern needed regarding the fumes and skin contact when using Easy Flow, what we can’t guarantee is the lack of fumes when heating/torching Easy Flow as this is new area of use for the product and is not something that it has been tested for. As with any item/product that is being heated/torched all necessary safety precautions should be taken.

Will it chalk or flake over time?

No. Easy Flow will not chalk or flake but it cannot stop the paint from doing that.

Is there anything that should not be mixed with Easy Flow?

Easy Flow should only be mixed with water or acrylic based paints. It may also be mixed with paints where acrylic and oil have been blended together. However for these types of paints a test should be carried out to check for compatibility and ideally it should be established whether it is an Acrylic/Alkyd paint or Alkyd /Acrylic paint mix and the order in which it is written often determines which medium is the greater in the paint.

Will using higher ratios of Easy Flow than those recommended for house paints have any negative or long-lasting effects? (for example, mixing 50:50 acrylic paint to Easy Flow, 1 part Acrylic paint to 3 parts Easy Flow or 1 part Acrylic paint to 4 parts Easy Flow)

It will not have any negative or long lasting effects. However you may find that by adding more than the recommended values that the paint may start to become opaque. Whether this is a negative or not I guess is determined by what the artist wishes to achieve.

Is there a shelf life to Easy Flow?

Easy Flow has a shelf life of one year in its original unopened packaging, once opened it is not possible for us to give it a definite shelf life as there are too many variables, however assuming that the Easy Flow is kept in the right storage conditions then you should find it still good to use after 12 months.

What about once mixed with paint?

It will last for as long as the paint lasts.

Are there any surfaces you shouldn’t use Easy Flow on?

Other than a silicone surface there are no surfaces that we are aware of the you cannot use Easy Flow on.

Using it as directed, how soon should you expect to have to repaint where it was used as an additive?

As soon as the paint required a repaint.

Does Easy Flow change the sheen of the paint, or dull the colours in any way?

Water/acrylic based gloss paints that have a gloss level of 70% or greater may have their sheen level reduced slightly, other than that it will have no effect on the sheen level of a paint.

When was Easy Flow launched?

It was originally launched in 1990.

So there you have it, a nice little list of the most common questions we get asked about Easy Flow.

If you have any further queries regarding the use of Easy Flow, then please, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Images credit to Caren Goodrich