When someone firsts mentions doing a "dirty pour" you might do a double take. What exactly do they mean by that term? Why is it dirty? Do they mean that the paints are dirty colours, or that there is something "dirty" about it; like they'll be pouring paint while wearing their underwear or is it some kind of fetish painting that you don't know about? I admit when I first heard the term I did not know what to think, it didn't sound like an a attractive way to paint but I sure was intrigued and could hardly wait to try!
Dirty pour is simply a term used for mixing more than one paint colour in the same container before adding it to the canvas. The paints are mixed in serperate cups with some pouring medium and drops of alchohol. You then add two, three or four paints into one cup and pour them onto your canvas in a single puddle. The paints mix as they leave the cup blending colours and creating interesting and sometimes unexpected colours. The canvas has to be tilted back and forth to move the paint.
This amazing painting below was completed by my student Kaitlyn Popoff. She used this technique to create an abstract painting of a horse and has submitted it for the Stampede Poster Competition. If I was a judge, I would give her first place!
