From Mont Marte's Studio: 5 Quick Acrylic Pour Tutorials

You've read our pouring guide. You've watched the swirls on Instagram. Now you want to see it done — in real time, with a real artist explaining what's happening. We've curated 5 of Mont Marte's best acrylic pour tutorials so you can binge-watch and learn fast. Each below has the technique, the supplies you'll need, and a link to grab them from us.

A note from the shop floor — I learnt the swipe technique from one of these Mont Marte videos at 2am during the first lockdown. Three years later I still set up almost exactly the way the artist demonstrates. The videos are gold; the supplies below are exactly what I use myself.

1. Dirty Pour Basics — perfect for first-timers

Mont Marte's foundational tutorial covers the dirty pour technique we walk through in our Acrylic Pouring Starter Guide. Watch how the artist layers paints in a single cup, then pours and tilts. Pay attention to the consistency of the paint — that's the make-or-break detail.

[Embed Mont Marte YouTube video here — search their channel for "dirty pour" or use the SuperCell Pouring Paint Kit demo]

Try this with: Mont Marte pouring paint, pouring medium, silicone, 30×30cm wooden panel. Shop pouring paint →

2. Flip Cup Technique — round patterns & cells

Pour the same dirty cup, but this time flip it onto the canvas. The reveal is hypnotic. Best to watch in real time to understand how long to wait before lifting.

[Embed Mont Marte flip cup video]

Try this with: Same as above. The technique is the only difference.

3. Swipe Technique — cells & lacing

After a basic pour, drag a damp paper towel or a wide brush across the surface. The contrast colour underneath shows through. Mont Marte's tutorial demonstrates the timing — wait too long and the swipe doesn't reveal cells; too soon and you smear everything.

[Embed Mont Marte swipe video]

4. Ring Pour — agate & geode effects

Pour each colour as a small puddle in the centre, building rings outward. Tilt to spread. The result looks like polished stone.

[Embed Mont Marte ring pour video]

5. Tree Ring Pour — advanced technique

An evolution of ring pour — pour rings in a long line across the canvas, then drag a stick or palette knife through them to create wood-grain patterns. Looks complex, isn't.

[Embed Mont Marte tree ring video]

What you'll need to try all 5

• Mont Marte pouring paints (4–6 colours)
• Pouring medium
• Silicone oil
• 2–3 canvases or wooden panels (30×30cm or larger)
• Plastic cups, sticks, drop cloth, gloves

Total cost to recreate everything in this roundup: under $80 with our pouring paint collection. Free NZ shipping over $75.

Your turn

Pick one technique. Set up a small canvas. Press play, then press pour. Tag us @handy_mandy_stores_ on Instagram with the result and we'll repost our favourites.

About the author — Namra Shah is the owner of Handy Mandy Craft Store in West Auckland. We stock Mont Marte across NZ with same-day dispatch before 11am NZT and free shipping over $75. Questions? Email hello@handymandy.co.nz or DM us on Instagram @handy_mandy_stores_.