In today’s fluid art tutorial, I dove into a palette that completely has my heart – rich reds, deep magentas, glowing orange, and bold copper, all dancing over a dramatic dark burgundy base. I wanted to create something that feels like an energetic flame expanding upward – a painting that radiates vitality and sensuality.

The base is a dark custom mix of Mars Black and Carmine Red. It dries nearly black but keeps just enough of that burgundy warmth to glow through where other colors layer on top. This helped me preserve contrast while keeping the composition full of depth and movement.

Acrylic Pouring Recipe Used

All paints in this painting were mixed using my newest acrylic pouring recipe – a water-based formula developed for perfect consistency, vibrant flow, and archival results. This is the very recipe I teach in my Fluid Art Mastery course.

It’s smooth, affordable, and ideal for blowing techniques like this one – delivering beautiful reactions, cells, and smooth drying without cracks or crazing.

Want to learn it for yourself? I teach the full recipe and layering methods in Fluid Art Mastery.

Once the painting dried, I added subtle gold leaf embellishment to emphasize movement and refine the lines in the composition. If you’re curious about which gold leaf I use or want guidance on where to place it in your own art, I’ve created a free downloadable guide you’ll love:

This one feels alive. From the flame-like upward motion to the glowing shimmer of copper and gold, everything about it moves with energy. The final result is bold, romantic, and full of story, just the way I hoped.

Let me know what you think about the final result. Would you like to see more compositions in this energy-expansion style? 

Colorfully yours,
Olga Soby