Every so often, someone tells me, “Correcting a fluid painting after it’s dry feels like cheating," or "Should be able to get it right with pouring technique.”

Well, maybe that's true for some artists, but definitely not for me.

In fact, I couldn’t disagree more.

For me, art has never been about sticking to one rigid process. It’s about freedom, exploration, and joy. The moment we start defining what’s “allowed” or “forbidden” in art, we put unnecessary limits on ourselves. And honestly, the only boundaries that exist are the ones we accept.

Why It’s Not Cheating

If you’re perfectly happy with the way your painting looks when the paint dries – wonderful! Leave it as it is. Fluid techniques can create absolutely magical results, and if that’s where you find your joy, embrace it.

But if you feel like something’s missing… if you want to add a golden glow, sharpen a line, build texture, or introduce a new element once the paint is dry – that’s just as valid.

It doesn’t make your work less authentic. It doesn’t make you less of an artist.

In fact, it’s often in those “what if” moments that we grow. What if I correct this shape with a brush? What if I add a shimmer of gold leaf? What if I introduce new texture? Sometimes the “what if” creates a breakthrough. And sometimes it “ruins” the painting. But here’s the secret: we learn so much faster from failures than from successes.

Your artwork is a conversation between you and your canvas. Sometimes that conversation ends after the first pour. Sometimes it continues with brushes, palette knives, metallic accents, or embellishments.

Both are art. Both are valid. The only “rule” is that you decide when your painting is finished.

Think Outside the Box Cup

Fluid art may be at the heart of my creative process, but I don’t identify solely as a “fluid artist.”

I am an artist. Period.

And being an artist means giving myself permission to explore.

If I had limited myself to only pure fluid techniques, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I never would have discovered my love for embellishments, textures, or combining different mediums.

Every new experiment – from finger swipes to gold leaf, from texture outlines to varnish layering – has shaped my artistic voice.

Take a look at the painting below. The fluid painting was only the beginning. Once it dried, I continued building on it with layers of brushwork and other embellishments until the piece came closer to the vision I had in my mind:

The recipe and pouring method behind this painting are what I teach in my Fluid Art Mastery course.

And to me, there is absolutely nothing “cheating” about that.

I’m not trying to prove that I can create an entire artwork using one technique. I’m trying to create the artwork I want to create. If that means pouring paint, picking up a brush, adding texture, introducing metallic details, or combining several techniques along the way, I give myself the freedom to do exactly that.

The technique is a tool. It isn’t the goal.

The goal is the painting.

And creative freedom means allowing yourself to use whatever artistic tools help you bring your vision to life.

So the next time you hear someone say, “That’s cheating,” remember this: the only limit in art is the one you accept.

Colorfully yours,
Olga Soby

P.S. Fluid art is about freedom, joy, and expression – not strict rules. Whether you stop after the pour or keep adding to your creation, it’s your process, your vision, your art. If you would like to learn more about my embellishment techniques, methods, or materials, I teach them step-by-step in my Embellishment Mastery online course.