The Best Acrylic Pouring Medium
Researched by Johnny Alto · last updated July 28, 2026
Short answer: The best acrylic pouring medium is the Liquitex Professional Pouring Medium (Gloss). The gold-standard archival medium when you want the finish to last and shine. The main things to weigh are true medium vs house-paint additive, cells, finish and archival-ness, and consistency.
Liquitex Professional Pouring Medium (Gloss)
The gold-standard archival medium when you want the finish to last and shine. It dries to a smooth, even, glass-like gloss with no crazing or cracking and will not yellow, and being artist-grade it holds up for years without needing a resin topcoat. The honest limits: it costs noticeably more per ounce than a hardware-store additive, and on its own it produces fewer, softer cells, so many artists add a little silicone or Floetrol when they want big cells.
Check price on Amazon Live price on Amazon. Representative image.Pouring medium is what turns thick tube acrylic into the glossy, self-leveling, cell-forming fluid that makes dirty pours, swipes, and puddle pours work. It thins paint to a pourable consistency without breaking the binder or fading the color, so your pour dries flexible and crack-free instead of crazed and dull. This is for fluid-art hobbyists and anyone chasing those lacey cells. Here is the archival gold standard, the budget trade-off, and how to choose.
How do the best options for acrylic pouring medium compare?
| Pick | Product | Why it makes the list |
|---|---|---|
| Top pick | Liquitex Professional Pouring Medium (Gloss) | The gold-standard archival medium when you want the finish to last and shine. |
| Best budget / value | Flood Floetrol Latex Paint Additive | The cheapest way to pour big volumes, and it produces gorgeous natural cells, which is why it is the go-to for practice pours. It is not a true archival medium, though, it dries matte and can yellow, so pros usually seal with resin or gloss on top. |
| Best big-bottle value medium | Sargent Art Pouring Acrylic Medium | A large quantity at a low price with a genuine gloss resin-like finish, a solid middle ground below Liquitex pricing. It is thicker and less consistent batch-to-batch. |
| Best for cell effects | DecoArt Pouring Medium | Formulated to create cells and reduce cracking without slowing dry time, a dependable craft-grade medium. The finish is less high-gloss than Liquitex and often benefits from a topcoat. |
| Best sampler to compare | Liquitex Pouring Medium Set (Gloss, Matte, Iridescent) | Lets you test three finishes before committing to a big bottle. The small volumes make it expensive per ounce for actual pouring. |
What should you look for in acrylic pouring medium?
A few things separate a good acrylic pouring medium from a frustrating one: true medium vs house-paint additive, cells, finish and archival-ness, and consistency. Weigh these before you buy.
- True medium vs house-paint additive: Liquitex is archival and dries glass-clear gloss without yellowing; Floetrol is a latex-paint conditioner, cheap and cell-friendly but matte, less archival, and can yellow.
- Cells: a pure pouring medium gives softer cells; add a drop of silicone or some Floetrol for big lacey cells.
- Finish and archival-ness: if the piece needs to last, use a real medium or seal a Floetrol pour with resin or gloss varnish.
- Consistency: aim for a warm-honey pour that flows off the stir stick in a ribbon.
Liquitex or Floetrol?
This is the whole debate in fluid art. Liquitex Pouring Medium is a real artist medium: it dries clear, glossy, flexible, and archival, and it will not yellow, but it costs more and gives subtler cells. Floetrol is literally a hardware-store paint conditioner that happens to pour beautifully and throw big cells cheaply, but it dries matte, is not archival, and can yellow over years. For a piece you want to keep or sell, use Liquitex (or seal a Floetrol pour under resin). For practice and volume, Floetrol is unbeatable value. Many pourers keep both and blend them.
What are the best alternatives?
Flood Floetrol Latex Paint Additive
The cheapest way to pour big volumes, and it produces gorgeous natural cells, which is why it is the go-to for practice pours. It is not a true archival medium, though, it dries matte and can yellow, so pros usually seal with resin or gloss on top.
Sargent Art Pouring Acrylic Medium
A large quantity at a low price with a genuine gloss resin-like finish, a solid middle ground below Liquitex pricing. It is thicker and less consistent batch-to-batch.
Check price on AmazonDecoArt Pouring Medium
Formulated to create cells and reduce cracking without slowing dry time, a dependable craft-grade medium. The finish is less high-gloss than Liquitex and often benefits from a topcoat.
Check price on AmazonLiquitex Pouring Medium Set (Gloss, Matte, Iridescent)
Lets you test three finishes before committing to a big bottle. The small volumes make it expensive per ounce for actual pouring.
Check price on AmazonBottom line: Liquitex is the archival gold standard for a lasting, glossy finish; use Floetrol to bulk out cheap practice pours (and seal them), or Sargent and DecoArt as mid-price mediums. A common pro move is mixing Liquitex with a little Floetrol for the best of both. Pair it with our other resin and craft guides.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best acrylic pouring medium?
Liquitex Professional Pouring Medium (Gloss). The gold-standard archival medium when you want the finish to last and shine.
What should you look for in acrylic pouring medium?
Focus on true medium vs house-paint additive, cells, finish and archival-ness, and consistency.
What is a good alternative to the Liquitex Professional Pouring Medium (Gloss)?
The Flood Floetrol Latex Paint Additive. The cheapest way to pour big volumes, and it produces gorgeous natural cells, which is why it is the go-to for practice pours. It is not a true archival medium, though, it dries matte and can yellow, so pros usually seal with resin or gloss on top.
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