You have just finished your finest work, yet and when it finally dries you are appalled to find cracks in your work.  You, my friend, have just experienced crazing.  Crazing is fine lines in your pour painting that usually occur when the top layer of paint dries quicker than the bottom layers that are still wet. What can you do?  Well, you can embrace the crackly character of your work or you can fight back with the following guidelines.

Prevention is key:

1. Don’t make your overall layer of paint too thick. The thicker the paint the more likely crazing will occur with the top layer drying faster.
2. Reduce the amount of water in your paint which can lead to crazing.
3. Work in an environment at room temperature (65-75 degrees Fahrenheit), neither too hot or too cold.  Humidity, air flow and even barometric pressure can effect paint dry times. Be careful having fans or vents blow on your work which may dry outer layers.
4. Try another pour medium such as a professional quality pouring medium made to reduce crazing.
5. Add GAC 800 to your mix. It’s pricey but it may be worth it even if you just add a little bit into the mix.
6. Make sure when reusing canvases and pouring over an existing work that it is completely dry.  Pouring over old pours can cause crazing.
7. Watch out for saggy canvases which can cause paint to pool in the middle of the canvas and effect dry times. There are 3 ways to handle this:  1.) Cut a piece of cardboard to fit inside the canvas to shore it up 2.) Spray the canvas with water and let it dry which can draw up the canvas 3.) Buy wood shims or keys from the art store and insert them into the holes in the back of your canvas at a 90 degree angle which should tighten the stringer.
8. Make sure your acrylic painting is dry before varnishing, as well.
9. Lastly, you can hand paint over the craze lines and try to salvage your painting. Good luck!

 TIP:  Pouring acrylic resin over your crazed work tends to make the crazing  less noticeable. Just saying!