Acrylic pouring art studio delights kids and adults in Tamsui
An art form has recently become popular in Asia. Fluid art, also called acrylic pouring art, is a painting technique where paint is poured onto a surface and moved around to create marble-like patterns on bear figurines and canvases. FTV reporter Stephany Yang takes us to a fluid art studio to try it out!
Stephany Yang
FTV reporter
I’m here at an art studio in New Taipei Tamsui’s fisherman’s wharf. Here, you can make your own acrylic-pour marble bears.
Aside from the delicious food and scenic views, Tamsui’s Fisherman’s Wharf also offers a hidden creative haven, a fluid art studio. At this studio, you can choose your own colors to create beautiful canvases or figurines. Instead of using brushes, you pour on several layers over the bear figurine. This technique is called acrylic pouring. According to the teacher, each layer needs to flow just at the right speed to create your desired pattern.
Stephany Yang
FTV reporter
This is the final product.
Ms. Yen
Public relations
There are many different painting methods, depending on the materials used. For example, this foot-pedaling technique is something we learned specially from Hong Kong. By using your feet, you can control the speed and let the paint flow freely across the canvas. The effect also depends on the thickness of the paint, the faster you pedal, the wider and more dynamic the paint spreads, creating very different outcomes. Some pieces are made with fast movements, while others use slower, more controlled pacing. This method works well for larger flat paintings. There’s also a blowing technique, for example, with gold powder or when decorating a piggy bank. You first pour the paint in a fluid motion onto the surface, then use circular blowing to move the colors around. You can make the layers thin or thick, and finally sprinkle gold powder on top. Besides paintings and piggy banks, people can also create items like bear-shaped figurines. Visitors can choose their preferred style of fluid art: canvas painting, where you can also move the paint around with your hands, foot-pedal painting, for larger artworks, smaller items, like piggy banks or keychains. Many international tourists love these smaller souvenirs — especially the mini bear keychains, because they can finish them in about 20 to 30 minutes and take them home right away after visiting Tamsui.
This fluid art gallery is located near the Lover’s Bridge at Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf and was established in May last year. The founders of the studio are from Hong Kong, hoping to provide a fun and relaxing studio for people to try fluid art.
Ms. Yen
Public relations
Actually, there are two owners, both are from Hong Kong and business partners, but one of them, the female owner, is actually originally from Tamsui. She wanted to open a shop related to art as part of her retirement. Since both of them are art enthusiasts, they decided to create a self-service art studio. At that time, they noticed that Taiwan didn’t really have anything like this yet, so she chose to open the first branch in her hometown, near Tamsui Old Street. Then, six years ago, they opened a second branch here at Fisherman’s Wharf. The newest one, which is here, the fluid art gallery is their third branch, which just opened in May 2024.
Here, visitors can use two creative methods to create their canvas or figurines. One method inspired by the owner’s experience in Hong Kong is a foot pedal to spin the canvas to spread thinned acrylic paints across a surface, creating vortex-like designs. Another method is done manually: after squeezing out the paint, participants rotate the canvas to guide the flow. Participants can paint coin banks shaped like bears, Spider-Man, Hello Kitty, and more.
Ms. Yen
Public relations
The main reason it’s so popular is that it’s very therapeutic. During the painting process, it has a meditative and self-healing effect — because when you paint, you really focus, and it helps you forget about your everyday worries. You also get to play with colors and explore how they interact with each other. The reason it’s become so popular both abroad and in Taiwan is that it doesn’t really require any painting skills. For traditional art, you often need to know how to sketch, mix colors, or master specific techniques like watercolor or oil painting. But with fluid art, there’s no need for technical skills or limits, there are no rules or boundaries. It’s free-flowing and spontaneous, which is why both adults and children love it.
Stephany Yang
FTV reporter
The process only took 20 minutes. After drying, you can take it home.
No professional skills are needed, so even beginners can try. If you are ever in Tamsui and want a fun way to unwind, this fluid art studio is the perfect spot to relax and create.
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2025-10-15
