resin art

Resin Art – Basics for your first Steps in Resin Epoxy Art

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With this tutorial, I want to introduce you to Resin Epoxy Art. Before you can get started, you will learn what resin is and what you should pay attention to when working with epoxy resin. I will show you where you can get the materials you need and give you a step-by-step guide on how to create your first resin work. All the basics for a successful start in the casting resin technique are given in the following article.

 

 

What is Epoxy Resin?

Epoxy resins are a two-component system consisting of resin and hardener. By mixing the two components, a chemical reaction takes place so that the liquid resin gradually hardens to a solid plastic within hours.

The result is a high-gloss, clear surface. For the sake of simplicity, I will usually use the term “resin” instead of “epoxy resin”. Resin is not only used in industry and boat building, but also in art. Thus, besides kitchen counters, floors, tables, paintings, jewelry or sculptures can also be cast.

 

 

What is Resin Art?

With resin art, you can create works of art that enchant with their clarity, luminosity, brilliance and depth. Color pigments or other additives are added to the epoxyresin and you can create resin paintings or do resin castings – there are endless possibilities!

Different effects can be created by choosing the painting ground, the type of casting, the colors and the additives. Even experienced resin artists have never finished learning.

The trend to use resin in art comes from the USA, Canada and Australia. In Europe, the techniques are still little known.  If you like experimenting, you will love working with resin. Resin can also be used to finish drawings, photos and paintings (made of oil, acrylic, alcohol ink, watercolor, ink, mixed media, etc.) with a shine that can be created and also to protect them from UV light and mechanical influences. You can also use epoxy on wood, build your own epoxy river table or create your own geode art with it.

resin kunst

 

 

Supplies you need for Epoxy Resin Art

 

Best Resin Epoxy for Crafts

To create gorgeous resin paintings, you need a high-quality art resin. While art resin is a brand, this term is also widely used to describe a specific type of this material, which has high quality and is suitable to use for resin artworks. It should be crystal clear and include an UV-filter, so it doesn’t yellow too much over time and under sunlight exposure.

 

ProMarine Supplies ProArt Epoxy Resin

ProMarine’s ProArt Resin is made specifically to be used for art-related projects. You can protect all kinds of artwork, both fragile and robust, by coating it with the hard, crystal-clear finish of this resin. Use ProArt resin to make, secure, and protect art projects from drawings and paintings to woodwork and sculptures. This resin is best used on materials such as wood, metal, plastic, and canvas, and can be mixed with pigmented powders, dyes, and liquid tints to add a pop of color.

PROMARINE Supplies ProArt Epoxy Resin
  • Specifically designed for art projects, excellent color stability
  • Very easy to use with 1 : 1 mixing ratio, 100% solids, hard-shell finish
  • High gloss and crystal clear, your all-seal solution, excellent air release
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PROS

  • Affordable product of a high quality
  • The finish is completely solid, similar to a hard shell
  • Self-leveling resin with a very glossy finish
  • Releases air well, thus preventing bubbles
  • Lasting color
  • Strengthened against impact
  • Resistant to UV rays and water
  • Minimal odor
  • Easy mixing ratio of 1:1
  • Longer processing time to allow for more careful, precise work

CONS

  • Slow curing period

 

Stone Coat Art Coat Ultra UV Protected Epoxy

Stone Coat Countertops has worked together with an epoxy resin artist so as to create an Art Coat product. This resin has been made specifically with artists in mind, creating a product that is easy to use with positive results. Apply your Art Coat as a clear protective layer, or mix it together with a color of your choice! Stone Coat Art Coat resin is compatible with many materials, such as resin colorants, metallic powders and pastes, acrylics, oils, tints, dyes, and many others.

STONE COAT Art Coat Epoxy, Ultra UV Protection, food safe
  • Specifically designed for art projects, developed with professional artists
  • Heat resistant, scratch resistant, food safe, maximum UV resistant, water resistant
  • compatible with alcohol inks, acrylics, silicone oils, metallics, oil-based paint
  • Extended working time, easy to clean
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PROS

  • Easy to mix with a 1:1 ratio
  • This resin is crystal-clear and will hardly yellow
  • Non-toxic
  • Cheaper than other resin brands
  • Very little odor

CONS

  • Shorter processing time of 45 minutes, meaning that you will have less time to work with your resin
  • Thicker consistency, which can make it difficult to pour
  • Prone to bubbles, although these can be removed by exposing them to hot air

 

Let’s Resin Complete Resin Art Kit

This epoxy resin kit is ideal for beginners, as it comes with all of the tools and materials needed to get started! THe Let’s Resin Clear Epoxy Resin kit is perfect to be used on various artworks and jewelry. This product is very easy and simple to use, so anyone can begin working with epoxy resin to make their own pieces of art! Let’s Resin offers a wide variety of Epoxy resin and Resin art kits.

LET'S RESIN Epoxy Resin Art Starter Kit
  • Complete set to start with resin art: Resin, cups, stir sticks, pigment powder and more
  • Self-leveling, crystal clear and non-toxic epoxy resin
  • Super Easy to Mix and Apply with a 1:1 mixing ratio
View on Amazon

 

PROS

  • Everything you need to start with resin art
  • Very good price-performance ratio
  • Cures crystal clear and has a very good UV-filter
  • Usable on almost every resin art project

CONS

 

What do you Need for Resin Art?

 

 

Properties and Applications of different Resin Products

For my resin paintings, I mainly use the two resin varieties MasterCast 1-2-1 from Eli-Chem Resins and ArtResin from the company of the same name. They are both available in Europe, high quality and certified as non-toxic. They contain no solvents, do not give off vapors and are odorless and non-flammable.

They protect your artwork from UV rays. In addition to MasterCast, Eli-Chem also offers other resin types with different viscosities. For certain applications, UltraCast and TotalCast Resin are better suited than MasterCast. TotalCast Resin is slightly more liquid and ideally suited for clear coatings or embedding and pouring liquids and has a short drying time (approx. three to four hours).

MasterCast on the other hand is better suited for coloring resin with color pigments and for fluid panting and has a longer drying time of about six to eight hours. MasterCast therefore also offers a slightly longer working time (service life of approx. 25 to 40 minutes). The time until the image is completely hardened is about three days with MasterCast.

The UltraCast resin is characterized by its very long processing time of up to 1.5 hours or drying time of 24 hours and is therefore particularly recommended for large-area work. However, it takes seven to ten days to achieve maximum curing properties and temperature resistance.

 

 

Which Painting Grounds are suitable for Resin Epoxy Art?

Suitable for resin art are painting surfaces made of wood, glass, metal, plexiglass, concrete and much more. Porous, absorbent surfaces are unsuitable. Canvases are not suitable because they would sag due to the weight of the resin and the resin would then converge in the centre of the depression. Furniture, floors and kitchen covers can be covered with the appropriate resin/epoxy resin.

ART ALTERNATIVES Wood Panel Value Pack 8" x 8"
  • The rigid plywood panels are very smooth and very stable if you pour on it
  • Wood painting grounds are distortion-free and offer a good alternative to the normal stretcher frame covered with canvas
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Which Colors and Dyes are suitable for Resin Art?

There are now many suppliers of highly pigmented paints whose products are particularly suitable for use in resin. You can use color pigments in powder form, ResiTint colors (very color intensive, a few drops are enough), ink, alcohol ink, liquid acrylic paints and spray paints. There are no limits to your imagination. You should not add water to your paints, because water makes the resin milky and it no longer hardens completely. We have our own tutorial on how to color resin.

how to work with resin

Depending on the type of pigments used, you will get different results. There are also color pigments in powder form that are not suitable for resin. It is best to experiment with your colors on small painting surfaces before you dare to take on large Resin Art paintings. Some manufacturers keep lists of pigments that are suitable for coloring resin, such as Kremer. It is important that you stir the color into the resin thoroughly (but gently).

LET'S RESIN Epoxy Resin Dye, 15 Colors
  • 15 Vibrant Colors Resin Dye, non-toxic and odorless
  • High Concentrated Resin Pigment
  • Works with all kind of Resins
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LET'S RESIN Mica Powder, 24 Colors
  • 24 vivid Colors Mica Powder Set
  • Non-toxic and Premium Quality
  • Long-Lasting - fade-resistant and don't oxidize
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How to Calculate the Amount of Resin you need

How much resin you need for your Epoxy Resin Art depends on the size of your painting surface and also on whether you want to cover the edges with resin or if you cover them with paint tape. To calculate the amount of resin you need, we have a resin epoxy calculator that will help you calculate the amount of resin you need to mix:

 

ebook epoxy resin

 

 

A special Resin Art Technique – Cells in your Resin Epoxy Art

Cells can be produced by casting techniques like Dirty Pour, Air Swipe and many others. You can learn them in our separate blog about Fluid painting techniques.

resin art tutorial

Cells can also be created by adding some isopropanol alcohol or a few drops of Resi-Blast. Alternatively, you can drop the Resi-Blast into your freshly poured resin. If you wait too long, the Resi-Blast will have no effect.

 

 

Achieve sparkling and glowing Effects in your Epoxy Painting

By adding glitter or decoration stones and crystals to your Resin Epoxy Art you can set beautiful accents. For example, you can cast the currently very trendy geodes. (By the way, there will be a blog post about geodes soon).

resin kunst

 

 

How do you prevent Resin from getting too hot?

Mix only as much resin as you really need. Use for resin, which you do not need immediately wide vessels. Especially metallic colors develop a lot of heat together with resin. The warmer the room temperature, the faster the resin starts to “boil”. If you notice that your resin is hard and very hot in the cup, you should pour it onto a foil. Because you can’t process it anyway and it can cool down again. On hot days I recommend that you do resin work in the morning or move it to the cool cellar.

 

 

What to do against Air Bubbles?

The formation of air bubbles in the resin cannot be avoided. If you stir your casting resin slowly and heat it up briefly in between, the bubbles should not be a problem. Heat will cause the bubbles to rise to the surface and burst. Heat the resin on a painting surface regularly with a heat gun or better still with a butane torch.

Keep the heat source about 4 inches away from your Epoxy Art and move the torch in fast movements over the painting. Otherwise the resin will start to boil and it will clump. If the resin is colored white, this can be seen by the fact that it turns yellow. If this happens to you, you have to remove the clumped resin from the surface and pour it again.

WAGNER SPRAYTECH Heat Gun
  • Two Temp Settings 750ᵒF & 1000ᵒF

  • Use the heat gun to remove air bubbles from your epoxy

  • You can also use the air flow to customize your artwork as long as the resin is flowing
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TINTEC Butane Torch with Safety Lock, Refillable
  • Similar effect as an hot airdryer, but without the resin surface being corrugated by air
  • A butane torch is more efficient when it comes to removing any bubbles from the resin
  • With Safety Lock, refillable, Flame adjustable (max 2500°F)
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Resin Processing Time

The drying time depends on the room temperature and the type of resin used. When using MasterCast 1-2-1 at a room temperature of 22° Celcius you have about 25 to 40 minutes working time until the drying starts. With TotalCast from the same supplier this is 15 to 30 minutes, with UltraCast about 1.5 hours. ArtResin behaves similar to MasterCast 1-2-1.

 

 

Painting Composition

As with every painting, you should think about the composition of the epoxy painting beforehand. This is especially true for Resin Epoxy Art – once you have mixed the resin with the hardener, you only have a limited time to finish your resin painting.

 

 

How to make Resin Art – Tutorial for Creating your first Resin Painting

Once you are clear about the image design and color selection, you are ready to go for your first Resin Painting:

  • Ensure a clean, dust-free workplace in a well-ventilated room. Lay foils to protect your workplace and the floor. The material you need should be within easy reach.
  • Stick your painting ground on the reverse side with strong paint tape, so that resin drops on the underside of the wooden board can easily be removed the next day together with the tape. Some artists also stick the sides of the painting ground. Taping pages or not – this is of course a matter of taste, everyone should do it the way they like.
  • Place your painting base raised on your tabletop, e.g. on cups. If your painting base is directly on the tabletop, the reverse side will stick to the tabletop due to the resin flowing down.

art resin

  • Use the level to make sure that your painting surface is horizontal on the worktop. Otherwise, the resin will melt and your beautiful motif will be invisible after a short time.
  • Use disposable nitrile gloves (no vinil or latex) and wear long-sleeved clothing.
  • Mix the required amount of resin and hardener in the correct ratio for 3 minutes. Both MasterCast 1-2-1 and ArtResin are mixed at a ratio of 1:1 based on volume (not weight). Use a plastic spatula for stirring. If the two components are mixed insufficiently, the mass remains sticky and does not harden completely.

resin epoxy

  • Now the fun begins: Color the resin in disposable cups with different colors. Be sparing with color, a few drops or a hint of pigments are usually enough. You can pour the resin cups individually on your painting ground or use one of the well-known pouring techniques. For example: Puddle Pour, Dirty Pour, Flip Cup, Swirl, Air Swipe etc.
  • You can also add some silicone oil or even better Resi-Blast to the color mixtures. Resi-Blast was specially developed for the Resin Epoxy Art of cell formation.
  • You can influence the course of the resin on your painting surface with a spatula, knife, foam roller, brush, silicone brush etc. as well as by tilting the painting surface.
  • Avoid air bubbles in the painting. If there are any, you can remove them by (very briefly!) using a butane torch or a hot air blow-dryer.

resin anleitung

  • If the casting resin starts to dry after a certain time (different from resin to resin, see above), the painting should not be changed. The resin then becomes very viscous and begins to pull threads like chewing gum. It then loses its most important property of self-leveling. Heating can delay the process, but only to a limited extent.
  • In order to avoid annoying foreign particles (dust, hair, mosquitoes) on the Resin Artwork, you should remove these if necessary with tweezers.

resin art tutorial

  • When the image is finished and free of air bubbles and foreign particles, you should cover it to protect it from dust. For this, you can use a cardboard plate, which you place on four bottles, for example. A resin image is hard after about 24 hours, but still sensitive. Only after three days is it fully cured. The resin image should not be exposed to large temperature fluctuations during the drying time.
  • If necessary, you can apply further resin layers as soon as the Resin pour Art has dried (after approx. 5 hours).

Resin Epoxy Art

 

 

How to clean your Casting Tools?

With the finished Epoxy Painting your work is not done yet. Now it’s time to clean your painting equipment. If you still have resin left, you can use it either for small decoration objects such as Resin Coasters / Petri Dishes or for experiments. Place the empty resin cups on a plastic foil with the opening facing down. Excess resin runs out of the cups and can easily be separated from the cup the next day.

Wipe your spatula with vinegar or a cloth soaked in isopropanol. You should also wipe off the remaining sticky utensils such as hot-air dryers, butane torches, tweezers etc. with an alcohol cloth. Attention, disconnect electrical appliances from the power supply before use! Brushes and foam rollers, if you have used them, must, unfortunately, be disposed of. Do not leave wooden sticks in the resin, otherwise you will hardly be able to remove them from the surface the next day.

resin and hardener

 

 

How do you clean Sticky Hands?

You should clean sticky hands with vinegar and then clean them with soap and water. There are hand wash pastes with rubbing agents in the DIY store, which are very helpful. With alcohol you should clean your hands only if necessary since this dries out the skin. However, it is best anyway if your hands do not become sticky in the first place when wearing gloves. If possible, resin should not get on the skin as it can cause irritations.

 

 

What to do if your Resin Painting shows damaged Areas?

If your resin image has holes or dents after drying, you may not have used enough resin or too much resin may have run off the image. Dents may also form when using silicone oil or Resi-Blast. In this case, you have no choice but to carefully sand the painting surface with a fine grain and apply a new layer of resin. If you have used Resi-Blast or silicone oil in your Resin Art, clean the surface thoroughly with alcohol.

 

 

Casting further Resin Layers

About five hours after applying resin (if the resin is already a little hard but still sticks), you can apply another layer of resin. Several layers of resin on top of each other give the Resin Pour Art an exciting depth.

Alternatively, you can wait with another layer of resin until your Epoxy Art is fully cured (at least 24 hours, rather longer). Then, however, you should carefully roughen the Epoxy Resin Art with sandpaper so that the new resin can adhere well. Please use only fine grains.

After sanding, clean the painting thoroughly with water and possibly an alcohol cloth. Grinding should not be done in the same room as resin, otherwise there is a lot of dust in the air that can settle on the freshly cast painting surface.

 

 

Difficulties with Resin Epoxy Art

In addition to the many beautiful sides, Resin Epoxy Art also has some disadvantages compared to other techniques: If you dare to use epoxy resin, you must not have a penchant for cleanliness – because working with resin is a sticky business. This technique is also rather expensive. High-quality resin has its price.

epoxy resin

A resin Epoxy Painting is particularly exciting when several layers are cast on top of each other, so that the resin costs per painting are quite significant. In addition, for the sake of health, safety measures should be observed. The technique is not easy – but this increases the appeal of designing. If you have the technique under control, you will be rewarded with satisfaction and beautiful works.

 

 

Safety Measures when working with Resin

Resin is a viscous, sticky substance that hardens completely at room temperature in a given time. Therefore, you should take care to protect your furniture and clothing from resin stains. On the other hand, precautions must also be taken to protect your health. Even if you use a resin that has been certified as non-toxic and harmless, resin can cause skin irritation if it comes into contact with the skin.

resin respirator

It is therefore important to wear disposable nitrile gloves and long-sleeved clothing. In addition, you should refrain from eating and drinking in the immediate vicinity of resin. Smoking should also be avoided, as epoxy resin is partly flammable. In addition, a respiratory protective mask is recommended when heating paint / synthetic resin, as this is not completely harmless.

PRECISION DISPONSABLES Nitrile Exam Gloves
  • Blue large 4 mil thickness, powder-free, non-latex
  • Fingertip-textured, medical-grade, good safe examination gloves (pack of 100)
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NO CRY Safety Glasses with clear scratch resistant Lenses
  • Resin should of course not get in your eyes
  • Therefore you should wear safety glasses when working with epoxy resin to protect yourself
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Resin Art Ideas

While the term resin art is widely used to describe paintings made out of this material, there is so much you can do with it. Here are some resin art ideas you can do – check out our in-depth tutorials for these art projects:

resin coaster molds

 

 

Bottom Line

As you can see, the creation of a resin Epoxy painting is quite time-consuming and requires a lot of preparation. But if you hold a successful resin Artwork in your hands, you will see: It was more than worth it!

For beginners, I can definitely recommend attending a resin course. There you will learn to understand the technique from the ground up – with all its peculiarities and precautions. You will be accompanied step by step through the individual phases: From preparation and design to cleaning and post-processing.

Have fun experimenting with resin!

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is Resin Art Expensive?

Yes, Resin Art can be quite an expensive hobby. That’s mainly because the Epoxy Resin can be costly if you create bigger Resin artworks. That’s why also buying Resin Art pieces can cost a good amount of money.

 

Why Resin Art is Bad?

Epoxy resin has many great properties, but at the same time, it’s also a downside: Technically you create art out of plastic, so it’s not the most environmentally friendly type of art. Also, as long as the resin is in its liquid form, it’s toxic and should be handled with care.
 

 

What is the Difference Between Art Resin and Casting Resin?

The difference between Art Resin and Casting Resin is the purpose: Art Resin, which is more described as Coating Resin is for creating surfaces, is thicker and hardens faster. Casting Resin is for deeper pours, for example resin tables or molds.

 

Is Resin Art Profitable?

Resin art can be highly profitable. Thanks to the cost associated with producing resin art it can be extremely expensive to purchase, especially considering that it is a relatively new art medium. Making resin art requires a very niche set of skills and a lot of capital investment, all of which you will need to factor into the cost of your workpieces should you decide to sell them to make a profit.

 

How Much Does Resin Art Cost?

Considering the price of resin in the volumes needed to create resin art, it can become quite expensive. Prices for large quantities of resin can range anywhere between $250,00 and $600,00 dollars depending on quality and brand of the resin you choose to use. If you’re doing resin art as a hobby, it’s best to budget tightly to avoid overspending.

 

Is Resin Art Easy?

Resin art is quite easy to start with. If you’re looking for a hobby that allows you to be creative and doesn’t require any super specific training, and can be relatively cheap depending on the type and quality of resin you are going to use. This being said, if you are going to be perusing resin art as a means of income, you will need to develop a certain level of skill and proficiency with the medium.

 

Can You Make Money Selling Resin Art?

You can make a lot of money selling resin art. This doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed a profit for simply creating resin artwork though. As with any artwork it needs to have a market and be appealing in one form or another. Marketplaces like Etsy and Pinterest have huge resin art markets.

 

What Is the Difference Between Art Resin and Epoxy?

Basically, the difference between art resin and epoxy resin is their consistency. Epoxy is used to coat a surface and art resin is typically used to fill a void. Epoxy resin cures and dries a lot quicker than deep-pour resin because of the density at which it is used. The two cannot be used interchangeably as they will not cure correctly if used for the others applications.

 

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