What is Epoxy Resin Art – Kay’s test

Written by sheldon in Other

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This is my text paragraph. https://expertphotography.com/a-beginners-guide-to-photography/

Want to learn how to create amazing epoxy resin art? Fantastic, then this blog post is for you. As a beginner, we want to ensure your introduction to the world of resin is done correctly so you will be learning the fundamentals of epoxy resin art -simply what it is, supplies to work with, surfaces it can be used on, and much more. In addition, you will get a step by step tutorial on how to create your first epoxy resin artwork. So journey with us and discover the passion for this art that we now pass on to you.

What Is Epoxy Resin?

In artistic terms, resin refers in particular to epoxy resin. This is used to create art objects and consists of a two-component system, the resin and the hardener. The components are mixed together, which leads to a chemical reaction, after a short time – the mixture then hardens. The result is a high-gloss, clear surface that serves as a protective coating for the finished product.
To get the perfect mixture for this combination of resin and hardener the ratio should be 1 to 1 or a 1 to 2 ratio.
After hardening, it can be further processed in various ways. For example, it can be sanded or polished and even painted. It is even food safe, even though many manufacturers refrain from certifying it – mainly for financial reasons, because certification is quite expensive.
Resin is a particularly versatile material that is not only used in art. Boat builders, carpenters and jewelry manufacturers swear by its durability, ease of processing and numerous design possibilities. It is also weather-resistant and has high adhesive properties on numerous surfaces.

What Is Resin Art?

The trend to use resin in art comes from the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe (the technology is still little known here). With resin you can create works of art that enchant with their clarity, luminosity, brilliance and depth.
Resin Art describes the art form of creating art objects with epoxy resin. The term refers to all facets of this art. Resin can be used to design paintings, as well as to produce varnishes, resin jewelry, petri dishes and various other castings of any kind.
The latter is also known as Resin Casting. Beside classical clear castings you can also include in your cast all kinds of objects like natural materials, stones, glitter and many other things. The artist can really let his/her imagination run wild. The result… beautiful art objects that are as unique and individual as the artist him/herself.

Who Loves Resin Art?

Artists are at the top of this list, the traditional artist love how the epoxy resin thin clean layer coat the art piece giving sheen and bringing colour to life while providing protection for a lifetime. Not only that, it is also modernizing the way their art and creation are inspired.
Lovers of nature are also on this list. Artists often state that nature speaks to them through an art piece. Quick question, have you ever looked at a resin art piece especially in a swirl pour technique and it gives you a glimpse of the ocean or a look at earth from space or simply just looks natural? It is also said that resin art gives a connection between emotional balance and the elements of the earth.
It is safe to say lovers of art resin are also students and teachers as resin is now used in the classroom. Educational psychology has proven lessons are best learned when taught at a younger age and at the stage of nine years and thereafter; new artistry is perfect to be learned. Students who learn the art of resin epoxy usually take this with them in life.
The lovers of resin can be placed in one category – just individuals who love working with resin and the results they get. Lovers of the art show great interest in experimenting be it with photos, pictures, countertops, floors and other décor.

Why Coat Art With Resin?

While this step is advantageous to the artist and the art owner the process requires time, patience and education on how to use tools/materials and conducting each step. Coating your art with resin preserves the materials and provides protection from your everyday wear, tear, and scratches. For you paint pieces it provides not only protection but adds gloss to the piece which usually brightens the color and sheen causing the piece to stand out.

Making The Correct Choice For The Project

In selecting the correct epoxy resin for your project there are some things you need to take a look into for the project you are working on. Here are some resins and also what they are best for.

High viscosity

Usually, this category is referred to as laminate resin or countertop resin and is suitable for coating surfaces. While we advise that customers follow the manufacturer guidelines for the product no matter the viscosity, we strongly advise that customers stick close to the instructions for resins with high viscosity (epoxy resin, laminating resins, and countertop resins).

Low viscosity

This category of resin also called epoxy resin or casting resin, allows for adequate wetting. While this category is also durable and sturdy it can take twelve (12) to twenty-four (24) hours to cure. Low in odor and solvent-free, these are most oftentimes used for bonding structures such as steel to concrete, plastic to concrete, and wood to concrete, just to name a few.
Some advantages of the low viscosity epoxies are:

  • Great filler
  • Great for bonding
  • Great usage in damp areas
  • Great overlay interior surfaces
  • Crack sealers indoor and outdoor.

Please note:
Viscosity describes the flow or the range of fluid properties of a substance. High viscosity will show the fluid being thicker and low viscosity will show the fluid being more free flow.

Why Is Resin A Good Art Modality?

Resin is considered good art modality because of the quality that it gives off as a finishing touch to the artwork. Adding glow, accentuating colors, broadens the horizons of quality art producers and adding longevity to art pieces.
Resin is said to be non-toxic and is a hydrocarbon secretion which is said to be found in plants in particular. Being thicker than other finishers like varnish makes it the ideal protection from elements such as chemicals and weather. Whilst resin gives one of the better finishes in comparison to varnish and drying oil, some resin do have an opaque yellow finish.

Which Epoxy Resin Is Best For Artwork?

When choosing an epoxy resin to cover your project, painting, photo, print, wood or other kind of craft, you may be tempted to go with whatever is cheapest. But be warned-what may at first seem relatively inexpensive could wind up costing you a lot over time.
Once cured, epoxy resins change with exposure to UV light (as most things do). Even indoor fluorescent light can cause it to change. The most noticeable change is in respect to color. When UV light hits a resin coating, it degrades the epoxy polymers, causing ambering (i.e. a yellow discoloration). Even resin that may have started out crystal clear will soon turn an ugly yellow hue. Unless something is done to the chemical make-up of the resin formula, this process and outcome is inevitable.
Many epoxy resins on the market include a UV stabilizer (aka UV inhibitor) to protect against yellowing, as well as other problems that epoxies are prone to (such as de-lamination, chalking, cracking and gloss loss). In truth, a UV stabilizer is necessary and effective, except when it comes to the yellowing issue. A UV stabilizer merely delays yellowing… another additive altogether is required to really combat yellowing – something by the name of Hindered Amine Light Stabilizer (HALS). Unlike UV light stabilization, Hindered Amine Light Stabilization (HALS) actually interrupts the yellowing process at the outset, making it much more difficult for yellowing to occur. HALS has been demonstrated in numerous test cases over the years to be extraordinarily effective in protecting against yellowing – there is approximately 50 years’ worth of this evidence available.
There is only one epoxy resin formula available on the market that includes both UV and HALS stabilization; that product is ArtResin epoxy resin.
ArtResin was developed specifically for use over artwork and craft projects, meaning it has been formulated to keep artwork beautiful and as the artist intended, over time. Any resin product that does not include both HALS and UV stabilization will, as a matter of scientific fact, amber and yellow over a period of a few months to a year (typically). A low quality resin product applied over artwork will deteriorate the work and decrease its value, leaving both artists and patrons frustrated and disappointed. In that sense, choosing to use a cheaper resin product is actually an extremely costly mistake.
ArtResin epoxy resin has been certified as safe for home use by an ASTM board-certified toxicologist and contains no VOCs or fumes. Epoxy Resin Crystal Clear, Resin Tint, Countertop Epoxy, and FGCI SuperClear are examples of other high quality Epoxy Resin which are great to use for artwork as you will discover in future projects.

Which Brand Of Epoxy Resin Is Best For Art?

If you like experimenting, you will love working with resin. Resin can also be used to finish drawings, photos and pictures (made of oil, acrylic, alcohol ink, watercolour, 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. We will be discussing some of the different brands of epoxy resin here to assist you in making the right decision.

RiverTable:

Epoxy resin design for your table is not only beautiful but is also becoming one of the most produced in the industry. Whilst this product is done in all variations we still have to think about how the product preparation is done, that is table size versus mixture quantity. Hence, the epoxy resin that is best for this job is EcoPoxy FlowCast, this is particularly used for counters, tables, and woodworks. Another brand would be FGCI Liquid Glass Casting Resin this is also suitable in the above-mentioned field.

Art and Craft:

For each resin creation there are specialized products for that category hence, it needs to be adaptable. Color separation is a big deal for the resin that is to be used in this field which in this case will have high viscosity. We also want to avoid the yellowing of your art so as to have total transparency and having crystal clear color. The resins recommended for the field are ArtResin and Dr. Crafty brands. Both resin types are available on various online shopping sites for example Amazon.

Jewelry:

Casting beautiful jewel is well done in silicone or epoxy resin molds. With jewelry pieces, we want to ensure that the resin does not have that effect of yellowing. We want to also ensure that this resin brand is highly compatible with other materials sure as metal, wood, and others. We also want to bear in mind that this resin should also be hard enough when cured so as to avoid any scratches. Seen that this art type is most similar to art and craft hence brands recommended are also ArtResin and Dr. Crafty.

UV:

This type of epoxy resin is a tab unique that others as this is already mixed and ready for immediate use. Unique so much so that it gives longer work time as it needs to be placed under a UV light for drying. With the curing being minutes in UV light, it is suitable for small molds and surfaces where rapid drying time or curing is required such as repairs. The brands that are best for this type of art are Limino UV Resin and DecorRom UV Resin

Casting:

With all other resin would be based on flat surfaces the requirements for casting are a bit different. Seen the layers of casting are often higher, the resin must not cure/harden quickly or this would cause excessive heating, excessive heating is not good as the curing will stay before the bubbles are rid of.
Casting resin is usually low in its viscosity which means it is usually thin. Would layer thickness of approximately six centimeters (6cm) and open extended time should reduce rapid heating hence giving development timing during the curing process. The brands best for casting are FGCI Liquid Glass Casting and EcoPoxy FlowCast Clear Casting.

What Material Does Epoxy Resin Not Stick To?

While epoxy resin does make excellent glue, there are some surfaces that epoxy resin won’t stick to. That information is beneficial in being knowledgeable on what makes a good resin art surface to create a fantastic workspace and surface for such art. Here is a list of some surface your art will not stick to:

Wax:

Be it car, furniture, candle or otherwise resin will not stick to it. This information is useful to all artists especially if you are looking to create a void in your art. The process to do so is simple, simply pour your resin around the wax allow your resin to cure then, separate wax from cured resin.

Oily or greasy surfaces:

Resin art on wood or metal sticks perfectly however if these surfaces are greasy your art will not stick. Once the grease or oil is removed from these surfaces however, it makes for great art.

Silicone:

Being that silicone is a resin itself, you would think that the possibility for this to stick would have been high but, that is not true. Whilst the resin will not stick to silicone it then makes for great molding material. While silicone will make a great mold the trick is you would need rubber to rubber mold release to separate your resin from the silicone in the event there is too much silicone being used. This would have you getting a huge silicone ball that you don’t want for your art.

Polyethylene plastics:

While polyethylene will not stick to your resin art and craft all is not lost. Examples of polyethylene plastics are sandwich bags, disposable plastic sheets from painting, laminate, and grocery plastic bags. These surfaces not being able to stick makes an awesome protector for your resin art and craft work-area.

Wax, freezer, or parchment papers:

Resin that is set to be cured on the waxy side of this paper will not cure but, will easily peel away.

What Is The Difference Between Art Resin And Epoxy?

The main difference between both adhesives is the drying time. ArtResin is poured, it has a low viscosity hence it pours like clear honey. Its cured time is slower than epoxy hence giving you a longer work time. This gives the artist adequate time to work with their painting and the possible layer of resin, this may be used in art pieces such as:

  • Layering Resin
  • Colored Resin Pour
  • Petri Resin Pour

As for epoxy, it is thicker hence having a higher viscosity, which allows it a quicker cure time which may range for six (6) hours up, this also contributes to its shorter working time and as such requires a thin pouring of the substance.

What Supplies Do I Need For Resin Art?

To get that perfect resin art project completed you need specific materials or pieces of equipment. This may also be dependent on the magnitude/size of your resin art project. Research also shows that the economical choices in materials for your resin project may not be the wisest decisions. This is so as cost-effective epoxy resins are often not clear but milkier and change to yellow afterward.
It is important not to use canvas as a painting base, because the resin is too heavy for this. It would run together in the middle and let the canvas sag, so that the result is undesirable. Suitable painting surfaces are wood, plexiglass, glass or metal. Household objects like cutting boards and wooden bowls can be refined with epoxy resin. Even pieces of furniture such as tables and kitchen worktops can be covered with resin.
As far as colors are concerned, you have free rein…..choose whatever you like. You will find a wide range of highly pigmented paint online suitable for epoxy resin art. You can use pigments in powder form (ResiTint colors are very color intensive, a few drops is enough), ink, alcohol ink, liquid acrylic paints and spray paints. Be careful not to dilute or mix your paints with water. This would lead to an insufficient hardening of the resin and make it cloudy. You should always mix the colors directly with the resin in a cup before use.
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.

Can You Use Food Coloring In Resin?

Though more economically preferred the end result will not be. This is so as food coloring has water and prevents your resin from curing properly, it also stands the possibility of losing color in the curing process. To get the best result in adding color to your resin, it is recommended that you use ResinTint.
ResinTint requires resin as a binder, meaning it is not meant to be used on its own without being mixed into resin. Unlike acrylic paint and alcohol ink that can be used on paper or elsewhere ResinTint does not behave properly without being mixed into resin.
Its non-toxic and non-flammable, so the non-toxicity, non-flammability and glossiness of ArtResin is all preserved once ResinTint is added to it.
The following list shows the basic items needed for your epoxy resin project:

  • Art Alternative Wood Panel (used for painting ground)
  • Isopropanol (Alcohol)
  • Resin mixing cups
  • Stir Sticks
  • Plastic Spatula
  • Tweezers
  • Level
  • Masking tape
  • Gloves (professionals recommend nitrile gloves)
  • Heat gun
  • Butane torch
  • Respirator mask
  • ResinTint, liquid pigment (the tints all depends on your project)
    • – Basic color set
    • – Metallic and pearl colors
    • – Neon colors.

Safety Precautions When Working With Resin

An important point when working with resin is that you protect your surroundings appropriately. This means that you lay out large areas of protective foil to protect the floor, unless you own your own workshop and you don’t care how it looks afterwards. With any liquid it is quite possible that something will spill. Since the material solidifies relatively quickly and is really hard afterwards, it is very difficult to remove it from floors and furniture. So, protect the areas that are not going to be covered with resin with a protective foil or several layers of newspaper. It is also very important to air the room well. Your skin and eyes should also be protected from contact with the epoxy resin as it can cause irritations, as liquid epoxy resin is a toxic material. (Hardened and cured, it is however completely harmless).
Therefore wear disposable nitrile gloves (not latex gloves) and long-sleeved clothing. If resin gets on your skin, clean it immediately with vinegar and then again thoroughly with soap and water. Eating, and drinking in the immediate vicinity of resin paint and resin should be avoided. Smoking should also be avoided, as synthetic resin is partly flammable. In addition, always wear respiratory protection and safety goggles when working with resin is recommended when heating paint / synthetic resin, as this is not completely harmless.

How To Make Resin Art – Creating Your Own Resin Art Painting.

Once the surface is discovered (reminder the area must be clean and must be materials that epoxy resin should be able to stick to) and you are clear about the image design or the art you want to create you are ready to design your first resin artwork.

1. As was mentioned before ensure you have a clean oil-free dust-free workplace in a well-ventilated room or area.
2. Lay foils to protect your workplace. The material you are working with should be in arms reach, much to say in close proximity.
3. Stick your painting ground on the reverse side with strong paint tape. This procedure allows the resin droplets on the underside of the picture to be easily removed after twenty-four (24) hours (time it takes to set, sit and cure). According to Patricia Jaggi, some artists also stick the sides of the painting ground. Taping pages or not is a matter of taste and everyone should do it the way they like.
4. Now, your painting base can be placed on cups on the tabletop, this is to prevent the base from sticking if directly placed on the tabletop due to the resin flowing down.
5. Make sure the painting surface is horizontal, to ensure it is, use a level. Otherwise the resin will melt and your painting will be invisible after a short time.
6. A disposable nitrile glove is preferred to work with (not latex or even vinyl) also ensure you are wearing a long-sleeved shirt or clothing gear.
7. Using your mixing cup and spatula, mix the required amount of resin to hardener for three (3) minutes (reminder, the ratio is one to one (1:1) based on volume not weight). If the components are insufficient mixed, the mass will remain sticky and would not harden completely.

8. Get colorful!! Color your resin in disposable cups in different colors, not your mixing cups. It is also suggested to use a few drops of pigment for your color, just a hint is enough to add to your resin art.

9. In pouring your resin you can pour straight from your cup to the painting ground, or you can use one of the pouring styles which includes:

    • Dirty Pour: this technique may be applied in multiple ways to provide you with beautiful colors. However, this technique is simply where all colors are added to a container (in this case your cup) at the same time and the poured together to create your paint effect.
    • Flip Cup: this technique is also a form of the dirty pour. It is however done by having all paints mixed in your cup or container, your applied surface or canvas should be placed painting side down on cup/container, turn the two together having painting side up without having any spilled or escaping paint. Lift the cup allowing the paint to escape and nicely flow across your canvas.
    • Funnel Pour: In this technique add colors to funnel with the end blocked. Once all your paint colors are in, release the end of your funnel allowing the paint to flow onto canvas having the funnel create the designs.

Note:

Resi-Blast was specially developed for Resin Epoxy Art for cell formation. Cells can be created by adding some isopropanol alcohol or a few drops of Resi-Blast. You can drop the Resi-Blast or silicone oil into your freshly poured resin mixture. If you wait too long, the Resi-Blast will have no effect.

10. To influence the course of the resin on the painting surface use a knife, spatula, foam roller, brush, or silicone brush as well as tilting/leaning your canvas.

11. In creating your art pieces you may sometimes get air bubbles in your painting. You can remove them by briefly using a butane torch or even a hot air blow-dryer.

12. If the casting resin starts to dry after a certain time (different from resin to resin), 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-levelling. Though heating may delay the drying process this does not last very long to perform a decent work.
13. At this point, you should also try your best to avoid any foreign objects from getting in your work, if you have foreign objects you should be able to remove with a tweezer.
14. Now that you are free from foreign particles (ie hair, dust, and any other factors) and air bubbles, it is now time for you to cover your art piece to protect it and thoroughly cure. Do not leave large areas exposed, you can use a cardboard box to cover up leaving all edges away from the box. A resin image is hard after about 24 hours, but still sensitive. Only after three days is it fully cured. Voila! You’ve just created your first Resin Art Painting.

Note:  Avoid fluctuation in temperature while the art is being cured.

How To Clean Your Casting Tools?

Now that you have finished your art piece you need to clean your workspace and your tools/pieces of equipment. In some cases you have a bit of resin left after completing your art piece, we recommend experimenting do not waste. Ensure your empty containers are turned face down on a plastic foil to get rid of the excess that is in your containers, also put all used items in one area. With this done you will be able to easily remove fragments from the containers the following day within that twenty-four (24) hours while your art cures.
From the alcohol in your supplies, clean your spatula and tweezers 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. Ensure that all electrical appliances are disconnected from the power supply before use. Brushes and foam rollers (if used), must unfortunately be disposed of. Do not leave wooden sticks in the resin, otherwise you will not be able to remove them from the surface the next day.

What Should I Do If My 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. When using silicone oil or Resi-Blast dents may also form. In this case you have to carefully sand the painting surface with a fine grain and apply a new layer of resin. If you used Resi-Blast or silicone oil in your Resin Art, clean the surface thoroughly with alcohol.

Can I Cast Further Resin Layers

Approximately five hours after applying resin (if the resin is already a little hard but still sticks), you can apply another layer of resin. To get exciting depth try applying several layers of resin on top of each other, you’ll be blown away!
Alternatively, you can wait until your Epoxy Art is fully cured (at least 24 hours, or longer). Then, 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 will be a lot of dust in the air which can settle on the freshly cast painting surface.

How Do Beginners Use Resin?

Let us start with the mistake most beginners make when using art resin, be it kids at eight (8) years or adults at eighty (80) years. Beginners’ mistakes are usually not reading, assuming measurements, and making substitution that is not supposed to be there.
Beginners should definitely read the full instructions of accomplishing a good finish product. Mentioned earlier in this article subtopic, “how to make resin art?” are the full steps from beginning to end as to how to accomplish your desired art. Also cover the floor surrounding your table or work area you are going to work with (epoxy resin are great adhesive hence, will stick to your floor) and ensure your working surface is level this is to avoid your resin flowing onto sides and not being evenly spread.
In reading measurements, avoid using a spoon or cork to measure and preferably go by measuring materials in the supplies list mentioned earlier. A great tip that can help is if you are using large mixtures, mix in one container then split to smaller sizes. Ensure that your mixtures are done thoroughly as without proper mixing your curing process will be disturbed.
Note:   Your time to work with your resin mixture starts at the moment you combine your liquids hence, we suggest you work quickly, your colors should also be well mixed as otherwise, your art color will be uneven.
Ensure when trying new things this is practiced in a smaller space before doing a massive project. Practice that new pouring technique, using a new color, or simply trying to attain a new shape. For our beginners, we also advise that you start with working on wood or concrete as pouring on the canvas may cause your canvas to wet then sag which can affect the outcome of your work. Another element to consider is environmental temperature if the environment is too hot or cold this will affect your curing process and time, ensure your room temperature is even and your artwork is also left undisturbed.
Always remember to pick the correct resins for your project. This will determine your end result and your cure time. All resin has their own characteristic base on the chemical combination and makes them uniquely perfect for your project, see the subtopic, “which brand of epoxy resin is best for art” for a reminder of all your choices. Never ever overestimate your ability, always remember there is always something new and we are all still learning.

How Do You Prevent Over Heating

Metallic colors do develop excess heat when mixed with resin. We do advise that you mix only what is needed for your art and to ensure that you are on point with measurement use a calculator to determine the correct amount is being mixed for your surface. The higher the environment temperature the faster your resin will boil. A tip for cooling if this happens is to pour on the foil. For those days when nature gives high temperatures, it is best to do your artwork early mornings or later evenings when it is cooler.

Conclusion

As you can see the end product of your epoxy resin art is time-consuming and takes a bit of preparation, time and focus. It is all possible for you to get your perfect art in carefully following the steps outlined above. Once the steps are followed and you have that completed perfect piece in your hands you will see the possibilities are endless.
For our beginners, we do recommend that you follow the steps outlined and follow our tips. also there are some detailed Youtube videos that we recommend you watch. You will learn the techniques that will make you beautiful art.
We ask that you stick around and follow our social media pages where we will be adding additional blog posts and tutorial videos. Most of all have fun working with resin and feel free to share your work with us.

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