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Epoxy art What resin supplies do you need? What techniques do you need to use? What if I make a mistake?

Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be complicated! Let me break down for you what you need to know to make beautiful epoxy art.

Why make epoxy art?
resin art
That question should be, why not make epoxy art? Every painting you make is a chance to be creative with resin. Plus, no two paintings are ever the same! You will never run out of things to try or techniques to learn.

Plus, the skills you learn making resin art will help do other resin projects like resin jewelry, river tables, and so much more.

What kind of Resin should you use?
For resin painting projects, you want to use a two-part, epoxy resin designed for painting artwork. These resins are also meant to coat surfaces, plus self-level, to give a smooth finish. Not only that, but they mix clear and have a long working time.

What you don’t want to use are casting resins. These resins are meant to fill molds or other voids (like river tables) and won’t work for creating epoxy art. You also don’t want to use UV resin. UV resin won’t work for epoxy art projects.

Resin Supplies you need for epoxy art
Best Epoxy for resin art
RESIN OBSESSION ARTWORK RESIN
Get artwork resin with a fantastic performance at a price that’s friendly to your wallet

• Mixes 1:1 by volume, making it easy to get your resin and hardener accurately measured
• Self-leveling formula. You don’t need to do any extra work to get a beautiful finish!
• Up to 45 minutes of working time
• Contains UV protectants to guard against yellowing
• Safe, toxicologist-reviewed resin formula

What else do you need to get started?
Surface covering
plastic drop cloth
Because working with resin can get messy, you need to protect your area from spills and drips. Not sure what makes a good resin artwork area covering? Here are some ideas on what surfaces resin won’t stick to.

Resin painting substrate
art board
Many surfaces can make great epoxy art. Not sure what to use? You can use

*Artboards
*Canvases
*Tiles
*Vintage records

This article details the pros and cons of using each: resin painting surface ideas.

Level
check levelness of board surface
You need to be sure your surface is level so that your resin doesn’t run to one side or the other.

Different shades of resin colors.


cups of resin color
You will want a variety of colors to make your resin art.

You might be wondering which are the best resin colors for epoxy art. Epoxy resin colors will get you the best results. Why?

*They are designed to color resin.
*They won’t fade or change colors.
*You can count on consistent results.

Here are the colors I like to use:




Opaque resin colors




Transparent resin colors


Metallic resin colors


Want to try something other than the traditional resin colors? Here are some of my other tips on how to color epoxy resin.

Mixing cups

Cups are essential to make sure you accurately measure the resin and hardener.

Nitrile gloves

Resin kits contain chemicals that can irritate your skin. Protecting your hands is a must.

Respirator
safety respirator
While not all resins require respirator use, it never hurts to be safe. I explain more about the one I like to use in this resin safety article.

Dispersion agents like alcohol, acetone, or silicone oil
Note: while it’s common for these chemicals to be used when making epoxy art, they weren’t necessarily designed for that purpose. Use caution when using these items, especially around an open flame.

I like to use a heat gun not only to remove bubbles but also to push resin around to create some unique effects.

What should you know about resin safety?
Because you are working with chemicals, you need to take precautions to keep yourself and others safe. At a minimum, you need to wear safety gloves and work in a well-ventilated area. I even go so far as to wear a respirator to protect myself against any potential irritants.

You also need to use a resin that conforms to ASTM D-4236. This is a resin formula that has undergone independent review and determined safe for art purposes when used as directed. The good news is that all of the resins sold in the Resin Obsession store have this designation.

So now that you have your epoxy art supplies, what are the steps to make resin art?
surface for resin painting
Step 1: Prepare your resin painting area.
You need to have plenty of room for your resin painting surface, plus extra space to allow the resin to drip off the side. You also need to be sure your resin painting can stay undisturbed for a few days while the resin dries.

Don’t forget that sometimes resin can end up on the floor while you are doing this. You may want to have a tarp to cover that area too.

Because resin safety is critical, you need to make sure you are working with resin in a room that’s well ventilated. I’m fortunate enough that I can work with resin outside certain times of the year!