Just for Beginners: The Ninja Guide of Making Resin Art

You’re in a redecorating mood. And you need something extra zippy to go over your new sofa. How about a piece of art that is unique as you are? Especially if you can create it yourself.

Yes. You can do it. Get ready beginners–you’re going to learn how to make resin art.

Step 1: Prepare your resin art workspace

While creating resin art is fun, it is MESSY. You will need a table where you can:

*Cover it with plastic (unless you don’t mind resin drips on the floor).
*Elevate the painting so resin can drip off the side.
*Leave it alone for at least 24 hours while it cures.
*Enclose it with a box or container to keep dust off of it while it cures.

Pro tip: to make sure the resin that runs off doesn’t run onto the floor, you can make your resin art in another container. This can be a plastic container, cardboard box, or a plastic swimming pool. Once again, it needs to be something that you don’t mind getting covered with resin.

Step 2: Choose your painting surface

There are many surfaces for resin painting.  Make sure it’s one that’s flat. Plus, you’ll need to elevate it with shims to let resin run off. My favorite resin art painting surfaces for beginners are white ceramic tiles from the home improvement store. You can usually get them for less than a dollar.

Optional: Protect the back and sides of your resin surface with painter’s tape. This tape will collect the drips that run underneath. Once your resin has soft-cured, remove this tape so that your resin cures with a crisp edge.

This video shows you how to do that:

Step 3:  Gather your art supplies, including your epoxy resin.

This step is essential for beginners to get right when making resin art. You must use an epoxy resin for art. It mixes thick enough to stay on the surface of the painting, with minimal drips off the sides. I’m using the Resin Obsession artwork resin. It creates a beautiful, level surface free of dimples and locks in colors. Plus it finishes with a beautiful shine.

You’ll also need mixing cups, stirring utensils, resin colors, and safety equipment like gloves, goggles, and a respirator.

BONUS: Get a resin art supplies shopping list.

Step 4:  Figure out how much resin you need

Hang tight.  We only have to do a tiny bit of math here.  And Resin Obsession can do the heavy lifting for you. Go to our resin volume calculator and input your dimensions. Then, the calculator will tell you how much resin you need.

Step 5: Elevate your painting surface and make sure it’s level

Grab a level and make sure your surface is level in all directions. If it isn’t, your resin is going to settle over the surface unevenly or even run off the sides. Use shims as necessary to lift and level the surface.

Pro tip: Shims don’t need to be expensive. I use plastic drinking cups and popsicle sticks for this part.

Step 6:  Mix your resin

This step is also pretty important when learning how to make resin art–and another one I see beginners mess up.

Let’s say the resin calculator told you to mix 20 ounces of resin. That means 20 ounces TOTAL of resin. The Resin Obsession artwork resin mixes 1 part A (resin) to 1 part B (hardener) by volume. That means you will need to measure 10 ounces of resin AND 10 ounces of hardener.

Measure each part in separate cups, then mix together. Continue blending until the mix is clear and streak-free. This takes about 3 minutes.

BONUS: See how to mix resin with all kinds of tips for beginners.

Step 7:  Add colors

It wouldn’t be much of an art painting if you didn’t add resin colors. Split your resin amongst several cups, and color in your favorite hues.

BONUS: Here’s how to color epoxy resin and get the best results.

Pro tip: Use a timer to help you keep track of the resin’s pot time. It’s easy for time to get away from you, and before you know it, your resin is thickening and you are nowhere near finished.

Step 8:  Pour

 

This is what what you’ve been waiting for.  It’s time for all you beginners to pour your resin and make art.  Flow it onto your surface and let the resin spread.  You can also use you’re stirring stick to spread the resin over your painting surface.

Step 9:  Use a heat gun

Here’s where resin art gets fun and imaginative. Use your heat gun to push the resin around your painting surface. It makes interesting designs and will create cells in resin.  Plus it removes resin bubbles, which is another challenge I see with beginners making art.

Step 10:  Cover your resin painting

Resin has an affinity to collect dust, dirt, and especially pet hair. You don’t want to have these imperfections on your cured resin. Make sure you keep the dome on your resin art until it’s cured to the touch. This will take at least 24 hours.

Want some resin art inspiration for beginners?

Here’s a video of one of my favorite paintings that I’ve created with epoxy:

Have more beginners’ questions about making resin art?

Then you will want your copy of the beginner book, Resin Fundamentals.  For less than the price of a resin kit, you’ll learn from my 15 years of resin artist experience. Stop wasting time watching hours of free videos. Instead, you’ll get the vital details you need to know to make paint something amazing with resin. Buy now, and an email shows up in your inbox in minutes with the book download link.

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