Epoxy Resin Art Guide - Step by Step Tutorial for Beginners

Resin art has gained extreme popularity in the last few years with people across the globe, in several industries and households using it to create either simple beginner-level items like coasters, jewellery, etc. or complex things like furniture, wall art.

There are two reasons that I love resin. Resin is a great choice if you want to preserve items attached to a particular memory, a flower from a special date, a letter from a loved one, anything that holds great importance to you can be stored in resin and preserved forever. Secondly, Resin is in liquid consistency while you create art, and the unstructured flow is very relaxing and therapeutic for the mind.

But before we go any further, let's cover the basics, what exactly is resin?

Epoxy Resin is a two-part solution consisting of one part resin and one part hardener(ratios differ but are mentioned on the bottle of the brand that you buy).

When these two parts are mixed, a chemical reaction takes place in which they fuse together to create something that resembles plastic and shines like glass. Once the mixed resin has cured completely (could take up to 24 hours or more), you get a highly durable material that happens to be extremely versatile, easy to use, able to withstand extreme heat and cold, and maybe sanded and drilled if needed?

So, are you excited about creating your art piece?

In this section, we will be sharing a list of the essentials you need to get started with epoxy resin.

Whilst there are many ways in which you can use resin, we will be focusing on how to create resin flow art. As a beginner, I do not like to invest a lot of money, while starting out and the ingredients I will share with you, will not only be inexpensive but a lot of them could be found in and around the household.

Before we get started on this artistic and fun journey, there are certain precautions that you need to be careful about. Resin is a chemical substance and very sticky when in liquid form, thus you need to have the right equipment, the right environment, and the proper protection to keep you and others safe.

To learn everything you need to be cautious about, watch the description video or read the document. 

The proportions of the resin and hardener that you must mix will depend entirely on the ones that you purchase. Each product is produced differently and may require vastly different ratios so read the container before starting out. Depending on what you’re planning to make, the amount of resin you need will vary. You can use several calculators to measure the amount of resin you would need based on the measurements of the base.

The current epoxy that I’m using is to be mixed in a ratio of 2:1 and I’m taking 30gms of epoxy and so 15 gm of the hardener. You can use the same if your coaster is of the same dimensions.

For the sake of this tutorial we will need to split it into two different parts, so take two mixing cups, I prefer these disposable ones and split the mixture equally into the two containers. For this split, you can use a rough approximation

You can always add more mixture if needed but after mixing the hardener, the resin will start to cure and you cannot add the mixture back into the container. To avoid wastage, I prefer to go with my minimum estimate of the amount of epoxy might need. Let’s bring out our weighting scale: Before you start, ensure that your weighing scale is set at 0, and then, account for the weight of the empty cup before you add the mix. Slowly first add the resin, and then the hardener on top of it. Now take a stirrer and mix the Epoxy well with the hardener. Do not stir too hard as it can create too many bubbles and reduce clarity. Although, we will take care of those towards the end. Now based on the number of pigments/glitters/foils you want to add you will have to spill the epoxy into different containers.

Do this very carefully and do not rush to avoid spillage and sticky containers.

This is where the fun begins! In this tutorial, we’re making coasters that are transparent with gold foil on one side and a highly pigmented white on the other. The different pigment types may also have instructions, so be sure to check for any important information before adding. Some pigments become completely opaque, some turn translucent and some even change colour after curing.

Currently, the pigment that I’m using is a liquid pigment specifically for resin art. This needs to be used a tiny amount and will last you forever, thus a great investment. Take a pinch of the colour on your stirrer, and add it to the cup with transparent resin. Mix it till you see the colour has blended homogeneously. The next thing we need, and my favourite ingredient that I love using in all my epoxy projects, is gold foil. To avoid any gold foil sticking to my gloves, I will be adding it using a tweezer. Stir a little and once mixed with epoxy, the foil will start to break.

Blend it in till golden foil is spread evenly in the transparent epoxy. While mixing the pigments be sure to always use different stirrers for different colours to create contrasting layers. Epoxy needs only a pinch of pigment and if you use the same stirrer, the colours will not show up as prominently or mix with each other.

Once you have mixed the resin and added colours, you are ready to pour the mixture into the coaster. I ensure I first clean my coasters with water and then with a towel.

To be completely sure that there are no dust/dirt particles (that may not be visible but can show up on the transparent side of my epoxy), I take a wide scotch tape and start to press it onto the coaster with the sticky side. Remove the tape and repeat the steps 5-7 times on each coaster. This helps to remove the minutest dirt that may not have been visible to the naked eye.

Now that our coasters are clean we take the epoxy mixtures one by one and start pouring them into the coasters. Get a rough estimate of where the centre of your coaster is, take the white mixture and slowly start pouring it on one half of the coaster, ensuring that you’re covering all the edges and evenly distributing it.

Repeat the same step with the gold foil mixture, gently covering the remaining half of the coaster. Pro Tip: Try and avoid too much overlap of the pigments and have two clearly defined sides in your coasters. Also pour very gently, making sure the epoxy does not overflow.

Now that our coasters are clean we take the epoxy mixtures one by one and start pouring them into the coasters. Get a rough estimate of where the centre of your coaster is, take the white mixture and slowly start pouring it on one half of the coaster, ensuring that you’re covering all the edges and evenly distributing it.

Repeat the same step with the gold foil mixture, gently covering the remaining half of the coaster.

Pro Tip: Try and avoid too much overlap of the pigments and have two clearly defined sides in your coasters. Also pour very gently, making sure the epoxy does not overflow.

After pouring the epoxy across the coaster, you want to merge the two pigments only in the centre. Although we want our coaster to have two distinct sides, we want it to look blended. For it to look effortless and because this is flow art, we will let the two resins mix into each other guiding it with the help of a straw.

Now keep the straw at an approximately one-finger distance from the coaster and gently blow into it, navigating the liquid epoxy in the direction you want it to flow. The straw will help focus all air at one particular point streamlining it and ensuring that all the epoxy does not mix into one.

You can also take a stirrer and make gentle waves, or small circles in the middle of the coaster to connect the two pigments.

The best part about epoxy is that there are no strict rules, and the more you experiment the better you get at it. So let the epoxy flow naturally, give it a few strokes and let the magic happen.

Before we leave our resin to cure, we want it to be even and so we need to ensure that there are no air bubbles.

You can do this manually using a toothpick, which I personally do not recommend as it takes a lot of time and effort, and is not helpful in popping the smaller bubbles which could still make the coaster uneven.

I use a blowtorch which is far more effective. Simply take a Butane Blowtorch (you can easily get it in a hardware store or online) and hover it over the coasters with a minimum palm’s distance to prevent the coasters from heating up.

This step adds a huge difference in the finishing of the final output.

Once your coasters have been cured it is very easy to get them off a silicon mould, without any issues.

If you notice that the resin is still bendable, do not try to remove it. It could distort the shape and leave you with a useless coaster that is not flat.

Simply start peeling it from one side and if it comes off without resistance, without bending, push it up from all sides and you will have your perfectly shaped coaster.

Your coaster is now ready and set to be used.

The next step is a complete option however I feel outlining the coasters give it a beautiful finish, makes it look more refined and market bought.

For these coasters, to match the gold foil we are using a golden metallic marker for the outlining, but you can easily find these in several colours, or also use acrylic paints.

Take the pen, shake it a little to ensure consistency in the flow and start to outline on the edges.

With acrylic paints you need to be a lot more precise for it to be neat and even and not being a very good artist, I personally find these much easier, quick and hassle-free.

Once you’re done, give the markers enough time to dry and your coasters are ready.