Are you new to resin art and looking for a fun, easy way to get started?
Or maybe you already use resin but you'd like a few different project ideas to try?
We know you're going to love these resin art projects with lots of useful tips for working with epoxy resin. Make these pieces as simple or as detailed as you'd like - either way, you'll end up with something you'll be proud to display. We hope they inspire you to start (and continue) getting creative with resin!
1. Textured Resin Art
Create colorful and eye-catching textured art with drywall compound, a wood panel and ArtResin - once you see how easy it is, you'll want to make these over and over again.
What You Need:
- A wood art panel
- Drywall compound
- Spatula or small trowel
- Acrylic Paint or ResinTint
- Paintbrushes
- ArtResin epoxy resin
- Disposable gloves
- Stir Stick
- Mixing cup with easy to read measurement lines
- Foam brush
- Artist Torch (recommended)
- A clean box or plastic tote to protect your resin art while it dries
How To Make It:
1. Using a spatula, apply a thick coat of drywall compound to the front and sides of the wood panel. Draw your design into the drywall compound while it's still soft using the handle end of a paintbrush.
2. Using acrylics, paint your color pattern onto the dried plaster design. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before applying ArtResin. OR if you prefer, you can fill in your design with tinted resin.
3. Wearing gloves, mix up a batch of ArtResin into your mixing cup (equal parts resin and hardener). Stir for at least 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom as you go. Apply ArtResin evenly to the front and sides of the panel using a foam brush or gloved hands.
💡TIP: Use our Resin Calculator and enter the length and width of your piece to determine how much ArtResin you’ll need.
5. Pass a butane torch over the top of the resined surface quickly to remove any bubbles. Looking under a light source, use a toothpick to remove dust or pop stray bubbles. Cover your resin art with a clean dust cover and allow to dry for 24 hours.
6. Admire your art (and be prepared that you'll want to make more and more!)
See the full written instructions in our blog How To Make Textured Resin Art or watch the video:
2. Ocean Art
Ocean art involves pouring layers of resin tinted in shades of blue, then finishing with white to replicate wave crests. The color and shine will make you want to dive right in! This technique is fun to watch and even more fun to do - the best part is that no two pieces will look the same.
What You Need:
- ArtResin epoxy resin
- ResinTint liquid colorants
- a wooden panel, round or square
- a hairdryer
- disposable gloves
- measuring cup
- small plastic cups and stir sticks, enough for each colour
- toothpick
- a piece of plastic to line your work surface with
- plastic stands to prop your work up on (painter's pyramids or plastic cups)
- Artist Torch (recommended)
- dust cover large enough to cover your piece
How To Make It:
💡TIP: Enter the dimensions of your panel into our Resin Calculator to determine exactly how much you'll need.
2. Pour the ArtResin into four plastic cups, tinting with ResinTint in light blue, dark blue, white and sand. There's no wrong or right - add and adjust until you see the color you're happiest with. You'll need more resin tinted light blue and dark blue and less of sand and white.
3. Start with the sand color to create the beach on one edge of the panel, spreading it out and over the sides.
4. On the edge opposite to the sand, pour the darker blue on about half the panel, spreading out and over the sides.
5. Apply the light blue to the remainder of the canvas, blending with the dark blue for an even transition between the two colors. Leave a little separation between the sand and light blue or you'll end up with a muddy look.
6. Drop a thin line of white in the gap between the light blue and the sand, and a second or third line where ever else you want to create a wave.
7. With the hairdryer set on low, stay close to the white resin and push it in and out, spreading it over the blue resin.
8. Use a toothpick to drag through the white seafoam, exaggerating and elongating it through the wave.
9. Torch out any bubbles, cover and allow your piece to cure 24 hours.
10. Admire and enjoy your very own aerial seascape!
Read the full written instructions in our blog How To Make Ocean Resin Art or watch the video:
3. Pointillism Art
Pointillism is the technique of applying small dots that, when viewed from a distance, blend together to form an image. The technique may seem difficult at first glance, but it really is more time consuming than it is challenging. After watching this video tutorial, anyone will be able to recreate a piece like this.
What You Need:
- A 12 x 12" cradled wood panel painted white (a cradled panel has a lip to contain the resin)
- a selection of markers
- ArtResin epoxy resin
- A pair of nitrile gloves, a stir stick and spreader
- a measuring cup with easy to read measurement lines
- a handheld torch like our Artist's Torch
- toothpicks
- a clean, empty plastic tote to protect your piece while it dries
How To Make It:
1. Trace or freehand your design directly onto the wood panel and fill it in. Resting your hand on a piece of paper helps keep your artwork clean while you dot your design.
2. Using our Resin Calculator, enter the length and width of your piece to determine how much ArtResin you’ll need. A standard 1/8" coating for a 12" x 12" panel requires 5 oz resin (2.5 oz resin and 2.5 oz hardener).
3. Wearing gloves, mix up a batch of ArtResin into your mixing cup (equal parts resin and hardener). Stir for at least 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom as you go. Apply ArtResin evenly to the front and sides of the panel using a foam brush or gloved hands. You can tilt the panel to spread it or use a plastic spreading tool. You'll have about 45 minutes of working time before the resin gets too thick to work with.
4. Pass a butane torch over the top of the resined surface quickly to remove any bubbles. Looking under a light source, use a toothpick to remove dust or pop stray bubbles. Cover your resin art with a clean dust cover and allow to dry for 24 hours.
5. Wait 24hrs and then admire your work!
Read the full written instructions in our blog How Read How To Resin Pointillism Art or watch the video:
4. Petri Dish Art
Petri Dish Art is made by dropping alcohol ink into ArtResin in a silicone mold. The white ink pushes the colors through the resin creating colorful "petrified" squiggles. This technique might look complicated, but it's actually quite simple and the results are stunning, even for a beginner!
What You Need:
- ArtResin® epoxy resin
- ArtResin® Alcohol Ink
- ArtResin® Ink Sinker
- silicone mold
- measuring cup
- mixing stick
- disposable gloves
How To Make It:
1. Wearing gloves, mix up a batch of ArtResin into your mixing cup (equal parts resin and hardener). Stir for at least 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom as you go.
2. Pour approximately 3oz of ArtResin into each mold cavity.
3. Drop your favorite colors of alcohol ink directly from the bottle into your resin. Drop white Alcohol Ink Sinker over your color drops to drive the colors through the resin.
💡TIP: Use approximately 1 drop of Ink Sinker per 2 drops of alcohol ink.
4. Cover your mold and leave it to cure overnight.
5. 24 hours later, remove your cured petri dish art from the silicone mold and see how they turned out!
6. Do it again and again! Experiment and get funky :)
Read the full written instructions in our blog How To Make Resin Petri Dish Art or watch the video:
5. Alcohol Ink & Yupo Paper Collage
Yupo paper is a smooth, plastic based paper that makes an ideal painting surface for alcohol ink. This video will show you how to recreate this geometric collage, finishing it with a coat of resin to make the colors pop! There's a lot of flexibility when it comes to creating abstract art, making this an ideal project for every skill level.
What You Need:
- A wood art panel
- ArtResin® Alcohol Ink
- yupo paper
- paint brushes or foam brushes
- scissors
- glue
- ArtResin epoxy resin
- A pair of nitrile gloves, a stir stick and spreader
- a measuring cup with easy to read measurement lines
- a handheld torch like our Artist's Torch
- toothpicks
- a clean, empty plastic tote to protect your piece while it dries
💡 Discover the best art resin tools for beginners.
How To Make It:
1. Using a paint brush or foam brush, create a series of abstract designs on a few sheets of yupo paper in a variety of color palettes. Here's a chance to get creative by trying out some different techniques:
- drip the alcohol ink directly out of the bottle, using a brush or tilting the paper to spread it out.
- load up a foam brush with a few different ink colors to create fun, multi-colored stripes
- use a palette knife to spread out the ink
- flick the ink off the bristles of the brush to create splatters
- spritz rubbing alcohol from a small spray bottle or drip it onto the alcohol ink to create some cool effects.
- apply the alcohol ink with a cotton ball to create a wash of color.
2. Once your paintings are completely dry, cut them into geometric or organic shapes. Assemble your collage design and once you're happy with how it looks, glue the pieces one by one onto the wood panel and allow to dry.
3. Using our Resin Calculator, enter the length and width of your panel to determine how much ArtResin you’ll need.
4. Wearing gloves, mix up a batch of ArtResin into your mixing cup (equal parts resin and hardener). Stir for at least 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom as you go. Apply ArtResin evenly to the front using a plastic spreader. If you wish, you can apply it to the sides of the panel using a foam brush or gloved hands. You'll have about 45 minutes of working time before the resin gets too thick to work with.
5. Pass a butane torch over the top of the resined surface quickly to remove any bubbles. Looking under a light source, use a toothpick to remove dust or pop stray bubbles. Cover your resin art with a clean dust cover and allow to dry for 24 hours.
6. Wait 24hrs and then admire your work!
Watch the video, starting at 2:40:
Read how to resin on yupo paper!
We hope you enjoyed this collection of easy resin ideas for beginners!
Which one would you like to try first?
Please leave any questions or comments below.
For more resin art project ideas, please see our friend Jane Monteith's book The Ultimate Fluid Pouring & Painting Project Book, available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
Read about the top 10 most common mistakes made with resin.
ArtResin: The Original Epoxy For Resin Art.
