Creating resin art that bursts with color, texture, and depth doesn't have to be complicated! By starting with a textured design on a wood panel, you can add dimension with layers of acrylic paint and collage elements, and finish it off with a glossy resin coat to make the whole thing pop. The result is a fun, textured piece of artwork that is as easy to create as it is colorful!
Based in Goshen, Arkansas, artist Stacy Spangler is a self-taught mixed media artist and online instructor known for her use of juicy colors and whimsical designs. She uses her hands, brushes and a palette knife to build up multiple layers of paint, papers and acrylic medium, resulting in a heavily distressed texture. Stacy's playful style has been greatly influenced by over a decade of teaching art to children.
In this beginner friendly tutorial, Stacy kicks off the summer season with a sunny ocean scene. You can recreate her design or use her techniques to create a unique resin art piece of your own!
Let's get started ...
What You’ll Need:
- Wooden artist's panel
- Modelling paste or drywall compound
- Pencil or clay tool to create your abstract design
- Acrylic paint in your choice of colors
- Paintbrushes
- Collage paper scraps
- Matte gel medium
- Paper hole punch confetti
- Glitter glue
- ArtResin
- Mixing container
- Stir stick
- Dust cover
- Painter's tape
- Artist's Torch
Step 1: Prepare The Panel
Create a textured design on a wood panel and let it dry.
To create your design, you can use modelling paste, drywall compound, or, as Stacy suggests, an acrylic medium paste. Stacy says: "I like to keep my designs simple. My art is fun and whimsical, so I simplify my designs to make them lighthearted."
💡 TIP: For more information on creating textured designs, see our blog How To Make Textured Resin Art or take Stacy's course Touchable Texture.
It's important to use a wood panel and let the textured art dry thoroughly. Unlike stretched canvas, wood panels provide a flat, rigid surface that won't shift under the weight of the paste or resin, preventing the paint from cracking.
Apply a base coat of pink acrylic paint over the entire piece, including the sides, and allow it to dry.
Next, fill in the sun and rays.
Use various shades of blue to create the ocean waves, starting with the darkest shades in the distance and the lighter ones in the foreground.
To add dimension, use white acrylic to replicate the crest of the waves. Stacy says “This is where the fun part starts. The raised texture lets you drag the paint across with the brush, picking up in certain areas which really makes for some cool effects”.
Allow this layer to dry.
Once dry, go over the sunset with lighter values, letting the darker values peek through to create additional dimension. Stacy adds multiple layers, sometimes 4 or 5, to create more dimension. Stacy says: "I find that the more layers I add, the more people want to reach out and touch the artwork."
Next, Stacy paints the foreground and panel sides with a thick coat of white paint.
Another way Stacy loves to create texture in her work is by carving into wet paint to expose the layers underneath. Stacy says: "I often write different things in my art. The ocean is my favorite place and so for this piece, I wrote 'My Happy Place'with a pencil, scratching through the paint to reveal the pink underneath."
Allow the paint to dry.
Next, Stacy adds another layer by dragging a little orange paint onto the waves to mimic sunshine on the water. She covers it slightly with the wave colors to create a multi-dimensional look.
Step 2: Prepare The Collage Elements
Stacy tears up various collage papers and organizes them by color to match her painting. She prepares the collage scraps by coating them with matte gel medium and allowing them to dry. The gel medium creates a barrier, giving them some strength and resistance against the wet resin. You can also use mod podge or another brush on sealant of your choice.
While the paint is still wet, add the scraps to your painting, lightly tapping the edges so they get coated by the wet paint.
If desired, you can add paper hole punch confetti and glitter glue for some sparkle.
💡 TIP: Allow the piece to dry thoroughly for at least 48 hours. It's important to ensure the paint dries completely – if the paint feels cool or soft to the touch, it hasn't dried all the way.
Step 2: Apply The Resin
Once the painting has dried, prop it up over a plastic or cardboard-lined work surface.
Next, prepare the ArtResin.
If you're unsure how much resin to use, enter the length and width of your panel into our Resin Calculator. For example, an 8 x 8" panel requires 2 oz of resin per 1/8" or 3 mm layer.
Wearing gloves, measure equal volumes of resin and hardener in a graduated mixing cup. Stir well for 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the container to ensure thorough blending.
Pour the resin over the center of the painting. With a flat edged spreader or a craft stick, evenly distribute the resin across the painting. Allow the resin to run over the sides, using a gloved hand to spread it evenly, or simply dome it neatly on top.
Using an Artist's Torch or a heat gun to pop the bubbles. Keep the heat source moving and avoid hovering over one area to prevent over-torching the resin.
Finally, place a clean plastic tote over the painting and allow the resin to cure overnight.
The next day, your painting is ready to hang!
💡TIP: If you're planning to ship your piece, please wait until the resin completes its full 72 hour cure. For our best tips on how to safely package resin pieces, see our blog What's The Best Way To Package Resin Art For Shipping?
Stacy’s Top 4 Resin Tips
- Work indoors, in a temperature and humidity-controlled space, ideally just above average room temperature.
- Place the artwork on a small piece of cardboard for easy handling, especially when working on multiple pieces.
- Keep paper towels handy to wipe drips from bottles and to place wet cups and tools on.
- Clean as you go: keep a plastic bag or garbage bin nearby for disposing of sticky items.
For more of Stacy's work:
Visit her website: stacyspanglerart.org
Follow her on Instagram: @stacyspanglerart
Watch her on YouTube: @StacySpanglerART
Subscribe to her newsletter: Behind The Brush News
Take her FREE COURSE: Inspiration Look Book
ArtResin: Made By Artists, For Artists.
