Like to experiment? I have a feeling you will love working with resin! There’s an infinite amount of ways you can use resin in art, but this article will touch upon two. The first is pouring the epoxy onto a surface such as canvas or wood panel, and the second is pouring the epoxy into a mold to create things such as jewelry, cutting boards, tables, etc. It’s wise to read sufficient information on this topic before you dive right into it. Trust me, I did the latter and had to attempt to remove resin in places I regret! Make sure you gather all the necessary tools and protective gear both for your body and surfaces that may come in contact with the resin. Ready? Here we go…
What Is Epoxy Resin?
Let’s get to know exactly what we’re working with. Epoxy resin which is also known as polyepoxides, belong to a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups. It is a two-component system consisting of resin and hardener. When mixing both together, the resin will begin to cure or gradually harden to a solid. This solid is typically a clear, high gloss finish unless you mix it with color mediums such as resin paint and mica powder. As a solid, the resin is quite durable and is able to be further manipulated by being sanded down, drilled into, or whatever is needed for final use of the resin.
What Is Resin Art?
Resin art is essentially incorporating resin in any art form you choose. Among the more popular is applying the resin over various surfaces such as canvas or wood panels to create paintings, kitchen countertops, tables, and pouring the resin into different types of mold to construct jewelry and assorted crafts. An important matter to consider when deciding the type of resin to use is how deep or shallow you need the pour to be. The first category is called surface coating resin which requires a thinner layer of resin ideally used for surfaces such as wall art, tables, kitchen countertops, and crafts such as the image shown below.
The second category is called deep pour resin which requires a deeper amount of resin for pouring. This is typically used for castings and river tables such as the image shown below. Whether for function or aesthetics, there are limitless ways in which you can get creative with the way resin can be applied. It’s important to understand the basics of which resins to use for what type of artwork or craft because using the ‘wrong’ type of resin can potentially be an expensive mistake!
What Are The Best Epoxy Resins To Use For Art?
Let’s begin with the top list of surface coating epoxy resins. The epoxy resins listed below are rated based on qualities such as clarity of color, UV resistance, non-toxic attributes, reasonable price points and so on.
1.Art Resin
[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-down” show_title=”true” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”true” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” button_icon=”icon icon-cart-4″ link_text=”CHECK PRICE” link=”https://amzn.to/3QC1oYm” ][i2pros]Non-yellowing formula
High gloss
Super clear
UV resistant
Non-toxic
Non-flamable
Odor free
BPA free
VOC free
Certified food safe
Minimum bubbles
Self-leveling
Easy-to-use 1:1 ratio
Fast curing time[/i2pros][i2cons]Pricey[/i2cons][/i2pc]
2.Unicone Art Epoxy Resin
[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-down” show_title=”true” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”true” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” button_icon=”icon icon-cart-4″ link_text=”CHECK PRICE” link=”https://amzn.to/3HzYKhB” ][i2pros]Non-yellowing formula
High gloss
Super clear
UV resistant
Non-toxic
Odor free
BPA free
VOC free
Minimum bubbles
Self-leveling
Easy-to-use 1:1 ratioFast curing time[/i2pros][i2cons]Pricey
Not ideal for countertops[/i2cons][/i2pc]
3.The Artist’s Resin
[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-down” show_title=”true” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”true” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” button_icon=”icon icon-cart-4″ link_text=”CHECK PRICE” link=”https://amzn.to/3NoSCKr” ][i2pros]Non-yellowing formula
High gloss
Super clear
UV resistant
Non-toxic
Non-flamable
Odor free
BPA free
VOC free
Certified food safe
Self-leveling
Easy-to-use 1:1 ratio
Fast curing time
Reasonably priced
Great for both surface coating and deep pour[/i2pros][i2cons]Thicker viscosity, harder to mix
Medium amount of bubbles depending on how careful you mix the resin[/i2cons][/i2pc]
4.Craft Resin
[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-down” show_title=”true” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”true” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” button_icon=”icon icon-cart-4″ link_text=”CHECK PRICE” link=”https://amzn.to/3NgUDIc” ][i2pros]Non-yellowing formula
High gloss
Super clear
UV and heat resistant
Non-toxic
Non-flamable
Odor free
VOC free
Certified food safe
Self-leveling
Easy-to-use 1:1 ratio
[/i2pros][i2cons]Pricey
Medium curing time[/i2cons][/i2pc]
5.Puduo
[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-down” show_title=”true” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”true” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” button_icon=”icon icon-cart-4″ link_text=”CHECK PRICE” link=”https://amzn.to/3zWeqtJ” ][i2pros]Clear Color
UV resistant
VOC free
Food safe
Self-leveling
Easy-to-use 1:1 ratio
Fast curing time
Reasonably priced
100% money back guarantee[/i2pros][i2cons]Stronger fumes than other resins
Not BPA free
Not heat resistant
Not meant for pouring over 2″ deep pours[/i2cons][/i2pc]
6.The Epoxy Resin Store – Premium Clear
[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-down” show_title=”true” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”true” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” button_icon=”icon icon-cart-4″ link_text=”CHECK PRICE” link=”https://amzn.to/3xOytaJ” ][i2pros]Non-yellowing formula
High gloss
Cures clear
UV resistant
Non-toxic
Low oder
VOC free
Easy-to-use 1:1 ratio
Fast curing time
Priced cheaper than most[/i2pros][i2cons]Not recommended for pours over 1/2″
Not BPA free
Not self-leveling
Sometimes will create pockets of cells[/i2cons][/i2pc]
7.FGCI Superclear Table Top Epoxy
[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-down” show_title=”true” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”true” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” button_icon=”icon icon-cart-4″ link_text=”CHECK PRICE” link=” https://amzn.to/3NatHKk” ][i2pros]Non-yellowing formula
High gloss
Super clear
UV resistant
VOC free
Certified food safe
Self-leveling
Easy-to-use 1:1 ratio
Fast curing time
Reasonably priced[/i2pros][i2cons]Strong odor
Has not been tested for FDA compliance
Not for deep pouring, max thickness of 1/4″ per pour
Not BPA free[/i2cons][/i2pc]
