How To Resin Chalk Pastel

Covering your chalk pastel artwork in a coating of ArtResin is easy - in fact, epoxy resin takes chalk pastel pieces next level, sealing and protecting them with a professional looking finish and a glossy sheen that makes colour pop!

We love using wooden art panels here at ArtResin - you can mount your artwork and pour your resin directly on the panel!  Some panels even have a raised lip specifically designed to contain resin - they make for a super easy pour with clean edges.

Measure, mix, pour, spread, cover and wait, and in 24 hours your chalk pastel piece will go from good to gorgeous!

Let's get started .... 



Supplies:

    • A 12 x 12" wooden art panel 
    • a chalk pastel piece of artwork sized to fit the panel 
    • adhesive such as white glue, spray adhesive or a glue stick
    • paper and a brayer
    • ArtResin epoxy resin 
    • A pair of nitrile gloves, a stir stick and spreader
    • a level
    • a measuring cup with easy to read measurement lines 
    • a mixing container 
    • a handheld torch like our Artist's Torch
    • toothpicks
    • an empty plastic tote or cardboard box with the flaps cut off to protect your piece while it dries

    Browse our resin art tools & accessories.

    Steps:

    1. Complete Your Chalk Pastel Artwork

    Complete your chalk pastel piece on paper sized to fit the panel. 

    Resin Chalk Pastel - Complete your chalk pastel artwork

    Resin Chalk Pastel - Complete your chalk pastel piece on paper sized to fit the panel


    Mount your work directly to the panel using an adhesive of your choice: a glue stick, spray adhesive or brush on white glue with a foam brush.  

    Resin Chalk Pastel - spray adhesive or brush on white glue with a foam brush

    For best results, place a piece of paper on the surface of your print to protect it, then smooth it out with your hands or a brayer to ensure that it's evenly mounted, with no air pockets.

    Resin Chalk Pastel - Mount your work directly to the panel using an adhesive of your choice

    A Note On Sealing Chalk Pastel:

    We always recommend testing your particular materials out with ArtResin on a scrap piece so you know exactly what to expect before you resin your final project.  There are certain cases, however, when sealing your work prior to resining is required ....

    • Sealing over low quality paper.  It's a good precaution to pre-seal when applying ArtResin over soft or low quality paper that may otherwise absorb the resin, causing dark, wet spots in your work or causing your work to bleed.

    • Sealing over loose material.  With chalk pastel, you want to be mindful of loose chalk dust that might get mixed up and float away in your liquid resin. For this piece, we chose not to seal and instead made sure we removed as much excess dust as we could by regularly tapping the paper against our work surface. However, for peace of mind, you can certainly err on the side of caution and seal your artwork first with a spray fixative specifically formulated for chalk pastel.  

    • Sealing the wood panel. Being an organic material, wood may contain trapped air which can release into your resin as bubbles. There are many variables that can affect gas bubbles: the type of wood, how dry the wood is, humidity etc. Pre-sealing wood with a spray or brush-on sealant is an option to help to prevent bubbles. We've used these wood panels enough to know that we don't need to pre-seal them, but we always recommend testing with your particular materials so you know exactly what results to expect before you resin your final project. Again, if in doubt, you can never go wrong by pre-sealing first if it makes you feel more comfortable.    

     

     

    2. Calculate How Much Resin You Need

    Using our Resin Calculator, simply enter the length and width of your piece to determine how much ArtResin you’ll need.

      💡 TIP: a standard 1/8" or 3 mm coating for a 12" x 12" panel requires 5 oz resin (2.5 oz resin and 2.5 oz hardener). Measure the lip on your panel as they can vary. The panel in our video, for example, has a 1/4" lip. In order to fill it to the top, you'd use double the amount: 10 oz total resin (5 oz resin and 5 oz hardener).

      Resin Chalk Pastel - Calculate how much Resin you need




      3. Stir Thoroughly

      Wearing gloves, measure accurately ( by volume ) precisely equal amounts of resin and hardener. Stir thoroughly for 3 minutes total, ensuring you scrape the bottom and sides of your mixing container as you go. 

       

        💡 TIP: for our very best measuring and mixing tips, read the blog How To Measure And Mix Resin And Hardener.

        Resin Chalk Pastel - measure accurately

        Resin Chalk Pastel - Stir thoroughly for 3 minutes total


        4. Pour The Resin

        Pour the ArtResin onto the centre of your piece and spread it out to the edges using a plastic spreader or a popsicle stick. You'll have about 45 minutes of working time before the resin gets too thick to work with.


        💡 TIP: Read our blog How To Pour And Spread Epoxy Resin for more resin tips and techniques!


        Resin Chalk Pastel - Pour the ArtResin onto the centre of your pieceResin Chalk Pastel - spread it out to the edges using a plastic spreader



        5. Use Your Torch

        Using your Artist’s Torch, hold the flame a couple of inches above the resin surface just long enough to pop the bubbles, keeping the torch moving from side to side at all times. 

        💡 TIP: if you're nervous about using a torch, don't be! Read our blog with all you need to know about How To Use A Torch On Epoxy Resin.

        Resin Chalk Pastel - hold the flame a couple of inches above the resin surface just long enough to pop the bubblesResin Chalk Pastel - keeping the torch moving from side to side at all times



        6. Final Check Of Your Artwork

        Once the piece has been torched, look at the resin in the light for any missed bubbles, tiny hairs or bits of dust, using a toothpick to fish them out. 

        Resin Chalk Pastel - look at the resin in the light for any missed bubbles


        7. Cover Your Artwork

        With a plastic tote or a cardboard box ( with the flaps cut off ) cover your piece and let it sit for 24 hrs until it’s dry to the touch.

        Resin Chalk Pastel - Cover your Artwork



        8. Wait 24 Hours

        After 24hrs has passed, reveal your piece!  
        💡 TIP: the resin will be dry to the touch at the 24hr mark.  At this point, you're free to hang and admire your artwork on the wall, absolutely, but if you're planning on packing and shipping your artwork, please wait at least 72hrs until the resin has fully cured.

        Resin Chalk Pastel - After 24hrs has passed, reveal your piece



        We hope you found this informative and helpful!

        Do you want to learn more about using resin with different mediums and on different surfaces? Check out our how-to tutorials: 

          ArtResin:  Made For Artists, By Artists.

          About the author: Joanne Wright

          I'm Joanne, the Marketing Content Writer at ArtResin. Originally from Canada, my home is now Indianapolis, Indiana. My love of all things creative and my entrepreneurial heart means I’ve worn many hats over the years including fashion producer & stylist, retail store owner, t-shirt designer, and even vegan baker! I...