ResinTint is an easy to use, richly saturated, non-toxic colorant for epoxy resin. Simply squeeze ResinTint into mixed epoxy resin, give it a good stir and pour to your heart's content!
Here’s everything you need to know, as well as some helpful tips and techniques, for making gorgeous, glossy, tinted resin art.
What You'll Need:
- ResinTint liquid pigments
- ArtResin epoxy resin
- 12 x 12" wooden art panel
- nitrile gloves
- a level
- a measuring cup with easy to read measurement lines
- a mixing container
- plastic cups for mixing your ResinTint colors
- stir sticks
- 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
Steps
1. USE OUR RESIN CALCULATOR
Using our Resin Calculator, simply enter the length and width of your piece to determine how much ArtResin you’ll need. A standard 1/8" coating for ArtResin's 12 x 12" wood panel requires 5 oz resin ( 2.5 oz resin and 2.5 oz hardener ).
💡TIP: Be sure to measure the lip on your panel. Our wood panel's lip measures 1/4" so we can use up to 10 oz of resin total ( 5 oz resin and 5 oz hardener ).
2. STIR
Wearing gloves and working in a well ventilated area, 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.
3. DIVIDE ARTRESIN
Divide the ArtResin evenly, allowing one cup per color.
Select the ResinTint colours of your choice and shake the bottles well.
Squeeze as much ResinTint as you see fit into your resin filled cups.
The key is to always start with less ResinTint than you think you'll need - you can always add more if necessary at any point in the process if you'd like a more saturated result or if you need to make a colour adjustment.
You can:
- mix colors together
- add fewer drops for a more translucent result
- add more drops for a saturated result
- add a few drops of white to make the epoxy resin color more opaque.
💡TIP: The general rule of thumb for adding colorant is not to add more than 6% of the total combined volume of resin and hardener.
For example, 100 ml of ArtResin, would require a maximum of 6 ml colorant.
Note that if you add more than 6%, it will throw off the delicate balance needed to catalyze the resin and hardener and your resin won't cure properly. This shouldn't ever be an issue, however - ResinTint is so richly saturated, you will likely never need as much as 6%.
4. STIR AGAIN
Give it a good stir until all the pigment is evenly distributed.
5. POUR
Pour to your heart's content (check out some of our favorite techniques below!)
6. TORCH OUT BUBBLES
When you’re done pouring your ResinTint masterpiece, torch out any bubbles using our Artist's Torch, cover and wait 24 hrs until it's dry to the touch.
Techniques:
TILT AND FLOW:
Pour each colour onto your canvas, wherever you wish, then tilt the canvas back and forth to watch the colours flow together.
💡TIP:
ArtResin is self levelling, meaning it will even out for a nice flat surface. If you'd prefer the resin not flow too much, wait until the 35 minute mark after you’ve stirred: the curing will have made the mixture more viscous by then.
DIRTY POUR:
You can combine a variety of well mixed, coloured resin in one container to dump out all at once for a surprise result!
WORKING IN WITH TRANSPARENCY:
Work in some clear, untinted resin to break up the colour, encouraging gradients and other beautiful effects to form.
POOL ON POOL:
You can experiment with pouring pools of colour onto more pools of colour. Or, let the piece cure and add a second layer that will sit on top for a crisp edge where the colours do not integrate.
DRAWING WITH A TOOTHPICK:
Toothpicks and plastic forks make great drawing tools for ResinTint!
Have fun dragging one shade into the next and watch as the colours swirl before your eyes.
USING SILICONE OIL:
Add a couple of drops of silicone oil into your cup before your pour and watch the silicone repel the resin to create cells and other beautiful effects.
💡TIP:
Be aware that silicone oil may cause the resin to yellow prematurely.
SILICONE MOLDS:
Coloured resin doesn’t stop with just panels and canvases! Pour tinted resin into silicone molds for colourful 3D treasures that, once cured, peel away with ease!
MARBLING:
From flow art to float art, there’s more than one approach to making coloured resin!
ResinTint is non-toxic and oil based so try floating it in a container of water and dipping your canvas or sculptural piece through the pigment, immersing it completely.
Lift it out promptly and let it air dry.
Once it has thoroughly dried, coat it with a layer of glossy ArtResin to protect it.
Cover it and wait 24 hours until it's dry to the touch.
Have fun experimenting with ArtResin and ResinTint!
Each piece is a one of a kind masterpiece!
Check out our blog on how to resin a Resintint.
