How To Create Resin Flow Art

Flow art, also known as fluid art or pour painting, is a technique that uses a liquid art material's natural flow to create an abstract design. In resin flow art, layers of tinted resin are poured in an organic pattern onto a surface creating a colourful, finished piece of artwork with endless possibilities. Resin flow art is easy, fun and the results are stunning, even for beginners!

Mixed media artist Yolanda Fernandes has been working with resin for years to create flow art and home decor items. With lots of great tips, including how to create a customized colour palette, Yolanda guides us through the resin flow art process from start to finish. 

Learn how addictive this popular method can be!

 



How To Create A Resin Flow Art Tray:

Here's what you'll need:

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1. Assemble Your Materials Before You Start:

Gather your tools so that everything is at hand before you start, including your dust cover.

Keep your background in mind when composing your design and choosing your colour palette: for example, if your background is white, you can get away with translucent colours whereas a dark or metallic background will get best coverage from opaque colours. 

Create Resin Flow Art - Keep your background in mind when composing your design

2. Prepare Your ArtResin And Tints: 

Measure equal amounts, by volume, of resin and hardener and mix thoroughly for at least 3 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the mixing container as you go.

Divide the resin equally among small plastic cups, allowing one cup per color.


Create Resin Flow Art - Prepare Your ArtResin And Tints

Shake the ResinTint bottles well and use a few drops to tint each cup of resin, mixing well after each addition. Don't be afraid to mix and match to achieve the colours you wish to use.  

We used: 

  • dark blue ( with a couple of drops of black to make it a bit darker )
  • white
  • turquoise with a little white added to increase the opacity
  • gold


ResinTint is a highly saturated pigment based colorant, so it's always best to start with less than you need, adding more as necessary. Check the transparency by using the mixing stick to pull some of the tinted resin up the side of your cup: if the tint is too translucent, add a little more until you're happy with what you see.


💡TIP:  No matter which colorant you choose to use, don't add more than 6% of the total combined volume of resin and hardener.  Adding more than 6% will throw off the delicate balance required for the resin and hardener to cure, and you may end up with resin that doesn't harden.

Create Resin Flow Art - using the mixing stick to pull some of the tinted resin up

Create Resin Flow Art - turquoise with a little white added to increase the opacity

Create Resin Flow Art - Check the transparency
Create Resin Flow Art - add a little more until you're happy with what you see

3. Pour The Resin

Here's the fun part!
Start with your darkest colour first, navy blue in our case, and pour on the side of the tray closest to you.

Create Resin Flow Art - Start with your darkest colour first, navy blue in our case



Next, pour the white on the opposite side.

Create Resin Flow Art - pour the white on the opposite side

 


If you choose, you can vary the opacity of the white, layering the two whites to create depth and a marbled effect. 
Use a spreader or tilt the tray to move the tint around and change the shape.

Create Resin Flow Art - layering the two whites to create depth and a marbled effect
Create Resin Flow Art - Use a spreader or tilt the tray to move the tint around and change the shape

Next, add a ribbon of turquoise alongside the blue: apply some on the the tray and overlap some on the dark blue.  Finally, fill in the empty space with gold.  Tilt the tray or use the spreader to ensure there are no bare spots.

Use your Artist's Torch to remove bubbles.

Allow the resin to sit for about 15 minutes before you blend.  Doing this will allow cells to develop and allow the resin to thicken up, slowing down the movement to keep your design intact.

Create Resin Flow Art - add a ribbon of turquoise alongside the blue

4. Create Your Design:

Ensure the resin has had a chance to sit and thicken for 15 minutes before you start to create your design. If you try to blend right away, the resin is too fluid: you'll end up with muddy colours and you'll lose your design.

Gently run a spatula through the resin to create a pattern, blending the colours organically. Use slow movements, but don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper to pull the colours out so that they can blend. Because the resin has thickened, it will keep the shape you create

Create Resin Flow Art - Gently run a spatula through the resin to create a pattern

5. Torch, Cover And Wait: 

Lightly run the torch over your design one more time to remove any remaining bubbles.  Cover your piece with a dust cover and allow your piece to cure for 24 hours until it's dry to the touch. 

Create Resin Flow Art - Lightly run the torch over your design

Here is the finished piece!

Create Resin Flow Art - final finished of Resin Flow Art Tray



How To Create A Resin Flow Art Panel:

Here's what you'll need:

  • ArtResin epoxy resin
  • a wood art panel
  • painter's tape to create a lip if your panel doesn't have one
  • ResinTint liquid colorants
  • a spreader to blend your tinted resin
  • nitrile gloves
  • plastic mixing cup
  • small plastic cups and stir sticks, enough for each colour of tint
  • a plastic drop sheet to line your work surface
  • an Artist's Torch
  • dust cover large enough to cover your piece



1. Prepare Your Resin And Your Panel:

Gather your tools so that everything is at hand before you start, including your dust cover.

Paint your wood panel with white acrylic paint, if desired and allow to thoroughly dry.  If your panel doesn't have a lip on it to contain the resin, create one with painter's tape, allowing at least a 1/4" lip around the perimeter of the panel.

Measure equal amounts, by volume, of resin and hardener and mix thoroughly for at least 3 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the mixing container as you go.

Create Resin Flow Art - painter's tape around the perimeter

 

2. Pour Your Resin:

Divide the resin equally among small plastic cups, allowing one cup per color.

Keep your background in mind when composing your design and choosing your colour palette: for example, if your background is white, you can get away with translucent colours whereas a dark or wood background will get best coverage from opaque colours. 

Start by pouring the white resin in one corner of your panel.

Create Resin Flow Art - Start by pouring the white resin in one corner of your panel


Tilt the panel to create shape.

Create Resin Flow Art - Tilt the panel to create shape



Pour the second colour in the opposite corner:  Yolanda poured purple and Joanne poured pink.

Create Resin Flow Art - second colour purple  in the opposite corner


Create Resin Flow Art - second colour pink in the opposite corner



Next, pour your third colour down in a ribbon fashion, overlapping the second colour if you wish.  Yolanda poured teal next to the purple and Joanne used rose gold next to her pink.  


Create Resin Flow Art - pour your third colour down in a ribbon fashion

Last, fill in any empty space in the middle with your metallic tint.  In our video, Yolanda poured silver while Joanne used gold.

Gently tap the panel against the work surface to help the resin self-level and to fill in any bare spots.

Torch to remove bubbles and allow the resin to sit and thicken for 15 minutes.

Create Resin Flow Art - fill in any empty space in the middle with your metallic tint

4. Create Your Design: 

Use a spatula to blend the colours and create some motion. Because the resin has been allowed to sit, it will retain its shape and allow more control of the movement with the spreader.

Create Resin Flow Art - spatula to blend the colours and create some motion

Letting the resin sit allows for the formation of cells and other cool effects. 

Create Resin Flow Art - formation of cells and other cool effects



5. Torch, Cover And Wait: 

Torch the resin once again to remove any remaining bubbles.  Cover it with a dust cover and allow it to cure.  If tape was used, remove the tape approximately 4-6 hours later, when the resin has thickened.

Create Resin Flow Art - Torch the resin once again to remove any remaining bubbles

How Do You Know When Your Piece Is Done?

Whether you're a seasoned professional or a brand new artist, this is something that crosses the mind of every artist at some point. Yolanda has some great advice on this topic:  you will always want to keep working on your piece but learning to let it go and walk away can be invaluable.  Keep in mind that your audience has fresh eyes and will never see the flaws that you might.  Don't overanalyze!  Instead, have confidence in your work, and most importantly, have confidence in yourself!


Take a look at the finished panels!

Create Resin Flow Art - cool resin flow art finished panels
Create Resin Flow Art - resin flow art finished panels

Have you created resin flow art?  

 

We'd love to hear - let us know in the comments below!

To see more of Yolanda's artwork, visit her website: 
yolandafernandesly.com

follow her on Instagram: 
@yolanda.fernandes.ly

Do you want to learn more about resin art techniques. See below 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...