Measure, mix, pour, spread, cover and wait, and in 24 hours your alcohol ink painting will go from good to gorgeous!
Let's get started ....
Supplies:
- A 12 x 12" wooden art panel
- an alcohol ink on yupo paper painting to fit the panel
- Kamar Varnish
- 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
Discover our resin art accessories & supplies!
Steps:
1.Complete your alcohol ink painting on yupo paper
Ensure your painting is completely dry before you apply your resin coat. If necessary, trim your artwork to size and mount it onto the wood art panel using a glue stick or spray adhesive.
👉TIP: For best results, place a piece of paper on the surface of your print to protect it and smooth it out with your hands or a brayer to ensure that it's evenly mounted, with no air pockets.
A Note On Sealing:
There are certain cases when sealing your work prior to resining is required:
for example, when applying ArtResin over soft or low quality paper that may absorb the resin or over artwork that may smudge or bleed. In this case, when applying ArtResin over yupo paper mounted to a wood panel, you may want to consider sealing for the following reasons:
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Sealing the alcohol ink: Yupo paper is water-resistant and will not absorb resin. However, to err on the side of caution, you may want to seal the alcohol ink with Kamar Varnish. Kamar Varnish is the specific clear-drying spray sealant preferred by alcohol ink artists. Kamar Varnish prevents the alcohol ink from reactivating, bleeding, or smudging. Spray Kamar varnish over the entire alcohol ink piece in a light sweeping motion. Allow to dry according to label instructions.
- 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 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" 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).
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.
4. Pour 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!
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.
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.
7. Cover your Resin Art
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.
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.
We hope you found this informative and helpful!
Stay tuned for our upcoming episodes as we take you step-by-step on applying ArtResin over ALL of your favourite art materials including:
