Have you ever wondered how resin artists create the intricate webbed dragon-scale effect in their coasters? The secret behind those beautiful, lace-like patterns lies in the type of colorants used and how the tinted resins interact when they're poured into the mold.
Resin artists Nadia (@summergirldesigns) and Sandra (@wildheartresinart), a talented mother-daughter team from Croatia, create beautiful art inspired by nature and the sea.
In this tutorial, Nadia and Sandra guide you through a beginner-friendly method to create the dragon scale effect in resin coasters. They'll even demonstrate how to shape your coasters into your own functional trinket dishes, perfect for gifting or to sell as part of your resin craft business.
Let's get started!
What You’ll Need:
- Silicone coaster molds
- ArtResin
- Disposable gloves
- Mixing container
- Stir stick
- A small mixing cup and stir stick for each colorant used
- Resin paste - Sandra used Sea Foam Green
- Mica Powder - Sandra used Avocado
- Acrylic or Alcohol Ink - Sandra used Burnt Umber acrylic ink
- Gold crushed glass or chunky glitter
- Heat gun or torch
- Dust cover
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
When working with resin, it's a good idea to gather all your materials and tools before measuring and mixing. Line your work surface with plastic, a silicone liner, or parchment paper to catch drips.
In this tutorial, Nadia and Sandra used green, brown, and gold tints, but feel free to explore other color combinations—looking up color palettes online is a great way to find inspiration!
While you can customize the colors, be sure to use a combination of resin paste, mica powder, and either alcohol or acrylic ink. The dragon scale effect happens when these colorants interact due to their varying weights, ingredients, and opacities. You can also achieve different effects by pouring the tinted resin in different orders into the mold.
Step 2: Prepare The Resin
Wearing gloves, measure and mix the resin and hardener according to the label instructions. Typically, most coasters require 25 ml of resin and 25 ml of hardener, totalling 50 ml each. However, if you're unsure how much resin you'll need for your coaster mold, fill the mold with water and measure the amount used. Ensure the mold is completely dry before pouring resin.
TIP: Warm the resin and hardener bottles (with lids on) in a warm water bath for 10-15 minutes before measuring to reduce bubbles. The water should be warm, not hot. Make sure no water contacts the resin: keep the lids on, avoid submerging the bottles, and dry them thoroughly before opening.
Step 3: Add The Colorants
Divide the resin into four equal portions: pour three into smaller cups, one for each colorant, and leave the remaining clear resin in the mixing cup.
Start by mixing in the resin paste. Since resin paste can separate, stir the paste in its container first before adding it to the resin. Pigment paste is highly saturated so always start with less than you think you need, adding more if necessary.
Then, mix a small spoonful of mica powder into the second cup. Mix well.
Finally, mix in the acrylic or alcohol ink. Shake the bottle first before adding 3-4 drops into the cup.
TIP: To check opacity, lift a small amount of tinted resin toward the top of the cup.
Step 4: Pour The Resin
Start by pouring a ring of burnt umber resin around the outer edge of the mold.
Next, pour a few thin circles of the avocado-tinted resin over top.
Then, pour a few thin circles of the sea foam green-tinted resin over top.
Pour the clear resin into the center of the mold to push the tinted resin towards the outer edges.
Repeat a few thin circles along the outer edge with both of the green tinted resins.
Repeat the whole process for the remaining molds.
Use a torch or heat gun to pop any bubbles, but work quickly to avoid burning the resin or molds.
Finally, Sandra repeated the process into a slightly larger and thinner mold which she will shape into a trinket dish.
Step 5: Embellish With Gold
In a small cup, mix the gold crushed glass or glitter with a small amount of resin, just enough to coat. The mixture should be thick enough to prevent it from spreading.
Using a popsicle stick, place a small amount of gold glitter in the center of each coaster.
Give the coasters a final torch to remove any bubbles that may have risen to the surface. Cover with a dust cover and allow to cure for approximately 12 hours.
Step 6: Shape The Trinket Dish
After 12 hours, you can shape the resin into a trinket dish. Wearing gloves, remove the resin from the mold. It will be dry to the touch but not fully cured, so it's still flexible.
Place the resin into a plastic bowl, pressing down in the center so it takes on the shape of the bowl. Then, place a silicone mat on top and a heavy object over it to help the resin maintain the shape. The silicone mat will prevent any indents in the resin.
Allow it to finish curing for 24–48 hours, and it will take on the shape of the bowl.
Step 7: Demold
Remove the coasters from the mold at about the 24 hour mark. You can finish off the edges off with gold leaf marker if you wish, but Sandra decided to leave the crystal edge as is.
💡 Note how the shape of the mold will impact the final result: the crystal edge mold has slanted edges, which helped push the resin towards the center. The results helped to enhance the scale effect.
On the other hand, the trinket dish mold was larger and flatter, and the result were longer striations as the resin had to travel further.
We hope you enjoyed learning how to create your own dragon-scale coasters and trinkets dishes by following along with Nadia and Sandra!
To see more of their work:
Follow Sandra on Instagram: @wildheartresinart
Follow Nadia on Instagram: @summergirldesigns
Visit their Etsy shop: @SummerGirlArt
Watch their resin tutorials: @SummerGirlDesigns
If you try either of these techniques out, don't forget to tag us with @art_resin on Instagram!
Please leave any questions or comments below :)
To see more resin craft ideas, check out the following blogs:
Learn How To Turn Your Resin Crafts Into Sales
How To Create Texture in Ocean Resin Art
The 20 Best Crafts To Make Using Resin
How To Make Resin Keychains
How To Make Resin Flower Coasters
How To Make Acrylic Pour Art Coasters
How To Make Alcohol Ink & Wood Coasters
ArtResin: The Original Epoxy For Resin Art.
