Should I Warm Epoxy Resin In A Water Bath Before Mixing?
Yes, if your ArtResin is colder than room temperature, we recommend using a water bath to warm your resin prior to mixing. Warmer epoxy resin is generally easier to work with and has far less bubbles. Here's how to do it:
- Place your tightly capped bottles of resin and hardener in a container of hot ( not boiling ) water.
- Let the bottles sit in the water bath for 10-15 minutes ( depending on how cold your resin was to start with and how hot your water is. )
- Dry your bottles off thoroughly before opening them ( even a single drop of water in your resin or hardener can cause your resin to cure cloudy. )
- Since curing is accelerated by heat, be aware that warming your resin in a water bath cuts down your 45 minute working time by about 10 minutes, so time yourself accordingly.
The ideal working temperature for working with ArtResin is 75-85 F or 24-30 C, so if you're working with it in the summer, you may not need a water bath; if you're working in the winter, however, a warm water bath before you measure and mix is a good idea.
How Long Should I Leave My Epoxy Resin Sit In A Water Bath?
Well, that really depends on a few factors: how cold your resin was to start with and how hot your water is. Generally we like to use water the same temperature as you would for a bath ( ie not boiling water - you don't want to melt the plastic bottles! ) and we leave it in for about 10-15 minutes total.
💡TIP: Always ensure you warm your separate resin and hardener bottles BEFORE you measure and mix. Since curing is accelerated by heat, warming your combined resin and hardener can cause it to thicken prematurely, prompting an exothermic reaction where the resin gets hot, very quickly.
@art_by_stephanie_roberts is our #ArtResin Instagram Winner For August!
Every month we like to spread the love by sending a 1 gallon kit to a couple of artists who have tagged us on Instagram ... and then we share their work with the world!
Congratulations to artist Stephanie Roberts ... our lucky winner for August!
Stephanie is a mixed media artist based in Lexington, Kentucky. As a child, she longed to be an artist when she grew up, but eventually chose a career in science, graduating with a doctorate in pharmacy. Though she has spent the past 10 years as a practicing pharmacist, she has always dabbled in art and writing as a creative outlet.
A self taught artist, Stephanie discovered epoxy resin and fell in love with its infinite possibilities. As a nod to her career in medicine, she started embedding hand filled capsules of glitter and real over-the-counter medications in epoxy resin, gaining her a fan base for her "pill petris" which has since developed into commissioned work.
With such a demand for custom orders, Stephanie expanded her pill petris to include flowers, candy and other embeddable objects she can personalize with names and funny quotes.
Stephanie uses acrylic gel and resin embellishments to create the most gorgeous, thick, impasto paintings and piped floral pieces that look good enough to eat!
Stephanie's geode and ocean inspired flow art pieces are absolutely flawless.
After spending the last few years juggling a career while building a side business in art, Stephanie will be realizing her childhood dream and becoming a full time artist this fall!
In her own words, Stephanie says, "it tickles me to no end to look back at my journey and see it all come together to create this dream life for me. I work every day with an incredibly grateful heart and have met the sweetest humans on earth through fellow artists and many kind collectors."
Congratulations to you, Stephanie!
To see more of Stephanie's work:
Follow her on Instagram: @art_by_stephanie_roberts
Don't forget ... tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next monthly winner!!!
How Do I Fix Epoxy Resin Drips?
The best way to deal with drips is to prevent them from happening in the first place. The best way to do this is to run a good quality painter's tape along the underside of your piece to collect drips as they’re forming. By the 24hr mark, you can pull the tape off and the cured drips right along with it.If you do have cured drips on your actual artwork, the best way to remove them is to sand them off with sandpaper or a Dremel.
Let's take a closer look ...
How To Prevent Resin Drips
Once you pour and spread ArtResin on your artwork, it's going to start to self-level. Any excess resin will spill over the edges and collect on the bottom of your piece, leaving you with hard, cured resin drips. Tape along the back of your piece is a quick and easy way to prevent drips from forming directly on your artwork.
1) Before you resin, apply tape to the back of your artwork.
Tape will catch the drips as they form. Here at ArtResin, we like using painter's tape or sheathing tape. Whichever you choose, make sure you use a high quality tape with good stick. Cheap painter's tape is porous and can absorb the resin; low tack tape can allow the resin to seep in between the tape and your artwork.
Sheathing Tape ( aka Tuck Tape ) is a high tack, vinyl tape found in the insulation section of your local hardware store.
2) Remove the tape within 24 hours:
When the resin has dried to the touch, remove the tape and the drips right along with it! Always remove the tape as soon as your resin is dry to the touch, anywhere from the 18-24 hour mark. You want to remove the tape sooner rather than later, while the resin is still flexible and has some give. The longer you let your piece sit, the harder the resin will become and the more difficult it will be to remove the tape.
How To Remove Dried Resin Drips:
The best way to remove dried epoxy resin drips is with a little elbow grease:- use a heat gun to soften them and pop them off with a blade
- sand them off with sandpaper or a sanding block
- use a Dremel tool.
How To Remove Tape Left On Longer Than 24 Hours:
Tape left on past the 24 hour mark can be difficult to remove as the resin will have fully cured and bonded to the back of your artwork. We love this tip from artist @jeneratorart for removing stubborn cured resin tape and drips on the back of your piece: simply warm the resin with a heat gun to soften it and the tape will come right off!Take a peek at Jen’s demo to see it in action. Thanks for the tip, Jen!
ArtResin: Made By Artists For Artists
Is Epoxy Resin Waterproof?
ArtResin epoxy resin is a permanent application that seals in whatever it's poured over top of. As long as you seal every square inch, your piece will be protected from water.ArtResin: Made For Artists By Artists
How Long Does Epoxy Resin Last?
If the bottles remain unopened, ArtResin has a shelf life of 12 months from the date of manufacture. Once the bottles have been opened, however, the shelf life is 6 months from the date of manufacture. You can find the manufacture date on the label to make it easy to track how fresh your ArtResin is!
What Does ArtResin's Shelf Life Refer To?
ArtResin's shelf life refers to how long you can expect the product to stay as water-clear as the day it was made. ArtResin's shelf life is shortened once opened because of oxidation: when you open the bottle, the hardener comes into contact with oxygen and creates a yellowing effect, much like an apple that browns once it has been cut and exposed to air. Thankfully, this yellowing doesn't become apparent until approximately the 6 month mark.
💡TIP: To minimize oxygen exposure and delay oxidization, always ensure you re-cap the bottle as soon as you finish pouring your hardener.
What's The Difference Between Oxidation and Yellowing From UV?
It's important to note that yellowing that results from oxidation is entirely different than the yellowing caused by UV exposure:
- Oxidation is caused by oxygen exposure and causes the hardener to discolor. Once ArtResin cures, it becomes inert and the hardener will no longer react with oxygen or yellow further.
- UV light damage causes yellowing in cured epoxy resin. ArtResin is chemically engineered with two different types of UV inhibitors to offer the best yellowing protection on the market. You can read more about it in our blog Which Epoxy Resin Is Best For Artwork?
Can I Use Expired ArtResin?
YES, you can. If you find yourself with some expired product on your hands, please don't toss it in the trash! Though the hardener may have discolored, the performance of the product will not be affected and it will still cure as expected as long as it is accurately measured and thoroughly mixed.
💡TIP: Remember that the yellowing you see in the hardener bottle looks worse than it is because you’re seeing it in bulk. By the time you dilute yellowed hardener with clear resin and spread it out on your work, it won't look nearly as yellow.
How To Use Expired ArtResin:
Though you may not want to use yellowed hardener on a white piece of artwork, we've got 4 fun and easy ways to use up yellow hardener including:
- Coating colorful paintings
- Making alcohol ink coasters
- Tinting it to make flow art
- Applying it over wood
Once you're done, you won't see a trace of yellow in the cured resin, we promise!
For full instructions, check out our blog What Can You Do With Yellowed Hardener?
@nico.belletti is our #ArtResin Instagram Winner For July!
Every month we like to spread the love by sending a 1 gallon kit to a couple of artists who have tagged us on Instagram ... and then we share their work with the world!
Congratulations to Italian artist Nicoletta Belletti ... our second lucky winner for July!
Nicoletta is a mixed media artist born and raised in Parma, Italy whose signature style sets her apart: Nicoletta creates larger than life sculpted creations that burst with colour and joy. Glossy resin sitting atop confectionary coloured modelling paste looks good enough to eat and provides texture that makes you want to reach out and touch her work.
Inspired by nature, Nicoletta loves to paint the flowers and animals found in the countryside surrounding Parma where she still lives.
The enthusiasm and excitement her work invokes in her audience brings Nicoletta immense joy. One of her favourite ways to achieve this is by offering whimsical, custom pet portraits that perfectly capture the personality of each furry subject.
Nicoletta's work starts with a charcoal outline sketched onto a wooden panel. She fills this in with acrylic paint, before building her piece up with tinted modelling paste applied, applied layer by layer with a palette knife. Once the paste has dried, she accentuates details of her piece with ArtResin to create background, depth and textural interest, as well as bringing her paintings to life.
Take a peek to see how she does it!
Congratulations on your win, Nicoletta!
To see more of Nicoletta's work:
Visit her website: www.nicolettabelletti.com
Follow her on Instagram: @nico.belletti
Don't forget ... tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next monthly winner!!!
What Can You Do With Yellowed Hardener and Resin?
You can still use hardener that has yellowed in the bottle, so don't throw it out! Even if the hardener has turned a little yellow, it can still be used for many projects. As long as you measure and mix properly, the chemical reaction will still take place and product will still cure as expected.
Though you may not want to use yellowed hardener on a white piece of artwork, we've got 4 different ideas for using up expired ArtResin epoxy resin including:
- Coating colorful paintings
- Making alcohol ink coasters
- Tinting it to make flow art
- Applying it over wood
We'll be making these 4 projects in a side-by-side comparison using both fresh and expired ArtResin to show you that once cured, you won't be able to see a difference.
Let's get started ...
Does ArtResin Have An Expiry Date?
Yes. ArtResin, like many other materials you may find in the art store, has a shelf life.
ArtResin's shelf life is 12 months unopened and 6 months once opened. You can find the manufacturing date on every bottle of hardener. The expiry dates simply refer to the length of time you can expect ArtResin to remain water clear.
ArtResin's shelf life begins to shorten once it comes into contact with oxygen. Approximately 6 months after the bottles have been opened, you may start to see some yellowing in the hardener. This yellowing is due to oxidation, a reaction with oxygen in the air which causes the amines in the hardener to discolor. As air exposure continues, this color will deepen over time, much in the way an apple or avocado will brown, once cut and exposed to air.
Doesn't ArtResin Protect Against Yellowing?
Just to be clear, the yellowing that happens from oxidation is very different than the yellowing that can occur from UV light damage:
- Yellowing from oxidation happens in the liquid state and is due to oxygen exposure. It's important to note that once ArtResin cures it becomes inert and will no longer be vulnerable to oxidation.
-
Yellowing from UV light damage happens in the cured state and is typically due to light exposure, sunlight being the biggest culprit. ArtResin, however, is chemically engineered with two different types of UV inhibitors to offer the best yellowing protection on the market. You can read more about it in our blog Which Epoxy Resin Is Best For Artwork?
Can I Still Use Expired ArtResin?
Remember that the yellowing you see in the hardener bottle looks worse than it is because you’re seeing it in bulk. By the time you dilute yellowed hardener with clear resin and spread it out on your work, it won't look nearly as yellow.
The piece below on the left was coated with expired ArtResin, with hardener that had turned yellow. Although it has a slight yellow tinge compared to the piece on the right made with fresh ArtResin, it's not nearly as yellow as it appears in the hardener bottle.
💡TIP: Once ArtResin's resin and hardener are mixed together, the two parts bond together and the product becomes inert, meaning the hardener will no longer be able to react with oxygen. In other words, yellowing from oxidation will not continue once the resin has cured.
How To Use Expired ArtResin:
Here are 4 different ways of using up expired ArtResin - once they're done, you won't be able to tell that the hardener was ever yellowed!
1. Use It Over Colorful Artwork
Although a slight yellow tinge may be visible over white artwork, you won't see any trace of yellow when expired ArtResin is applied over colorful pieces of art. Bright or dark art pieces of art will disguise any yellowing, making this a perfect way to use up your yellowed hardener.
❓Take a look at the two paintings below. Can you guess which one was made with expired ArtResin and which one was made with fresh ArtResin? 
The one on the left was made with yellowed hardener!
They look the same, don't they?
💡TIP: Check out our blogs for full instructions on how to apply ArtResin to
2. Make Alcohol Ink Resin Coasters
Magic happens when alcohol ink is dropped into epoxy resin and it creates the most fascinating effects. The more color you drop into your coaster, the better the result, making this project a fun way to use up yellowed hardener!
❓Which of these two coasters was made with yellowed hardener and which one was made with clear? See the answer below.
If you guessed that the coaster on the left side is made with yellow hardener, you're right!
💡TIP: For step by step instructions on how to make your own alcohol ink coaster, please see our blogs How To Make A Resin Coaster and How To Make A Resin Petri Dish With Josie Lewis.
3. Tint It For Flow Art
The addition of a colorant like ResinTint, is a great way to disguise yellowed hardener. Once you add a colorant, you'll never know there was even a hint of yellow in your epoxy resin. Use tinted resin to create flow art, to pour into coaster molds or to make other small castings.
❓Which flow art piece was made with brand new ArtResin?
Can you see the difference? 
ANSWER: If you guessed the flow art panel on the left was made with fresh ArtResin ... you're wrong! The panel on the right was made with fresh ArtResin.
It's difficult to tell, isn't it? They look identical!
For more information on how to tint ArtResin or how to make flow art, take a peek at our blog How To Color Epoxy Resin With ResinTint.
4. Apply It Over Wood
Epoxy resin and wood are a beautiful match - epoxy resin brings wood to life, enhancing its grain and natural beauty. Wood is also the easiest way to use up yellowed hardener - you will never be able to detect a yellow hue once it's been applied over wood's natural yellow undertones.
❓Last one! We cut a piece of walnut into two pieces: which one is coated with clear ArtResin and which one was coated with yellowed?
ANSWER: They both look gorgeous but the piece of wood on the left was coated with the old, yellowed ArtResin. Were you able to see a difference?
How Can I Avoid Yellowed Hardener?
It's a relief to know that you can still use expired ArtResin but how can we avoid getting to that point in the first place? Here are some tips to help keep your epoxy resin as fresh as can be:
- Replace the cap on the hardener: re-cap as soon as you've finish pouring to reduce oxygen exposure and delay oxidation.
- Only buy as much ArtResin as you need: get what you think you’ll need for your project so that you're not stuck with resin you won't use.
- Be aware of the Manufacturing Date: check the label for the born-on date. Remember that ArtResin's expiry date is 12 months past the manufacturing date unopened and 6 months once the product has been opened.
And if you find yourself the proud owner of some expired ArtResin?
Make your own charcuterie board, flow art, alcohol ink coaster or resin a piece of art with some bright colours and you'll never have any wasted ArtResin again!
Can I Use ArtResin Epoxy Resin As A Glue?
Yes, you can use ArtResin epoxy resin as a glue. In fact, it may be the strongest glue you’ll ever use!Just measure, mix, and apply as necessary with a brush or foam brush.
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists
Can I Get A Textured Surface With Epoxy Resin?
You can get a textured surface with ArtResin epoxy resin and there are a couple of ways to achieve it.
- If your work is textured to begin with, apply ArtResin with a foam brush, across the uneven surface and in and out of the areas of relief to provide a nice even layer of resin..
- If you have a flat surface, you can create a texture in the resin by using a ragging technique with a gloved hand or a rag to create a perfectly imperfect finish.
- You can also apply two coats of resin to achieve a textured surface on your artwork: apply the first coat as usual and use a rag to apply the second one.
A textured surface not only looks great, but can also cover up imperfections in your artwork.
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists
What Materials Can I Use Epoxy Resin On?
You can use ArtResin epoxy resin on a variety of materials including acrylics, watercolour, oil paint ( once it’s completely dry ), photographs, inkjet prints, spray paint, encaustics, inks, paper collage, wood, metal, wood, flowers and rocks. ArtResin adheres to almost every material with the exception of plastic, silicone, plexiglass, vinyl, wax paper and parchment paper.
ArtResin will adhere to most materials except those designed to repel water. You can use this to your advantage, for example, by lining your work surface with a vinyl shower curtain, using plastic support stands to prop your work off of your surface, or by pouring ArtResin into silicone molds - the cured resin will peel out perfectly.
You may want to avoid pouring it over loose materials such as charcoal or chalk pastel - anything that is not completely adhered to the surface of your work could potentially mix into the liquid resin once it's poured and float around. Some lower quality papers can absorb resin rather than allowing it to sit on top, in which case a sealant should be used over the paper first to avoid seepage. Your best bet is always to test ArtResin before you work on your final project.
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists
