ArtResin Epoxy Resin vs Varnish? What's the Difference?
The main difference you will notice right away between epoxy resin and varnish is the consistency: ArtResin epoxy resin is very glossy with a nice, thick surface when cured. When it comes to application, ArtResin is poured on and spread out. Its cure time is 24 hours until it's dry to the touch and 72 hours for a full cure.
Varnish is also shiny, though not quite as dramatic as the shine you get with epoxy resin, and it's paper thin. Varnish is typically painted or rolled on and has a much quicker dry time.
ArtResin epoxy resin is formulated with 2 different UV light stabilizers to protect against the damaging effects of UV light, whereas varnishes typically are not.
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists.
What Is ArtResin's Heat Resistance?
The maximum temperature that cured ArtResin can tolerate is 120F or 50C. At temperatures as high as that, the cured pieces may become a little flexible but once they cool off, they will harden up once again. If your cured resin is exposed to temperatures beyond 120F or 50C, however - for example, you leave a cured piece in a hot car for a long time - it could cause irreparable damage.A word to the wise? Keep it cool!
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists.
@resinmaze is our #ArtResin Instagram Winner For October!
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 Shaima Alassafi ... our first lucky winner for October!
Though Shaima studied Human Resource Management and Business Administration at Rutgers University, she has had a life long passion for art. Having worked in mediums such as watercolor, acrylic, ceramics and polymer clay, Shaima is a self taught artist but it wasn't until she discovered alcohol ink in resin that everything changed.
Shaima's alcohol ink coasters are like eye candy: the bright colours and ethereal textures resemble wonderfully weird creatures or other worlds and consistently stop us in our tracks.
Shaima says: "At first I was just exploring and felt a little like a scientist at an experimenting field. It was then I slowly started understanding the chemical effect and all the other factors that contribute to the end result, which expanded my creativity overall."
Shaima says: "Art is like a soul recharge for me - it fills me with endless joy! I'm eager to wake up everyday, rushing to de-mold and reveal the magic that had cured overnight! My main source of inspiration is nature and more specifically, the underwater world. I aim to create unique pieces that stand out to people and leave them in awe."
It's not just coasters that Shaima creates: she also makes small castings using ArtResin to create a variety of trinket dishes and trays.
Take a peek ...
We love the eye-catching format Shaima has created on her Instagram page: first, she starts with a demolding video, then a shot of her finished piece takes the centre spot and finally, she ends with a close-up shot to show the incredible detail in her work.
Shaima dreams of pursuing art full-time and, in the meantime, is considering opening a shop to share her love of art with the world.
Congratulations, Shaima!
To see more of Shaima's beautiful work:
follow her on Instagram at @resinmaze
Don't forget ... tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next monthly winner!!!
What Is HALS and UV Stabilization?
HALS and UV Stabilization are additives in ArtResin's proprietary formula to keep it clear and beautiful looking for the long term. It’s a well known fact that UV light is damaging and epoxy resins are not immune to that. In resin, it shows up as gloss loss, chalking, cracking, delamination and, of course, yellowing. There’s nothing worse than having a beautiful piece of art ruined by epoxy resin that turns yellow.ArtResin incorporates 2 light stabilizers: The UV Light Stabilizer and the HALS ( or Hindered Amine Light Stabilizer.) The UV Stabilizer is in there to take care of most of the damaging affects that happens from UV light. however it doesn’t do a great job protecting against yellowing. The Hindered Amine Light Stabilizer is in there to target the yellowing because it interrupts the yellowing at the outset, making it much more unlikely to happen.
Double the light stabilizers equals better protection for your art!
ArtResin: Made For Artists By Artists
How To Make A Charcuterie Board
It's easy to see why charcuterie boards are so popular with those who love to entertain! A charcuterie platter is a show-stopper that's simple to prepare, delivering big on both flavour and looks, especially when you have a gorgeous piece of wood as your starting point.
Making your own one-of-a-kind charcuterie wood board is easier than you think! Woodworking artist Jordan Codack of Codack Classics is here to show us, step-by-step, just how simple it is to transform a slice of wood into a functional, charcuterie board, with either a high-gloss or a matte finish.
Let's take a closer look ...
Choose Your Wood
Select a board that you love: we prefer durable, hard woods like walnut, maple, cherry, or ash, cut in a cross section slab with the live edge still visible, but there's no right or wrong here. Choose a piece of wood that speaks to you, in a size that works best for you, with a grain and colour that you love. If you use wood with the bark still attached, a coat of ArtResin is a great way to protect it for the longterm, ensuring it stays intact and doesn't break down ( or break off ) over time.
- Ensure your wood is thoroughly dry: if you resin over wood with too much moisture in it, you will have an issue with the wood expanding and contracting with the weather, which could cause the resin to crack. For peace of mind, we prefer getting kiln dried wood from a wood supplier.
- Incorporate a design: you can, as Jordan did, use a CNC router to carve out an image or lettering, or you can choose a piece of wood that already has a natural hole to fill in with resin. You can even paint a design directly onto the wood using acrylic paint, or simply resin the wood as is.
💡A Note On Sealing: 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. You may need to sand down the resin and re-apply if your wood off-gasses as the resin is curing. If your wood is prone to off-gassing, sealing wood with a brush-on sealant ( allowing it to thoroughly dry before resining ) is a good option to help prevent bubbles.
1. Charcuterie Board - Gloss Finish
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- a piece of wood
- ArtResin epoxy resin
- nitrile gloves
- a level, like ArtResin's phone level
- a measuring cup with easy to read measurement lines
- a mixing container
- a stir stick
- a spreader or popsicle stick
- 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
DIRECTIONS
1. Prep your space: Lay a plastic drop sheet or shower curtain over your work surface. Prop your wood up on stands and ensure it's level. Make sure your dust cover box is close by. 
2. 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: determine how much ArtResin you'll need by entering the length and width of your piece into our Resin Calculator
3. Pour and spread the ArtResin onto the centre of your board: 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!
4. Torch out the bubbles using an Artist’s Torch: Hold the flame a couple of inches above the resin surface, keeping the torch moving from side to side at all times. 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.
💡TIP: Read our blog with all you need to know about How To Use A Torch On Epoxy Resin.
5. Cover your piece to protect it from dust: Place a plastic tote or a cardboard box ( with the flaps cut off ) over your piece and let it sit for 24 hrs until it’s dry to the touch. When it's dry, you can sand down any drips from the back of your piece.
💡TIP: Tape off the bottom of your piece using good quality painter's tape before you resin. The next day, simply pull off the tape and the drips right along with it!
2. Charcuterie Board - Matte Finish
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- a piece of wood
- ArtResin epoxy resin
- ResinTint liquid colorants
- nitrile gloves
- a level, like ArtResin's phone level
- a measuring cup with easy to read measurement lines
- mixing containers, one for each resin colour
- a stir stick
- a spreader or popsicle stick
- 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
- sandpaper in a variety of grits: 80, 120, 240, 400, 600, 1000
- wet cloth for wiping down the board in between sanding
DIRECTIONS
1. Prep your space: Lay a plastic drop sheet or shower curtain over your work surface. Prop your wood up on stands and ensure it's level. Make sure your dust cover box is close by.
2. 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. Tint your resin: Use a separate plastic cup for each colour.
💡TIP: When adding colorant to epoxy resin, be careful not to add more than 6% of the total combined volume of resin and hardener, or else your resin may not cure properly. For example, 100 ml of resin and hardener combined will allow for a maximum of 6 ml of colorant. ResinTint are highly pigmented so it's likely you will not need that much.
4. Fill in the carved areas: Slowly and carefully pour the tinted ArtResin into the carved areas of your board until they are ever so slightly overflowing. You can overfill since you'll be sanding down the excess resin, but keep in mind that the more you overfill, the more you'll have to sand off. You'll have about 45 minutes of working time before the resin gets too thick to work with.
💡TIP: If you're filling a natural crevice or hole in the wood, ensure you tape off the hole on the bottom of the board to prevent the resin from seeping out underneath. We like using a good quality painter's tape or a sheathing tape ( found in the insulation section of your hardware store. )
5. Torch out the bubbles using an Artist’s Torch: Hold the flame a couple of inches above the resin surface, keeping the torch moving from side to side at all times. 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.
💡TIP: Read our blog with all you need to know about How To Use A Torch On Epoxy Resin.
6. Cover your piece to protect it from dust: Place a plastic tote or a cardboard box ( with the flaps cut off ) over your piece and let it sit for 24 hrs until it’s dry to the touch. When it's dry, you can sand down any drips from the back of your piece.
💡TIP: Tape off the bottom of your piece using good quality painter's tape before you resin. The next day, simply pull off the tape and the drips right along with it!
7. Sand: Using an electric sander, start first with a coarse sandpaper like 80 grit to clean up the excess resin and to ensure the resin and wood are perfectly level. Next, wipe down the board with your wet cloth to raise the grain and allow the board to dry, approximately 10-15 minutes.
Next, sand with 120 grit, and wipe down with a wet cloth. Repeat this process with 220 grit and 400 grit sandpaper, wiping down and allowing to dry in between each sanding.
Last, sand down with 600 and 1000 grit sandpaper to polish the board and make it buttery smooth - there's no need to wet the board in between these higher grits.
8. Oil and condition the board: When the board is perfectly smooth, you will apply a non-toxic, food safe oil ( like mineral oil ), allowing it to soak into the board and absorb. Wipe off any excess oil, then apply a non-toxic, food safe wood conditioning wax ( Jordan's wax was beeswax and mineral oil based. ) . This wax needs to be applied approximately every month. 
So there you have it!
Whether you choose matte or shiny, both charcuterie boards are:
✅gorgeous.
✅going to steal the show at your next dinner party!
From start to finish, ArtResin allows you to get creative!
Is ArtResin Food Safe?
Yes, once cured, ArtResin is safe for direct contact with food.
Not only is ArtResin food safe ( once cured ) in accordance with FDA 21CFR175.300, but it's also:
- non toxic when used as directed
- BPA free
- deemed safe for home use in a well ventilated area by an ASTM board-designated toxicologist ( conforms to ASTM D4236 . )
So go ahead and resin your charcuterie board, cheese tray, serving platter and candy dish, and do so with complete confidence! Your serving ware will look gorgeous and it will be 100% food safe too!
@breezyspaces is our #ArtResin Instagram Winner For September!
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 Brianna McFarland ... our second lucky winner for September!
"May you always have open breezy spaces in your mind"
When she came across author Sanober Khan's quote a few years ago, it prompted Brianna to reflect on what art means for her. For Brianna, the process of making art gives her a feeling of freedom and endless possibility ... the open breezy spaces in her mind's eye to which Khan refers. When Brianna was considering names at the start of her artist's journey, the name Breezy Spaces was a natural fit.
Brianna says: "Art has always been a bit of a release for me. It frees my mind from the stresses of everyday life. Creating things makes me happy and fulfils me."
With a BA in Art from the University of Wyoming, Brianna came from a creative family who encouraged her artistic development from a very young age. Brianna dabbled in drawing, painting, sculpture but it was her recent discovery of alcohol ink that changed her trajectory.
Brianna has spent a fair amount of time studying and experimenting with alcohol ink techniques and its seemingly endless applications. She loves the vibrancy and versatility it adds, which is further intensified under a coat of resin. Brianna notes that "the metallics pop and the colors look so intense under resin!" It also unifies her collages and adds a unique dimension that you simply can't get from custom framing.
Surrounded by Wyoming's natural beauty, Brianna is inspired by her home state's wildlife, geology and spectacular landscapes and these are often the subject of her paintings.
Brianna shares: "To create my animals, I paint the alcohol ink on yupo paper and then cut out animal silhouettes based on templates that I drew. I then paste the silhouettes on wood panels that I have either painted or stained and cover them in a few coats of resin. Sometimes, I mix pigment into the resin to add shimmer or sparkle to the work.
Take a look ...Congratulations, Brianna!
To see more of Brianna's beautiful work:
follow her on Instagram at @breezyspaces
Don't forget ... tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next monthly winner!!!
@allen.erika is our #ArtResin Instagram Winner For September!
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!
One of the best things about social media is being able to see all the creative ways artists apply ArtResin ... often in ways we never even thought of!
Such was the case when we saw the Instagram page for artist Erika Allen ... our first lucky winner for September!
Erika is an abstract artist based in South Carolina. She says: "I have studied art and have had a deep love for art from a very young age. It was the one thing I had a natural talent for. I received a bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in Graphic Design, but very quickly realized my place was not behind a computer screen. I was happiest creating with my hands and all sorts of paints and mixed media."
Erika uses ArtResin in a multitude of ways:
- as a coating for paintings
- tinted to create flow art
- as an inlay in wood
.... but what really stopped us in our tracks were the beautiful pieces Erika created using tinted resin scraps.
Take a look ...
Erika says "I’ve recently joined the ranks of the 'resin obsessed'. I really enjoy exploring the endless possibilities with this medium: there’s just something about it that is truly mesmerizing to watch.
Most recently, I’ve been using up my leftover resin scraps to create collages, anything from angel wings to flowers and ocean inspired pieces. It’s a win-win to recycle my run off and create a whole new image at the same time."
Isn't it brilliant?
Erika creates these beautiful, textural pieces of art by saving the run off from her resin pours until she has a collection of shapes and colours to choose from.
Next, she maps out her design idea.
Then she gently heats and softens each resin piece, making them pliable enough to cut. After cutting her resin to the desired shapes and sizes she assembles them piece by piece, like a giant puzzle of sorts, until the design takes shape.
In Erika's words: "I’m left with a piece that was partially created by the innate behavior of a fluid medium and the intentional placement of each individual piece."
Erika also uses tinted resin to create abstract landscapes. She says "I tend to work a bit on the abstract side but still like to give a sense of subject matter. I’m a huge nature lover, so a lot of my work is inspired by nature and its elements."
In this landscape, Erika uses resin poured into a silicone mold to create a water element. Take a look ...
Erika often uses reclaimed wood as her canvas, contrasting the raw, unfinished texture with the smooth finish and vibrancy of paint and resin.
In this piece, Erika allows the natural pattern of the wood to create a colourful, abstract landscape.
Congratulations, Erika!
To see more of Erika's beautiful work:
visit her website at www.erikaallen.com
follow her on Instagram at @allen.erika
Don't forget ... tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next monthly winner!!!
How To Make A Resin Window Painting
Making a tinted resin window painting is a fun, easy DIY project and a great way to recycle an old curbside window frame into a beautiful piece of art!
It's easy to create your own personalized work of art! ArtResin's Jasmine shows you how to paint your own unique design onto a window frame or floating picture frame and accent it with simple washes of tinted resin to add colour and glow to any room. What's even cooler? As the daylight changes, so too will the radiant effect.
Here's what you'll need:
- a double paned window frame ( or use a floating picture frame )
- ArtResin epoxy resin
- art materials for your design: we used calligraphy ink, acrylic paint marker, and glitter but you could use alcohol ink, acrylic ink, acrylic paint etc
- paint brushes, including disposable foam brush
- aluminum tape to create a dam
- ResinTint liquid colorants
- nitrile gloves
- plastic mixing cups and stir sticks ( for each colour of tint )
- a plastic drop sheet to line your work surface
- stands to prop your piece up on
- level
Let's get started!
1. Preparing The Window Frame:
Ensure the glass is perfectly clean and that the frame is in good shape before you start, repairing any damaged areas. If the frame is made of wood, patch any holes, sand down the frame if necessary and paint it ( as raw wood may absorb the resin. )
2. Creating Your Design:
Your design can be as complex or as simple as you'd like but keep in mind that you don't want the composition to fill the entire window: leave some space for your washes of color.
- If you choose to paint a landscape, as we did, divide your design between a foreground, a middle ground and a background.
- Using the ink or paint of your choice, start with the foreground - this will become the front of your window. The objects in the foreground ( trees, in our case ) should be the largest to create a sense of space in the painting. Overlap the trees to help create even more depth.
- Allow your ink to dry, then flip the painting over to paint the background on the other side.
Now paint the middle ground and background.
- For the middle ground, Jasmine painted silhouettes of birds flying low in the sky.
- For the background, she painted a forest of trees: the background elements should be the smallest items in your painting with the least amount of detail to indicate that they're far off in the background. Using a lighter, more translucent touch with the ink also helps to imply distance, as opposed to the darker, high contrast trees in the foreground.
Once you're happy with your overall design, allow the background to dry. Next, use an acrylic paint marker to fill in detail on the foreground trees to increase the contrast and definition. 
3. Prepare For Resining:
When your painting is complete, you can prepare the piece for resining.
- First, prop it up on stands over a plastic lined work surface.
- Use a level to ensure your piece is perfectly horizontal.
Apply aluminum tape all the way around your piece, creating a dam to contain the resin pour. Burnish it with your hand or a popsicle stick to ensure you have a good bond between the tape and sides of your frame.
4. Applying The ArtResin:
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 your cups. Allow one cup per color, making sure to reserve some clear resin in your mixing cup.
Use ResinTint to tint each cup of resin, mixing and matching to achieve the colors you wish to use. Jasmine chose to create an evening sky by using pink, purple, teal, and lilac, with highlights of glitter to create a canopy of stars.
ResinTint is a highly saturated pigment based colorant, so it's always best to start with less than you need, adding more as necessary. Using the mixing stick, pull some of the tinted resin up the side of your cup to see how saturated the color is. 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.
Pour your resin layers, color by color. Feel free to be creative and loose as you pour, allowing the pattern to find itself as the layers blend into each other. Use the spreader to create a wash of color and to help ensure the resin covers the entire window. To create the look of clouds, pour the lilac in thin lines throughout, blending with a spreader to soften the lines.
Next, apply your glitter layer. The glitter is heavy and will sink to the bottom, so ensure that it is distributed evenly, being mindful not to apply too much glitter in one spot. 
Next, apply your clear resin selectively over your piece: clear resin helps to open up cells in the tinted resin and creates variations in the translucency of each color.
The last step is to create an organic effect by gently blending the colors. You can do this by blowing on your piece or alternatively, you can use a hair dryer or heat gun.
5. Torch Out The Bubbles:
Since ArtResin and ResinTint are both non-flammable, you can remove bubbles with a small butane torch, like our Artist's Torch. Run the torch quickly and evenly over the resin surface, keeping the torch in motion at all times. A few quick passes will do it.
6. Wait 24 Hours:
Allow it to cure overnight - the next day it will be dry to the touch and you can hang it on your wall! It will be fully cured in 72 hours.
We hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it not only inspires you to get creative, but that it helps you to see the potential in items otherwise destined for the landfill.
Have you upcycled an old window or other piece of junk into Recycled Art?
We'd love to hear - let us know in the comments below!
To see more of Jasmine's artwork, visit her website:
https://www.genuinesnakeoil.ca/
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists.
What Happens If Epoxy Resin Freezes?
If ArtResin freezes in its liquid state, simply move it to a warm place and allow it return it to room temperature before using it. Once it returns to room temperature, it will perform and cure normally.
Once you’ve used it and it has cured, however, you will want to protect that piece from freezing. This is mainly due to the expansion and contraction that can happen to the substrate. For example, wood can expand and contract with the temperature, which adds stress to the cured ArtResin coat and could cause it to crack.
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists
