I strive to create the highest quality Resin Art, and as such, I love to be transparent with what I use. I also get many questions about what I use to create these stunning works, and I love to share!
Materials I use every time I create a piece:
ArtResin: Comes in 8oz, 32 oz, 1 gallon, and 2 gallon sets. If you need a GIANT amount, you can also purchase the 10 gallon set directly from ArtResin’s website.
If you’re not sure how much you should buy, they have an awesome calculator
Why I use ArtResin: It’s extremely low in toxins for epoxy. It also has a 20 min ideal work time, which is awesome for epoxy. I often push it to 40-60 minutes without large consequences, which is important for my large pieces in particular. It also has an incredible smooth surface finish, and it doesn’t yellow. All crucial for fine art work.
Nitrile Gloves: Holy essential. If you don’t want to end up covered in glue that’s basically impossible to wash off at the end of your creative session, buy these. Do pay attention to size. Too big is ok. Too small will drive you mad.
Bernzomatic torch: I use this torch kit, and this butane for fuel.
Why I use Bernzomatic: It’s functional, affordable and easy to learn how to use. Just make sure to use a rag or paper towel or something to hold on to it (without getting in the way of the flame) or change your gloves before turning it on to prevent epoxy build-up on the buttons that will cause it to malfunction. I’ve tried using their base kind, and it hasn’t been reliable for me.
Craft sticks for stirring and spreading: I recommend jumbo for the initial stir, and big spread jobs, and regular for stirring colors into the epoxy.
Pebeo Paints: This is a discovery sampler for the paints I use to create those incredible, gorgeous, swirling, shimmering effects! Simply add them to the epoxy (an approximate 1:5 paint-to-epoxy ratio works reliably well for me).
If you want to get more specific, they come in 4 effects: Moon, Prism, Ceramic, and Vitrail.
Moon (hammered, my favorite), and Prism (honeycombed, also gorgeous) are my most frequently used.
For a strong white or black, I sometimes use their Ceramic, and for a light stained glass effect with no shimmer, their Vitrail is ideal.
Golden Fluid Acrylics:
If you’re not digging the Ceramic by Pebeo, or want a little more texture to your piece, I recommend using Golden Fluid Acrylics to tint your epoxy. I use them mainly for their white and black.
Windsor and Newton Acrylics:
I use these for beautiful traditional color combinations, and when I need to tweak a Pebeo paint color a little. Use closer to a 1:10 ratio instead of a 1:5, because they are not fluid.
Ready to go for it?
Wood panels: I do not recommend canvas for resin work. Even the high quality canvases have some sag in the middle when the weight of epoxy is added.
Instead, I recommend wood panels! Though I make my own to fulfill custom orders, when I teach workshops or just want to play around to learn, these fit the bill perfectly. They’re affordable, and a great size. This company also sells other sizes, if you’re looking for something other than 12” x 12”
Gesso primer: Many brands will work for this, but this is my favorite for spread-ability and a professional feel.
