Everything You Need To Know About Resin Art

Resin art is a unique medium that has grown immensely in popularity in recent years. Art resin is known for its versatility – it seems like there is no limit to what you can create when you’re working with resin! In this blog post, we’re going to be discussing all things resin. You’ll learn all about the material and what it’s made of, as well as the difference between products such as casting resin and epoxy resin. By the time we’re through, you’ll be a resin art pro!

What Is Resin Art?
The characteristic that makes resin art so different from other mediums is that it doesn’t require your typical art tools. Instead, this kind of art is created when a chemical called epoxy resin is mixed with various color pigments. This results in a distinctive blend of patterns and textures, creating a one-of-a-kind art piece for all to admire. The artist proceeds to blend the solution with a hardener in some kind of mold, allowing the resin mixture to solidify into a sort of plastic due to the chemical reaction taking place.

The possibilities truly are endless when it comes to making things out of resin. Resin allows you to easily craft a variety of shapes, so you can create items like toys, figurines, jewelry, coasters, and more. Some artists go beyond just adding color to their pieces – instead, they include things like glitter and even small objects. Because of the incredible durability of the resin, your artistic creations will last a lifetime. If you decide to try your hand at resin, you can create personalized products for your friends and family that they’ll be able to cherish for years to come.

What Is Art Resin Made Of?
Simple speaking, art resin was initially created to replicate natural resin. Natural resin is an extremely viscous liquid that forms when trees get injured and bleed oils as a result. When those oils are exposed to air, they’re oxidized and therefore become the sticky fluid known as resin.

When it comes to resin art, epoxy resin is used. This is a synthetically produced material that consists of two parts: synthetic polymer resin and a hardener. The combination of these two materials results in a chemical reaction, hardening your mixture into a solid form.

More recently, synthetic resins have also been created by using epichlorohydrin and diphenols, or bisphenol-A with epichlorohydrins. There are a few different types of resins that result from these combinations. Common examples of resins made with specialized formulas are as follows: casting resin, epoxy coating resin, polyester resin, and urethane resin.

Types of Art Resin
For a more in-depth analysis, we will be comparing and contrasting casting resin with epoxy coating resin, as these are two of the most common types of resin. The characteristic that these products have in common is that they can be colored with the same art supplies, including color pigments, color pastes, and alcohol inks. Otherwise, they’re pretty different!

1. Casting Resin
   This type of resin has a very specific purpose. It’s intended to be used for casting things like jewelry, molds, filling wood, figurines, and deep pour. It features a very thin consistency, so it’s able to fill small gaps and it allows layers of paint to be mixed quickly. However, having a thin consistency means it requires a longer drying time. It has a longer processing time and can take up to a week to cure fully. These resins tend to be less viscous in comparison to epoxy coating resins. You can also create thicker layers of product when using this kind of resin.
   
2. Epoxy Coating Resin
   This kind of resin is typically applied as a coating to an art piece. It dries and cures quicker than the previous resin, and it also tends to require less time to process. Epoxy coating resin is better suited for use on rougher surfaces. It’s water-resistant, and it’s also more resistant to mechanical influence than the casting one. Ink layers can be controlled much better with epoxy because they don’t mix. Epoxy features a more viscous consistency in comparison to casting resins.

Our Extensive Art Resin Selection
Now that you’re more familiar with resin art and its various components, we encourage you to check out our collection of resin art products. We have tons of options available, and many of them come in expertly curated kits for your convenience. We have plenty of encaustic paints, fluid pigments, and resins for you to choose from!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. You can reach us by phone at (888) 792-6089. Our customer service representatives are always happy to help in any way that they can!