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Before discussing what resin art is, it's important that we have a basic understanding of the resin itself.
Resin is a thick liquid that is produced from special types of trees and flowers. But how is it formed? Let's discuss this. As soon as the oils of trees come in contact with air, they undergo a chemical reaction known as oxidation.
This produces a sticky and viscous fluid that we call resin. But resin art does not use the natural form of resin due to its scarce availability.
As we will learn in the later stages of this blog post, three people contributed greatly in replicating the properties of natural resin. Their research helped in the development of synthetic or artificial resins. In the world of art, these are known as epoxy resins.
These resins are used to create resin art.
The epoxy resin consists of two chemicals. The first is a resin polymer and the second is a catalyst that helps to harden the resin. Once mixed in the right proportions, they form a hardened compound.
Before the hardening phase completes, we can add colors and solid objects (embellishments) to it.
1) Resin development by Paul Schlack
As compared to natural resin, the era of chemical or synthetic resin has not been that long. Its origin story can be traced back to a chemical reaction conducted in the 1930s.
Back then, a German chemist named Paul Schlack was experimenting with chemicals named epoxides and amines. The condensation reaction of the two compounds produced epoxy resin.
To know more about Paul Schlack's work, click here.
2) Resin development by Pierre Castan
Even though Paul patented this resin in the year 1934, different techniques for creating epoxy resins were discovered by various people.
For example, during the late 1930s, a Swiss chemist named Pierre Castan discovered bisphenol-A-based epoxy resins.
Initially, Castan began to synthesize these resins for dental prosthetics. In the later stages of his career, he even developed a combination of epichlorohydrin and diphenols for their adhesive properties.
In the year 1943, a chemical company named Ciba licensed Castan’s work with epoxy resin. This proved to be a good decision taken by the organization because eventually, it became one the largest producers of epoxy resin in the world.
To know more about Pierre Castan and his work, click here
The story of synthetic resins does not halt here. In the year 1946, a USA-based chemist named Sylvan Greenlee patented another type of artificial resin on behalf of Devoe & Raynolds Company.
This resin was derived from the chemicals named bisphenol-A and epichlorohydrin.
By the end of the 1940s, epoxy resins were famous for their various industrial and adhesive applications. This time period has additional importance because it offered artists an opportunity to observe the potential of synthetic resins in their art.
For example, artists began using resin as a coloring medium. This was achieved by adding color pigments to the resin while it was in a liquid state. Many jewelers began designing beautiful masterpieces with this technique.
After some time, the trend to add embellishments in the resin surfaced. Embellishments are 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional objects that are preserved in the resins. These include photos, feathers, pieces of paper, etc.
Before learning about various types of resin art styles, let's discuss a few pointers to keep in mind while working with resin.
Tables and desks are the best choices while working on resin art.
Remember that resin drops and splashes are difficult to remove later. So, use wax paper to cover your table or desk.
Secondly, wear rubber or latex gloves and safety goggles for protection from the fumes emitted by the reaction between the resin and the catalyst.
To disperse the fumes, make sure that the work area is well-ventilated.
In this step, we will be choosing our embellishments. For this, we can use two-dimensional objects like photographs as well as three-dimensional objects like flowers.
Examples of other potential embellishments are ribbons, pieces of fabric, colorful paper, glitter, feathers, etc.
For porous materials like fabric and paper, it’s important to coat them with a sealant before using them as embellishments.
Skipping this step may lead to repercussions. Such embellishments may lose their color. Furthermore, air bubbles may appear in the resin if the sealant is not used.
To get the best results, choose polyurethane-based resin instead of polyester-based resin.
This is so because the polyester resin tends to give off an unpleasant odor even after drying. Furthermore, its toxic nature can be harmful for our health.
Click here to know more.
Even if it’s transparent or colorless, resin art looks beautiful. However, it’s not that difficult to add colors to the resin art. For this purpose, we will be adding color pigments in the resin-catalyst solution.
In the case of liquid pigments, simply add one drop at a time followed by a brief session of stirring with a wooden stick.
To beautify our resin art, we can add glitter to it. Thanks to its lighter weight and small size, it floats on the surface of the resin. In this manner, we shall get a glittery background.
The presence of air bubbles degrades the aesthetics of resin art. So, it's important that we prevent their formation. For this, just hold a hair dryer above the surface of the resin for about one minute. The trapped air bubbles will rise to the surface and pop.
The ideal time period for curing or hardening the resin is one night.
Make sure to cover the resin with a clean box or another object. This is necessary to provide protection to the art from dust and other impurities present in the atmosphere.
Remember that hardening times may vary depending on the type and the quality of resin we are using. So, it’s important to read the instructions in order to estimate the time the resin will take to solidify.
Once solidified, we can use our fingers to take out the resin pieces from their respective molds.
But sometimes, things do not go as planned. After the recommended period, if the resin pieces have still not solidified well enough, put the molds into the freezer for about 15 minutes. This simple practice will make it easier to take them out.
In the end, we can conclude that just like any other art form, Resin art is quite experimental in nature.
It serves as a medium for artists to express and capture their emotions and imagination into a viscous fluid. The best part is that it is exponentially much more durable than materials like glass.
And thanks to its transparent properties, it is a better alternative to glass in designing various objects. For example, paperweights.
Additionally, its great compatibility with coloring pigments allows artists to bring their most creative art ideas to life. Now, let's take a look at various types of art that we can design using resin.
In simple terms, coasters are used as barriers between the bottom of a glass or ceramic cup/mug and the surface on which it is kept i.e. a table, desk, etc.
Coasters are made of many materials like silicon, metal, wood, etc. However, we can get creative and design our own coasters using epoxy resin! The entire design process is easier than it looks. Resin coasters are one of the most commonly used resin art forms.
So, a variety of pre-designed molds are easily available. Once we get the desired mold, 80 percent of the designing process is complete.
The next steps involve preparing the resin solution and pouring it into the mold. We can add colors and glitter to the resin to make our art more appealing.
Finally, all we need to do is to wait for the resin to harden and then take our resin coaster out of the mold.
Though its design process is not so simple and easy, the aesthetics of this art piece are a treat to the eyes.
This type of resin art is a combination of wood and resin. Let’s discuss its design process for more clarity.
First of all, we select a partial section of wood. For example, a rectangular wooden piece with holes on its surface.
Next, we select a suitable mold complimenting the shape of the wooden piece. Then, the wooden section is inserted into the mold. Now, it’s time to fill the holes present on the wood’s surface, For this, we pour the resin solution into the mold.
After the recommended time period, the resin solution will dry. Once we take the wooden piece out of the mold, we will get a beautiful resin art resembling the one shown in the above image.
Before discussing resin geode art, let’s know about the geodes themselves.
Geodes are natural rock formations that display beautiful colors and shapes through their surfaces. Resin geode art involves replicating the designs and patterns of these rocks through the use of epoxy resin!
The first step in designing resin geode art is to get a suitable geode resin mold. Second, prepare the resin solution and fill it into the mold.
After the suitable time for the curing of resin has passed, we will crack the geode mold to extract our resin art. Though our geode resin art is ready at this point in time, we can still decorate it further.
In addition to adding colors to the resin, we can use crushed crystals and glass to cover the surface of our art. Doing so replicates the look of natural geode rock formations.
Resin can be used to design beautiful jewelry. Let's discuss how.
Just like we discussed in the previous resin art forms, we can use molds to provide a jewelry-like shape to the resin.
But as an alternative, we can use bezels.
Bezels are hollow and open-ended structures used to create magnificent resin jewelry. Once solidified or dried, we do not need to remove resin pieces from them.
On the other hand, molds are helpful in only shaping the resin pieces. Once dried, we will have to separate the resin and the mold.
Now, let's discuss all the steps to create aesthetic resin jewelry. In this blog post, we will be following the example of a resin necklace.
While the resin piece is still soft, poke a metal eye pin into it. Next, we will attach a circular jump ring to the other end of the eye pin.
Finally, pass a wearable chain through the ring. That's how we can create beautiful resin jewelry at home!
Designing keychains using epoxy resin is easier than it looks. Thanks to their small sizes, the designing process does not demand long periods of time, and intense efforts.
All we need is a small-sized mold. Interestingly, it does not have to be exclusively made for keychains. Any mold with a smaller size will suffice.
Next, prepare the resin solution and put it into the mold. To make it more appealing, we can add glitter and colors to it.
Next, we will add a keychain to the mold before the resin present in it is still soft. After it has hardened, we will take out the resin piece from the mold. Our resin keychain is finally ready!
1) Betsy Enzensberger
Betsy Enzensberger grew up in the city of New York. She studied fine arts at Tulane University in Louisiana and then moved to California where she currently lives and works. With a professional experience of over 20 years, her work is greatly inspired by childhood memories and the desire to create something beautiful out of everyday objects.
Instagram profile: Click here
2) Jenna Morello
Jenna Morello creates paintings, drawings, and sculptures using a variety of materials, including paint, paper, wood, metal, glass, and clay. Her work often features animals, plants, and insects. She is inspired by the natural world and how it relates to human life.
Instagram profile: Click here
3) Keng Lye
Keng Lye uses a variety of materials to create his sculptures, including wood, metal, glass, and even plastic. He paints the animal figures using acrylic paint and then coats them with layers of resin. The final result is a sculpture that looks like real animals.
Instagram profile: Click here
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