5 Easy Resin Painting Projects

Easy to use, a little bit messy, and surprisingly gorgeous, resin art projects give even the most hesitant artist a chance to unleash their creativity. To get started, gather up all the supplies you need, including resin and hardener, coloring agents, and painting tools like brushes or plastic paddles. Set up your painting station in a well-protected area – any place in your home will work as long as you lay out sheets of plastic. Remember to grab gloves, as well! Just like that, you’re ready for resin!

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Resin on Canvas

Throw aside all your expectations of what it means to paint on canvas – painting with resin is entirely different. For those who feel hesitant working with a brush or in a more formal setting, resin art projects allow you to channel your artistic side without having to worry about precise painting techniques or staying within the lines.

Dripping or splashing a canvas with resin, for example, is an easy way to work with resin and epoxy. Of course, you can also paint in a more standard form using brushes. It all depends on the design you want to create!

Dripping and pouring are effortless resin painting methods because you get to mix the colors you want to use into the resin itself. Start out with several plastic cups full of clear resin and the hardener that came with your resin kit. Mix according to the included directions to make sure you get the best results. You want to make sure you don’t get sticky resin!

Once you have your measured cups of resin, add a separate color to each and stir to mix. From there, you can drip, pour, or swirl the paints as you apply them to the canvas. Go wild and pour resin paint wherever you want or take a more structured approach to create whimsical swirls for a sunset or ocean waves.

Afterward, set aside the canvases to dry and harden. If bubbles do occur, you can use a heat gun or even a hairdryer to get rid of them. Once everything is safely dry, you can hang your new work-of-art anywhere you please!

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A Wooden Work of Art

Painting with resin on wood can produce stunning, unique results. Not to mention there’s more freedom in resin painting than you might experience in a formal art class – when else are you going to have the chance to paint on different household items?

From chic cheeseboard trays to cutting boards and home decor, the method you use to paint on wood is the same as you use with canvas. Just like with canvas, drip, pour or brush on the resin paint of your choosing. Unlike canvas, however, the neat thing about resin painting on wood is that, quite often, you can guide the paint to follow the grain of the wood. That way, you’re left with striking areas of paint contrasted alongside areas of natural wood.

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Upcycling a Clock

Perfect for experimenting with tie-dye patterns, an ombre design, or vibrant splashes of color, using resin pour painting on a refurbished clock face can have striking effects.

If you’re working with an existing wall clock, remove the hands (if possible) or cover with painter’s tape. You’ll also need to decide if you want to cover the numbers and create new ones after the resin has dried or preserve the numbers that are there with tape.

Much like working with wood, you can use the same process to paint a clock face, but we suggest using a variety of tools to “shape” the resin into the designs and patterns you want, so you don’t end up ruining your clock face medium. Want the freedom to experiment however you please? Purchase a set of plain wooden circles from your local craft store to make the custom clock of your dreams and finish with timepiece accessories purchased online.

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Create a Brand New Table

We briefly discussed painting wooden pieces, but any kind of wooden tabletop is also a wonderful medium for resin painting. While this may not be suitable for creating the dining room table of your dreams, you can experiment with resin painting on small, table-like surfaces like TV trays or small children’s play tables.

What’s neat about using resin on a tabletop surface is that you can also apply sheets or paper, gilded gold leaf, and other 2D add-ins to your paint. For example, if you have a passion for books, you can decoupage book pages onto the table, then cover it with clear or lightly tinted resin to set in place.

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Glasses with Sass

Impress your guests and give your dishware a fun pop of color with one-of-a-kind dipped glassware! Applying resin paint to glass or plastic cups is super easy. Like painting on canvas or wood, fill a bowl with the resin medium of your choice and add colors. After mixing, simply dip your glass into the resin and set aside to dry.

Looking for something that catches the eye? You can also add glitter to this resin art project! Simply sprinkle the glitter of your choice onto the resin paint and set aside to dry.

Translucent ombre or rainbow resin designs are fantastic, as well. To achieve a layered look, apply one resin paint color at a time and allow it to dry before moving on to the next layer.

Painting with resin is perfect for the rebel painter in all of us because it isn’t as precise as painting with acrylics or even watercolours. You don’t have to be exact or even neat about your creative process – let your imagination run wild and experiment with all kinds of colors and designs. Which resin artwork do you think you’ll tackle first?

Author Bio

Tess DiNapoli is an artist, freelance writer, and content strategist for the art resin company, Resin Obsession. She has a passion for yoga and often writes about evolving trends in the art world, but also enjoys covering the wellness industry and world of fitness.