With summer in full swing we thought it would be a good time to talk about colouring your epoxy resin creations, nothing screams summer better than vibrant colours!
Our epoxy resin is a clear substance, it doesn't have a colour to it and so you will need to add colour to it in order to create coloured creations. There are three main colouring additives that you can use to colour Craft Resin which we will go through with you below.
As with lot’s of epoxy resin creations though, this list isn’t exclusive and there may be other additives that you can use to colour your resin creations, some of which might need you to experiment with and see if they work and how they turn out and can be manipulated to create different patterns in your projects. That’s the fun of being creative right, trying things out, so have fun with colour!
Before you begin it is important to note that whichever colour that you choose there is a rule to remember when adding colours to epoxy resin and that is to not exceed 6% colourant to the total volume of the Craft Resin mix - For example if you have a resin mix of resin and hardener that is 150ml in total, don’t add any more than 9ml of a colour to this mix.
As most of the colours that can be used with resin give you very vibrant colours when using not a lot of colourant, exceeding 6% is quite difficult, but it’s just something to be aware of.
So let’s begin…
Mica Powders:
We’re going to start on these purely because we supply them lol! But Mica Powders are also one of the easiest colours to use when adding colourants to your epoxy resin creations.
Our Mica Powders come in packs of 30 colours, so there is something for everyone, and every customer of yours out there. The packs are quite small, each one has 0.18oz of colourant in each packet, but these colours go a long way and you only need a small amount. Remember the 6% rule at the start, well with Mica Powders you don’t need anywhere near that amount.
You can very simply mix a tiny spoonful of Mica Powder into your resin mix, stir for another minute and there you have it, coloured resin ready to pour into your molds.
A little tip when mixing in any colourants, is to first mix the resin and hardener clear for 5 minutes, then add your colourant, this way you’ll be able to see if the mixture is mixed enough to use, as streaks are visible until the mixture is ready.
So you can add in the Mica Powder to your mixing pot, mix a few different pots if you’d like to use a few different colours, or you can use a paint brush to paint the Mica Powder onto the mold of your choice. This can leave a really subtle colouring effect on your projects and is great for things like creating Mermaid Tails, or Fish with Scales on them.
Mica Powders can also be used in other mediums not just epoxy resin creations, they are cosmetic grade and so can be used in make up items, and candles etc. Have fun with Mica Powders and see what incredible creations you can bring to life using Mica Powders.
Acrylic Paints:
Acrylic paints are fine for use with Craft Resin, however it can reduce the glossiness of your resin project and therefore give a less shiny effect to your work. For some people this effect will work really well, but for others who want that glass like effect to their work it may not.
Alcohol Inks:
You can also use alcohol inks to colour your epoxy resin creations and you can create some really great effects using alcohol inks like the petri dish art many people use it for. It can create really vibrant and beautiful colours in your work and as such is a very popular option.
You do need to be careful when using alcohol inks in your resin projects to then NOT use a heat torch on your work. Alcohol is flammable, so although it would get rid of bubbles, it could also remove your eyebrows and do even more damage than that!
Instead use a alcohol spray to get rid of any bubbles that may occur on your curing project, warm your resin and hardener in sealed bottles in a sink of warm water before use and be extra gentle when mixing your resin to avoid bubbles forming in the first place.
Not only can it affect the flammable nature of Craft Resin, but using a lot of alcohol ink in your project can also effect Craft Resins toxicity too, so please also make sure when you are working with these that your room is well ventilated and you also wear a respirator.
Before we go we need to make you aware NOT to use oil paints with Craft Resin, they do not mix together well and will make your resin mix extremely difficult to work with.
You can cover your oil painted artwork in Craft Resin, however use a sealant like Mod Podge as a base layer first, allow this to dry and then add the resin over this, that way no resin and oil paint will mix together causing issues. It can take a few weeks fro your oil painting to dry enough to add the sealant to it, so don’t rush this drying part.
Lastly have fun getting colourful with your projects. We’d love to see what your creating and all the beautiful colours, please do tag us in if you share your Craft Resin epoxy resin creations on Instagram @craft.resin.
Team Craft Resin
