Color, Color, Color! - Alternative ways to color resin...

I've seen some conflicting information on what you can and cannot use to color resin. Now, as far as I know you can use practically anything sort of dry pigment - such as (my favorite) Pearl Ex powders, tempura powder, pastels, micro glitter...you get the idea...

Now for liquids, I've read some sources that say you can ONLY use dyes and pigments specially formulated to work with resin. But I've also run across some other sources that say you can also use oil paints.

If you can indeed use other types of pigments it would open the realm of color possibilities, so I decided to do some experimenting. Since I had no idea what would or would not work, I purchased some oil paint, and then randomly chose a few other liquid dyes.



Here's what I tried:

• Blick Studios brand Cobalt Blue Oil Color - (oil paint in a tube)
• Dye-na-flow by Jacquard in Teal - (fabric dye most often used for resists on silk, etc.)
• Vitrail in Lemon yellow - (glass paint used to imitate stained glass)
• Transparent Glass Paint in Purple - (another type of glass paint)
• Acylic paint in Orange - (the cheap-o kind you can get in a 24-pack in any craft store)

Since I didn't know how each would react with the resin, I wanted to use only a relatively small amount. I mixed up a batch of resin and divided it among several mixing cups, filling each one to the 1/2 oz mark.

I started with the oil paint - squeezing a small less-than-pea-sized-amount onto my stir stick, and mixing it up.

As you can see, it mixed up fairly well, but left quite a few dark particles floating around. (Granted, I didn't spend an enormous amount of time trying to blend it.)

Next, the Dye-na-flow fabric paint. This is in a very liquid form, so I simply dipped a clean stir-stick into the bottle, and whatever was left on the stick I stirred into the resin.

It mixed up beautifully! Gorgeous color - isn't it?

I used the same method to use the Vitrail (also very, very liquid).

I forgot to take a picture of the mixing - but like the Dye-na-flow, it mixed beautifully. Very clear yellow.

Next, the glass paint.

This was a little more gooey, so I squeezed a drop into my resin. I stirred and stirred, but could never mix it beyond what you see in the picture. So the glass paint was a bust. One good thing though - I could just scoop that little paint glob out and use the resin for something else. So, not a total waste.

I poured all the colors that mixed into a mold. Then went back and doubled the amount of pigment in each and poured the doubled portion into the mold as well.

After I poured the resin and set it aside to cure, I remembered the acrylic paint. Oops!


I only had a small amount of resin left - so I added a small bit to about 1/4 oz. of resin.

Of course, my pictures are lapsing again, but the acrylic paint mixed great - very smooth consistency, no globs or blobs, and much more opaque than the other pigment tried previously.

I poured the orange into the mold and let them all cure overnight.



Here are the results:

I was pleasantly surprised, but they all cured properly! All hard - no softness, tackiness, or other weirdness!

Wow! - I am so excited because this really provides a lot more easy color options.

Just think of the entire wall of Americana brand acrylic paint at your local craft store? Thousands of colors - you can probably find the exact shade you want with no mixing. And, it's way cheaper than special resin dyes.

Here's some shots of each piece held up to the light, so you can see the transparency and color consistency:

1. - Oil paint

2. - Oil paint, doubled

3. - Vitrail

4. - Acrylic paint

5. - Dye-na-flow

If you'd like to try these alternative colorants for your next resin project, here are some things to consider....

• I only tried this with Easy Cast Epoxy Resin. Results may be different with different types of resin such as Colores, or Castin' Craft Clear. (I will experiment with other types in the future and post results as I get them.)

• Only a small amount was used - approximately 1 drop of color to 1/2 oz. resin. I'm not sure at what proportion any of these colors not let the resin cure...so as usual, just add the smallest amount you need, 1 drop at a time, until you get the desired color.

• I didn't try mixing any of these, and am not sure how they would work mixed with other resin colorants...

• There may be many more types of dyes and pigments designed for other mediums that may well work with resin. So if you're feeling experimental, please give it a try...

And please, if you have tried any other types of pigments, or have tried these with other types of resin, of have any other insights please leave a comment so I can update this post - maybe start creating a list of what we can use...

(If you are looking for any of the above mentioned products, I purchased all these colorants from Blick Art Materials online. They have super prices, and I have always been pleased with their customer service and speedy delivery.)

How To Make Resin Jewelry - Supplies

Part One – Getting Started with Supplies

Resin is an amazing medium, affording near endless possibilities for created new designs. There does, however, seem to be a blatantly large void in the realms of Internet information on the subject. So I wanted to share some of what I have learned in a series of tutorials on the materials and techniques used in resin casting. I’ll start with the absolute basics…

This first installment is just about materials and supplies. What to use and where to get them.

1. Resin

I recommend starting with EasyCast clear casting epoxy resin. It is great for beginners because it has an easy 1:1 mix ratio. It cures slowly, which is good and bad. Bad because you have to wait a day or more for your piece to fully cure before you can pop it out of the mold. But good – very good, if you need time to fiddle around with colors or inclusions. You have at least a good half hour (depending on local temperature) before the resin starts to gel and thicken.

You can find EasyCast at most local craft stores, some hardware store, and of course online.

2. Plastic Mixing/Measuring Cups & Stir Sticks

You will need plastic cups with graduated lines for measuring. Don’t use wax coated paper cups, as the wax could flake off into your resin. The best part about plastic cups is that they are reusable without a big cleanup hassle. Just leave your mess of resin in the cup, let it cure, then peel the whole thing out.

You can also find wooden stir sticks, or craft sticks at your local craft store or supermarket (Popsicle sticks).

3. Ready made Molds

A variety of ready made jewelry molds are available online.

4. Wax Paper, Gloves, and Paper Towels

Resin is very gooey, sticky, and hard to clean up. You need to protect your work surface and yourself.

Disposable gloves will keep your hand sticky-free.

Waxed paper makes a great work surface – drips won’t soak through, and resin won’t stick to it, so you can just leave all your mess right there and clean it up later after it has dried and is no longer ooey-gooey.

Keep some paper towels on hand to quickly wipe up drips that land where you don’t want them.

5. Heat Tool

This is not necessary, but very useful in removing air bubbles in the resin. Not so critical if you are using glitter or something, but with clear resin the bubbles will show a lot more and you will want to get rid of them.

You can get an Embossing Heat Tool in the rubber stamp aisle of your craft store, or online.

What about a hair dryer? - You can use one, but you need to be very careful. A hair dryer blows more air than heat - if you get too close, it can blow the resin right out of your molds and completely ruin your project. If you really want to try this method, be slow and careful. Make sure your settings are on "LOW" and "HOT/WARM". Begin by holding the hair dryer high above your mold (like 2 feet or a little more above). Turn the dryer on and, pointing it straight down, very slowly bring it down closer to your mold, watching the resin carefully to make sure it is not being blown around. At some point the heat should be able to reach the resin and pop the bubbles.

Dyes & Pigments

Above are the bare minimum, basic items you will need. But what’s the fun in that? You need some color!

There are liquid dyes and pigments made especially for resin. In addition to these, there are a variety of other liquids you can use including oil and acrylic paints - since these are not specifically formulated for use with resin, finding the right types and proportions may be a matter of experimentation.

Dry pigments afford another opportunity for a wide range of color. Anything dry, and free of oils, can be added to resin. Consider some of the following:

Mica

Artists Pastels

Glitter

Clothing Dye (powder form)

Tempura powders

And type of powder pigment

Artist pastels offer an endless array of colors. Use a craft knife or razor to gently shave the edges of the pastel.

I especially like Pearl Ex powdered pigments for their subtle shimmer and deep jewel tones.

These items can all be found at your art/craft store. While you are there, peruse the aisles for other fun things to mix in your resin: buttons, candy sprinkles, etc.

Well, now that you have all your materials, you’re ready to start casting! The next article in this series will discuss how to mix the resin and how to use your dyes and pigments…

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and found it easy to understand and informative. I have complied all my tutorials, refined them, added new information and pictures, and added 2 complete step-by-step project instructions in this 32-page digital booklet, "Getting Started With Resin Jewelry". For more information, click here.