How to Create Two Pieces of Ocean Inspired Resin Art Work!

Do you love the beach and the sea? If you love crafts and learning new skills then this is the Instructable for you!

This Instructable covers all the information you'll need to create two styles of ocean inspired resin art - The Oceanscape and The Beach Scene. The processes and techniques are demonstrated using a Making Waves kit which contains all the materials needed to produce two pieces of resin art work.

Creating resin art is a craft enjoyed by many people using various techniques, all intended to recreate the ocean and coastline - this tutorial will teach you the basics so that you can produce your own style of resin art.

At GlassCast Resin HQ we receive lots of calls from customers who are trying to capture the ocean, and in particular, the waves. We decided to put together an easy to follow tutorial to cover the basics and enable makers to get professional results first time and put together a great kit perfect for beginners or those wanting to try resin art.

The kit has enough materials to pour two pieces, however the techniques and processes covered can be adapted and scaled for smaller or larger projects and you can of course source the individual materials and equipment needed to get started making beautiful beach scenes and dreamy oceanscapes. The kit also includes a handy booklet packed with additional professional tips and tricks to get the best results.

Both projects are a two-step process - layer one forms the base layer of the ocean, and layer two adds the wave detail.

If you like this Instructable please take a look at our other projects; How to Cast Flowers in Epoxy Resin - DIY Resin Rose Paperweight!, DIY Resin River Table, Resin Penny Floor, and many more!

What you'll need:

You will need either a complete Making Waves Kit which provides including the following items (or you can purchase items individually):

• Epoxy coating resin
• Epoxy Colour Pigments -we used Culr Indigo Blue, Topaz Green and Super White
• Arctic Pearl Metallic Pigment
• Sand
• Shells
• Art Boards
• Nitrile gloves, mixing pots and sticks.

What else you might need:

• Eye protection
• Protective apron or old clothing and a protective mat or cover for your work surface
• Digital scales and a timer
• Painters pyramids or similar to elevate your board
• A cover to place over the project while it cures
• Some scissors and resin tape
• A Hairdryer

You will also need to make sure that your working environment is at a constant temperature of 20°C for the duration of the project and that before you start working with any new materials that you read and understand all the safety information provided with the products you will be using.

The following step-by-step instructions should be followed for each resin mix that you use in the projects:

1. Weigh out the relevant amount of resin and hardener (detailed in project steps below) precisely using digital scales. Place a large mixing cup on to the scales - ensuring that you press the tare/zero button before pouring the resin (part A).
2. Press the tare/zero button before weighing out the hardener (part B). GlassCast 3 has a 2:1 ratio by weight, e.g. for 100g of resin you would need 50g of hardener. Never deviate from this mix ratio; adding more hardener won’t make the resin cure faster and an incorrect mix ratio could stop it from curing at all.
3. Mix the resin and hardener slowly and thoroughly by hand for a minimum of 3 minutes, making sure that you occasionally scrape the sides and bottom of the cup.
4. After 3 minutes, transfer the mix to a clean cup and mix again for a further 3 minutes. This process is called 'double-potting' and is very important and will ensure that no unmixed resin gets on to the artwork.
5. Allow the resin to sit for a couple of minutes before use to allow any bubbles to rise and pop.
6. GlassCast 3 has a pot life of approximately 30 minutes once the two parts are combined, so once mixed you will need to complete the pouring within this time.

The boards used in this Instructable are standard A4 Birch Ply, measuring 4mm thick. All resin and hardener weights provided in this Instructable are based on this board size, if you wish to use a different size or shape board you will need to adjust the quantities of resin/hardener accordingly.

The boards we used (supplied in the kit) didn't need priming or sealing first, if you're sourcing your own boards you may need to apply a prime coat first.

Before starting the projects, tape the edges and underside of the boards using resin tape: apply by firmly pressing strips of tape to the underside of the board, then tape around the edges, folding on to the underside and pressing down firmly to make a complete seal.

Using the tape in this way means that when the resin is fully cured you can peel it away, this will remove all the drips in one go, leaving a clean finish with crisp edges.

Alternatively, you can let the resin flow over the sides of the board and just tape the underside but this does tend to mean that you will need to sand and finish the underside edge at the end of the project before hanging your artwork.

For this project, the weights given assume that you will be working on an A4 size board like in the tutorial.

With the board taped and ready, elevate it using upturned cups or painters pyramids so it won’t get stuck to the table, then check the board is level before starting.

1. You will need to use 150g = 100g resin + 50g hardener.

2. Weigh and carefully mix the resin following the instructions in Step 1, then allow the mix to stand for a couple of minutes to allow any bubbles to pop.

3. Divide half of the mixture equally between 3 small mixing cups, keeping half of the clear resin to one side.

4. Mix the colours up using your choice of colours as follows:

• POT 1 Add 10 drops Topaz Green + 3 drops of Indigo Blue
• POT 2 Add 10 drops of Indigo Blue
• POT 3 Add a small scoop of metallic pearl powder + 2 drops Topaz Green

5. Starting with POT 1 (blue/green), pour in wavy lines at the top of the board. Only use about half of this resin mixture.

6. Now use POT 2 (dark blue) to add more wavy lines and also infill gaps.

7.Next, dilute POT 1 and POT 2 by adding about a quarter of the remaining clear resin to each pot to make a lighter shade. Don’t worry if you can still see swirls of pigment in the mixture, this will add wispy detail in the pour.

8. Pour the new lighter shade mixes onto the board, working your way towards you, then repeat step 7 again to create even lighter shades of blue and green to completely cover the board.

10. Using a mixing stick add narrow wavy lines of the metallic green resin from POT 3 as an accent colour.

11. To help develop the artwork you can carefully tip and tilt the board to blend the colours. Because resin is so fluid, the pattern will continue to develop for sometime after pouring.

12. The final part of this step is optional; using a hairdryer on a low, cool setting, blow the resin gently - as demonstrated in the video - this helps to give the waves a realistic ripple effect and help the colours blend and feather.

Once you’re happy with the result, pop a cover over the piece and leave the piece to cure for a minimum of 5 hours.

Adding the Waves

Once your Oceanscape has cured for a minimum of 5 hours, you can move on to the most exciting part - adding the waves!

1. For the wave layer you will need to mix up a 75g batch - using 50g of resin and 25g of hardener, follow the mixing instructions in step 1 (don’t forget to double-pot), then stand for a couple of minutes to let any bubbles pop.

2. Use most of this mix in its clear state (saving approximately 1/5 to add the white pigment to).

3. Begin by pouring the clear resin from the top of the board to about 2/3 of the way down the piece, trying to create a wavy bottom edge all the way across the board (don’t forget to save a small amount for the white). Use your mixing stick to even-out the resin and carefully push it to the edges of the board.

4. Add lots of drops of white pigment to the remaining (1/5) clear resin and mix thoroughly. To make a good solid white you will need to add quite a bit more pigment than you used for the coloured resin. Check it’s a strong, bright white by scraping it against the side of the pot and if you need to, add more pigment.

5. Drizzle the white resin just along the edge of the clear resin wave. Begin pouring ‘off the board’ - this stops heavy blobs of white dropping on to the board at the edges. Drizzle off the edge at the other side for the same reason.

6. Finally, using the hairdryer bring the waves to life. Remember to use a low, cool setting and hold the nozzle far enough away to make the white resin ripple over the clear resin. Using the hairdryer in this way creates beautiful lacing and cells and gives the piece realistic foamy waves.

Once you’re happy with the overall effect, cover it up again and this time leave it to fully cure (at least 24 hours).

For this project, the weights given assume that you will be working on an A4 size board like in the tutorial.

The Beach Scene project is a fun mixed-media piece incorporating real sand and shells for the beach, with lacy waves lapping against the sand. You could add your own shells and beach treasures that you have collected if you wish.

With the board taped and ready, elevate it using upturned cups or painters pyramids so it won’t get stuck to the table, then check the board is level before starting.

1. Mix 75g of resin for the beach using 50g of resin and 25g of hardener, following the method described on Step 1.

2. Add 50g of sand to the mixed resin and slowly mix together until all the sand appears fully wetted-out.

3. Pour the mix onto the bottom of the board (closest to you) and spread out in a wavy line to create your beach.

Use a lollipop stick to guide it up to the sides and bottom edge.

4. Next weigh out a 120g batch using 80g of resin and 40g of hardener, again following the instructions on Step 1. In a similar way to the Oceanscape project, we’ll bring depth to the ocean by starting with a darker blue at the top of the board, blending into a lighter blue as we get nearer to the shore.

5. Begin by pouring about half of the clear resin into a mixing cup. Add about 10 drops of the Indigo Blue pigment into the resin and mix thoroughly.

6. Pour about half of the dark blue resin onto the board, starting at the top edge and aiming to cover about 1/3 of the board, pouring in a wavy line. Use a mixing stick to steer the resin so that it completely covers the top edge and corners of the board. Leave the remaining dark blue resin in the pot ready to dilute in the next step.

7. Next, create a lighter shade of blue by adding about half of the remaining clear resin to the blue resin. Mix the blue and clear resin together but don’t worry about mixing them too well - swirls in the colour will add to the overall effect.

8. Then pour the lighter blue shade below the darker shade. At this stage, you might want to use your gloved fingers or a mixing stick to slightly blend these two shades into each other. You can also tilt the board slightly to blend and bring these two blue shades down the board a bit more.

9. Before adding the last, lightest shade of blue, it’s a good idea to pour a thin layer of clear resin along the sand line to stop the blue bleeding into the sand when it meets it.

10. To create the final, lightest shade of blue, pour ALMOST all of the remaining clear resin into the last of the blue resin, saving a tiny bit of clear mix.

11. Pour the light blue resin onto the board into the gap between the clear resin on the shoreline and the rest of the ocean. Use your gloved finger or a mixing stick to move and blend the ocean colours so that they cover all of the board, apart from the beach.

12. Next, create a small amount of metallic blue colour to add some sparkly detail to the ocean. Add a small scoop of the Arctic Pearl SHIMR powder to the last remains of the blue resin (and if you need to use the last bit of clear resin, add this too), then mix thoroughly to create a glittery metallic blue.

13. Drizzle a couple of thin wavy lines of the metallic blue onto different areas of the ocean to create some ‘accent’ waves. Start and finish the drizzled lines off the board to avoid blobs of metallic pigments, you can use the mixing stick to keep it fine. These details can be left to spread on their own, or for a softer look you could blend them slightly using the hairdryer.

14. The final stage for this step is to add the shells. Select a few you like and gently press them down into the sandy resin, giving them a little wiggle so they’re properly gripped by the resin.

Once you’re happy with the piece and the layout of the shells, cover the piece and leave to cure for at least 5 hours.

Adding the Waves

For the wave layer you will need to mix up a 75g batch - 50g of resin and 25g of hardener and follow the mixing instructions in step 1 - don’t forget to double-pot!

1. Use most of this mix in its clear state, save approximately 1/5 of the mixture to add the white pigment to. Allow the pot to stand for a few minutes to let some bubbles rise and pop.

2. Begin by pouring the clear resin from the top of the board and spreading it out so that it follows the same shape and contours as the blue resin layer. Use the mixing stick to even-out the resin and carefully push it right to the edges of the board.

3. Add lots of drops of white pigment to the remaining clear resin and mix thoroughly. To make a good solid white you will need to add quite a bit more pigment than you used for the coloured resin. Check it’s a strong, bright white by scraping it against the side of the pot and if you need to, add some more pigment.

4. Drizzle the white resin just along the front edge of the clear resin wave. Begin pouring ‘off the board’ - this stops heavy blobs of white dropping on to the board at the edges. Drizzle off the edge at the other side for the same reason.

5. Finally use the hairdryer to bring the waves to life. Remember to use a low, cool setting and hold the nozzle far enough away to make the resin ripple and not be pushed off the board. Using the hairdryer in this way creates beautiful lacing and cells and gives the piece realistic foamy waves.

Once you’re happy with the overall effect, place the cover on again and this time leave it to cure for it’s full curing time of 24 hours.

To ensure great results when working with resin, follow these useful steps:

• Make sure that you wear protective clothing and cover your work surfaces.
• Wear nitrile gloves and eye protection.
• Work in a well ventilated room.
• Both the resin and working environment should be around 20°C during the working and curing times; the resin will have a runny consistency and produce the best results.
• Make sure that you are pouring on to a level surface.
• It may be necessary to remove air bubbles from your project. You can do this easily with a cocktail stick.
• After each resin pour, place a cover over the artwork to protect it from dust and leave it to cure for the time stated on the project page.

When the pieces are fully cured, follow these useful steps:

• Check that each piece is fully cured by pressing on the surface with a gloved finger, it should be rock solid with no tackiness.
• Turn the piece over and rest it on a soft cloth (to protect the shells) and pull the tape firmly - this will remove the tape and all the drips and leave a clean edge.
• If there are any drips or sharp edges, these can be removed using a nail file.

Finally apply fixings and display!

You're now officially a resin artist - with the skills to match your creativity and create beautiful beach scenes and original oceanscapes!

We would love to hear what you think of this project and see your resin works of art, be sure to let us know what you think and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you for reading our Instructable!