 Hey everyone! So one of the most frequently asked questions we get here at Art Resin is, should I seal my artwork before applying Art Resin? And if so, what sealant should I use? Well, in most cases you don't need to apply a sealant before applying Art Resin. However, there are a few situations where sealing first makes sense. The three most common are, one, sealing to prevent the resin from absorbing into your project. Two, sealing over loose materials to prevent them from floating away in the resin. And three, sealing over objects that may release air bubbles into the resin. Today we're going to talk about each one and talk about which sealant works best in each case. Let's get started! Now before we dive in, let's take a moment to talk about sealants. There are lots of sealants out there on the market. You can get spray sealants and brush on sealants, but no matter which one you choose, there are a few rules of thumb to keep in mind. Choose a sealant that dries clear and if you can, choose one that states it's non-yellowing or UV resistant on the label. You want a sealant that's working in conjunction with Art Resin's light stabilizers and not against them. When a resin piece looks like it's yellowing, it can in fact be the sealant under the resin that's yellowing. Next, choose a sealant that's appropriate for your medium. For example, there are sealants that are specifically suited for photographs, for charcoal drawings, for alcohol inks, and so on. So read the label to ensure that you're choosing the right product for your project. Finally, there are brush on sealants and spray sealants and they both have their pros and cons. Brush on sealants are easy to apply, offer excellent control for fine details, you can work it into nooks and crannies on objects like wood or collage work and it offers great protection. Usually one coat will suffice. On the other hand, it has a slower dry time, you may see brush strokes, it could damage delicate objects like butterfly wings or dried flowers and it could cause drawings to smudge. Spray sealants dry quickly, they give you nice even coverage without any brush strokes and you can cover a large area in a really short period of time. On the other hand, you need drop cloths everywhere to prevent everything around you getting covered in sealant. They may have a really strong odor and you might require multiple coats to get really good coverage. Regardless, whatever sealant you end up choosing, always make sure you follow the label directions and make sure it is thoroughly dry before you apply your resin or you may end up with a cloudy cure. Now if you're ever in doubt as to whether you need a sealant, it certainly won't hurt to apply one but we always recommend testing first so you know exactly what results to expect. First, let's talk about sealing to prevent absorption. It's a good idea to use sealant when applying our resin over objects that might absorb the resin causing dark or wet spots. Most commonly, people experience absorption with paper. Paper is available in so many different varieties and qualities so it's really important to be aware of the paper you're resigning over. Typically soft matte paper like pastel paper or low quality paper like newsprint or construction paper will absorb resin so these need to be sealed. Higher quality paper like cardstock, watercolor paper or glossy photopaper or the glossy paper you'll find in high-end magazines is often coated that is the papers coated with the sealant at the time of manufacture so it doesn't require further sealing. The best way to know whether your paper needs to be sealed or not is to test a little scrap piece first. Now it's important to note that even a high quality coated paper may need to be sealed if it's been torn or cut like in a paper collage for example because the protective seal sitting on top has been broken and the interior of the paper has been exposed. This is also true for puzzles. The image on top of the puzzle piece is glossy and coated but the resin can soak in along the sides leaving black lines along the edges of the puzzle piece where it's been cut. When you're resigning over puzzles it's a good idea to apply at least a couple of coats of sealant including the perimeter to create a really good barrier that'll prevent the resin from soaking in. Now as far as what sealant to use it really depends on your piece. If you're using a brush on sealant the paper really needs to be sturdy enough to handle it. For example something like cardstock is strong enough but something delicate like a stamp might buckle or the edges might curl and something like tissue paper could even tear so again testing first is always a good idea. To apply a brush on sealant use a clean brush or a foam brush if you're concerned about brush strokes and apply an even coat all over the piece. You can use a toothpick to hold the piece in place if needed. Once the first side is dried turn the paper over and repeat on the other side. If you find that the paper is curled allow it to dry and place it in between a couple of pieces of parchment paper then in a heavy book for a day or two to flatten out. The artwork might dictate which sealant is appropriate as well. For example you wouldn't want to use a brush on sealant on top of a charcoal or chalk pastel drawing or else it'll smudge the artwork. In this case a spray sealant is the way to go and in fact there are spray fixatives specifically for drawings. For something like alcohol ink on Yupa paper again you'll want to use a specific spray sealant called Kamar varnish. It won't reactivate the ink and cause it to bleed or smudge. Now when you're using a spray sealant use steady movements and apply several coats in this fashion ensuring the entire surface is covered including the edges. Just be aware that you may need to spray multiple coats of spray sealant on paper to create a really good barrier and with the exception of Yupa paper it never hurts to spray both the front and back of your piece. Just make sure that the first side has sufficiently dried before you turn the page over. You can use art resin over fabric but be aware however that just like paper some fabric can absorb the resin causing it to look wet or altering its color in which case sealing it first is a good option. I'd use a brush on sealant for fabric but test it out on a scrap piece so you know exactly what to expect. Resin makes wood look gorgeous. It enhances the grain and makes the color look deep and rich but wood tends to really absorb resin so it's important to test first. Just like paper there are so many variables when it comes to wood. The type of wood, the age of the wood, the color, the dryness and all of these variables can have an effect on the final result. You may find that instead of enhancing the color some wood gets really dark under resin or in the case of something like barnboard that weathered silvery patina is totally lost. Testing wood is as easy as dropping a bit of water on the surface. This will let you know what the wood's going to look like once you resin it. 99% of the time it's going to look better but if the wood does change color in a way that you don't want sealing first will create a barrier to prevent the resin from soaking in and creating that change. I'd use a brush on sealant for wood to give you an efficient seal and so you can really work into any holes or knots in the wood. Use something that dries clear and again test your sealant first to make sure it doesn't change the color of the wood after it dries. Now since raw wood absorbs resin like a sponge the barrier you create with the sealant will prevent you from potentially having to do multiple coats of resin so that's a nice bonus. Next let's talk about resigning over loose materials. If you're resigning over objects that have loose materials you want to be mindful of particles that might float away when you pour resin over top. Things like dried flowers or other delicate natural objects anything that has glitter on it beach art that contains real sand or even drawings made with charcoal or chalk pastel might allow particles to become loose into the resin. A sealant will protect this type of material tacking it down to prevent this from happening. Again you don't want to use a brush on sealant for the same reason it may cause particles to become loose but a spray sealant works just great. Last we're going to be talking about sealing to prevent bubbles. Organic materials such as wood and paper contain air which can release into your resin in the form of bubbles. These air bubbles are typically quite large and they release as the resin's curing sometimes a couple of hours after you've poured. You might resin your work and come back the next day to find that your piece is released a big fat bubble or cluster of bubbles. This happens often with wood and again there are lots of variables that might play a role. The type of wood, how dry the wood is if there are any cracks knots or voids in the wood so again the best way to prevent this is to seal the wood before you resin it. You can use a brush on sealant making sure you get great coverage including all of the nooks and crannies. You can even use a very thin coat of resin applied with gloved hands or a foam brush but like we covered earlier just be aware that even a thin coat of resin can alter the color of the wood. Now when it comes to paper soft porous paper can release trapped air as can paper collages. In fact paper collages often have lots of space for air to get trapped in between the layers. Again the paper and the project will dictate whether you should use a brush on sealant or a spray sealant. Paper that's been mounted say a print or a photograph on a wood panel for example can also be prone to releasing bubbles. Air can get trapped in between the print and the panel and release a whole cluster of bubbles so it's really important to mount your prints well. Use a spray adhesive for even coverage and use a brayer tool to ensure you get a nice tight bond with no air pockets. Embedding objects in resin like in a coaster also has the potential for air bubbles. Make sure natural objects are thoroughly dried and sealed before placing them in the resin. If you can gently move your object around with a toothpick to allow any trapped air to release to the top. In the end it's well worth babysitting your project checking it regularly for the first couple of hours until the resin has thickened up. So just to recap there are a few reasons why sealing first before you apply art resin is a good idea to prevent absorption to tack down loose materials and to create a barrier against air bubbles. You can use a brush on sealant or a spray sealant but always choose one that dries clear is appropriate for your artwork and allow the sealant to fully dry before you apply your resin. Finally we always suggest testing first so you know exactly what results to expect. We hope this answers all the questions you might have about sealants but if you do have any more please leave them in the comments below. Don't forget to hit subscribe and we will see you next time. Bye!