 Hey everyone, Joanne from Art Resin here. So by itself, Art Resin is a crystal clear coating used to enhance photos, paintings, wood, puzzles, prints, you get the idea. But you can use it for so much more than just clear coating artwork. In fact, Art Resin looks beautiful when it's tinted. And you can use tinted resin to create flow art, ocean art, geodart, petri dish art, jewelry, and so many other things. You can use a variety of colorants to tint epoxy resin, but each one has advantages and disadvantages you'll want to be aware of. Today we're going to go through the most commonly used resin colorants and what you need to know about each one. We're also going to give you a few guidelines that apply to all colorants and of course plenty of tips along the way. Let's get started. Now before we dive into each colorant, it's important to note that whenever you're adding anything into the Art Resin formula, we always advise doing a sample test first. That way you'll know your products are compatible and you'll also know what results the colorants going to give you before you pour your final project. It's also important to note that typically a small amount of colorant goes a long way. It's best to start with less and add more as needed. It's a good idea to use a highly pigmented colorant so you don't have to use as much. And if you're unsure, you can always check the saturation by bringing a little bit of the colorant up the side of your mixing cup. Keep in mind that no matter which colorant you use, never add more than 6% of the total combined volume of resin and hardener. So if you have 50 mil of resin and 50 mil of hardener for a total of 100 mil, don't add more than 6 mil of colorant. If you add more than this, the Art Resin may not cure properly. It's also important to measure and mix your resin and hardener first, then add your colorant and mix it well to ensure it's thoroughly blended. If you add the colorant to the resin or the hardener on its own, it may throw off that one-to-one mixing ratio. Finally, certain colorants can alter Art Resin's non-toxicity, non-flammability, and food safety designations. So if you're unsure, apply a layer of clear, non-tinted Art Resin as a final top coat. So now that we've got through all of this, let's get to the fun part, the colorants. So first, let's talk about tints that were designed specifically as resin colorants. Art Resin's resin colorant is called Resin Tint. It mixes seamlessly in with Art Resin, preservates glossiness, and because it's so highly pigmented, a little goes a long way. Resin Tint is both non-toxic and non-flammable, so it won't compromise Art Resin's non-toxicity and non-flammability. Keep in mind that Resin Tint was designed specifically to be used with epoxy resin. So it can't be used on its own, and when you mix it into the resin, you want to blend it really well to make sure the two are properly emulsified. Now let's talk about alcohol ink. Alcohol ink is a super popular addition to resin. The colors are rich and deep, and in fact, alcohol ink is the only colorant that will create Petri dish art. Now, as you may know, alcohol actually breaks down resin, which is one of the reasons why it's so effective at cleaning off sticky resin tools. In Petri dish art, the alcohol in the ink breaks down the resin as the drops move their way through, creating those cool tendrils and squiggles that Petri dish art is known for. So apart from creating Petri dish art, is it possible to use alcohol ink simply to tint resin? Yes, it is, but it's important to remember a couple of things. First, alcohol is flammable, so while art resin on its own in its liquid state is non-flammable, this isn't the case once you add alcohol ink to it. For that reason, never use a flame torch on resin that contains alcohol ink. Next, alcohol is also a solvent, so adding alcohol ink to art resin will compromise art resin's non-toxicity. Next, let's talk about acrylic paint, which is one of the most commonly used colorants to tint epoxy resin. On the plus side, acrylic paint is inexpensive, it's readily available, and it comes in so many different color options. On the other hand, acrylic paint typically dries with a matte finish, which can look dull and take away from art resin's glossiness. Acrylic paint is water-based, so if you use too much, it can prevent the resin from curing properly. Make sure you use high-quality, high-pigmented acrylic paint so you don't have to use much. Last, some acrylic paint can react with resin causing it to get clumpy, so whenever you're adding anything to art resin, always test first to make sure the products are compatible and the resin cures as expected. Next, powder pigment and mica powder are really popular resin colorants, especially for geodart. You need to mix it in thoroughly or the powder won't dissolve, and you may end up with a grainy texture to your resin. The metallics provide a rich, luxurious, pearlescent effect, but the metallic pigments can sink to the bottom, and you could lose that beautiful, swirled look. If you want to keep the swirls, try pouring your metallics last on top of a cured layer of resin. Glitter is a really popular addition to resin. Now, it doesn't tint the resin per se, but it certainly adds a colorful effect. Glitter is available in a wide variety of colors and sizes, but just be aware that larger glitter is often heavier and can sink down to the bottom of the resin. So those are the most popular colorants, but over the years, we've seen lots of different materials added to art resin, including ground up chalk, pressed powder makeup like eyeshadow, food coloring, and spices like turmeric and paprika. Now, typically, pressed powder makeup has binding agents to help hold it together. This can make it difficult for the makeup to dissolve, and it ends up not mixing in properly and leaving specks throughout the resin. Loose makeup powder will give a better result, but these can be costly. You're really better off using mica powder. Ground up chalk or spices are just not fine enough. They don't dissolve well and can give a grainy result. Food coloring may give a good result initially, but it's not pigment-based, so the color will fade very quickly. We've also seen various materials used to tint resin which we don't recommend at all. One of them is oil paint. It just doesn't blend well, leaving clumps that won't mix into the resin, and you'll end up with a stringy mess on your hands. Once cured, there are large specks and even divots of oily residue. Watercolor paint doesn't mix in well with resin either, leaving specks throughout and divots on the surface. Latex paint is another one we don't recommend. It's water-based and very fluid and can cause a weird cure and a dull finish. We don't recommend anything solvent-based like nail polish or spray paint. Most importantly, it's flammable, but it also gives a poor result, leaving you with specks in the cured resin. For the best results, we recommend using a highly pigmented colorant designed specifically for use with resin. Here's a quick tip if you're using tinted resin to create ocean art or flow art. Mix your resin, portion it out into cups and add your colorant, then let the resin sit for 15 minutes or so to thicken up a bit. Many artists like using this method because it gives you more control over the flow and prevents the colors from blending together and becoming muddy. This method also works well for Petri dish art. Pour your resin into your coaster molds and let it sit for 20 minutes or so before you drop in your alcohol ink. Because the resin will have thickened up a bit, you'll find the ink won't spread as easily, giving you far more control and even allowing you to create negative space. So next time you're making flow art, ocean art or Petri dish art, try this method out and see what a difference it makes in your artwork. So to recap, there are lots of colorants available but no matter which one you use, there are a few important things to remember. Always do a sample test so you know exactly what to expect and to make sure that the resin and the colorant are compatible. Always add less colorant than you think you need. You can always add more. Observe the 6% rule and finally be aware that certain colorants can alter art resins non-toxicity and non-flammability. So there you have it. I hope you found this information helpful. If there are any colorants you want to add, please leave them in the comments below. Don't forget to hit subscribe and we will see you next time. Bye.