Mixing acrylic paint with resin opens a lot of creative doors, but nailing the right balance makes all the difference. The question seems pretty straightforward: how much resin should go with acrylic paint? Truth is, no single answer works for every artist or every project. Over several years of pouring, mixing, making messes, and some wins, I’ve seen that it pays to understand the materials, not just follow recipes.
Dumping lots of paint into resin makes the color deep, but it can turn the mixture sticky or cloudy. The resin may not cure as hard; sometimes it won’t even dry at all. Acrylic paint contains water and fillers. Resin—usually epoxy or polyester—cures best in the absence of water. Chemistry counts, not just aesthetics.
A safe starting point is 10% acrylic paint to 90% mixed resin. That ratio stems from experience, not a marketing brochure. It gives good color without wrecking resin’s structure. Always mix the resin and hardener first, then add the paint. If color looks thin, add a bit more paint—slowly. Test by dragging a stir stick out and checking the color on the stick, not just in the cup.
Adding too much paint can cause ripply, uncured patches or a sticky surface weeks after pouring. Sometimes cured resin gets foggy or brittle. That’s the price of skipping a test pour. On a small test tile, mixing ratios can be tweaked without risking an entire painting. Keeping notes helps—turn them into your own handbook of what worked and what failed.
Liquid acrylics blend better than heavy body types. Thicker paint forms lumps or uneven streaks. Avoid metallics or glitter-heavy formulas, which can clump in resin. If a bold pigment is needed, use a professional grade acrylic, not a craft paint from the dollar aisle. Artist acrylics bring brighter color with less of the filler and water that mess with curing.
I’ve gone through more gloves and stir sticks than I care to count. Smooth, slow mixing means fewer bubbles and a more consistent mix. Scrape the sides of the cup. Pour slowly onto a level surface and cover with a box, so dust and bugs don’t ruin your finish. If bubbles pop up, a heat gun helps, but don’t linger or the resin may scorch.
Finished resin art made with too much paint yellows or cracks over months. To protect the results, mix resin and paint carefully, cure in a dust-free spot, and store in indirect sunlight. Write down every ratio and result. The best lessons always come from what goes wrong. Getting the right resin-to-paint balance takes practice, but every experiment pushes art forward.
