If you’ve ever poured epoxy resin onto a tabletop or crafted jewelry from those clear, glassy molds, you know there’s a thrill in watching color swirl and bloom beneath your fingers. Acrylic paint often ends up as the colorant in that moment of creativity. On the surface, tossing a dollop of acrylic into the mix looks simple, but it carries a bit more nuance than first meets the eye.
I started with craft store pigment pastes, but their price had me searching for alternatives. Acrylic offered bold hues at a fraction of the price. It’s accessible, and most crafters already have a few forgotten tubes in a drawer. Mixing in small amounts adds color without changing the texture too much, so your resin still pours and sets clear.
The science sits in the ingredients. Epoxy resin hardens through a chemical reaction. Adding too much acrylic can disrupt the balance, making your piece soft, sticky, or prone to unwanted bubbles. Not all acrylic brands behave the same. I learned the hard way—cheap paint often clouds resin or sinks, leaving splotchy results.
Plenty of small home-based resin artists share these stories. Data from the global craft market hints at a steady rise in resin art sales since 2020. DIY makers look for color, cost, and control in their projects, and acrylic hits that sweet spot.
Too much acrylic blocks the curing process. A friend’s river table project went sticky, thanks to generous squirts of student-grade paint. Strong color doesn’t always mean solid product. Light coats, stirred thoroughly, keep things on an even keel. I found that using less than 10% paint to resin keeps clarity and cures well. Mix more, and clouds or tacky spots crop up. Artist-grade acrylics, though pricier, bring concentrated pigment in small volumes, so you avoid the common pitfalls.
Acrylic is water-based. Epoxy hates water. Even that tiny amount can affect finish and bonding. I’ve spoken with professional resin artists who switched to epoxy-compatible pigments once they scaled up. They wanted predictable cures, and acrylic’s surprises became expensive mistakes.
I get the temptation—acrylic paint is cheap, everywhere, and comes in every color imaginable. It’s ideal for experimenting or getting young artists interested. For anything that should last—countertops, high-traffic jewelry, coasters—savvy crafters use special resin tints or powders. These options aren’t just about color. They bond more naturally with resin, reduce bubbles, and don’t change how the mix reacts.
Environmental and health facts back up some caution. Uncured resin dust and fumes aren’t safe to inhale. Adding unknown chemicals from acrylic paint can make things worse. Nearly every reputable source says to work in a ventilated space and suit up with gloves and a mask.
To keep experimenting fun and frustration-free, start small—add acrylic slowly to resin. Mix a test patch. Add more paint for bold looks, less for translucence, and always stir completely. For bigger projects, invest in resin-safe colors. Straight-up pigments or alcohol inks give a professional, predictable pop without risking a ruined piece.
Resin art rewards curiosity and taking chances, but knowing a bit about what you’re mixing lets you create with confidence. Strong color should lift a piece up, not drag the process down with sticky outcomes or guesswork. With care and experience, makers carve out a satisfying path between budget and reliability, making the most of every pigment at their fingertips.
