Long Summer, a Work of Resin Art

Hello all! My name is James, I am a self taught artist from the UK and this is my very first entry on Acrylicpouring.com. I would like to share with you the creation of my favorite resin piece— Long Summer.

Supplies I Used:

• Acrylic paint in black, Bahama blue, red wine, and cadmium deep hue yellow
• Faux Rizzle resin

I begin my process by creating a fiberboard box which is used from upcycled material. The boxes that are created can vary in size depending on the individual piece. Long Summer’s box was created and measured 60cmx22cmx5cm. Once constructed the boxes are then primed and finished generally with white spray paint on both back and sides— the box is now ready.

The next step would be to find a leveled surface (normally my dining room table) followed by using masking tape to cover the sides of the box— this prevents any unwanted paint residue running down the clean white sides. The box is then placed on four reusable plastic cups so it is elevated from the surface of the table. 

Now for the fun bit…Paint! 

First of all, I get a reusable plastic cup, my selection of chosen colors, as well as my pouring medium. I mix a small amount of pouring medium with each individual color with a drop of water to create the perfect consistency. 

The front of the board is then completely covered in the white colored paint mix to create a negative background. The next step is to start adding color. This particular painting I created five blooms of color by pouring on each individual color on top of the last, starting with black followed by Bahama blue, red wine and cadmium deep hue yellow. Once the colors have been poured I then proceeded to manipulate the paint with air blown through a straw— to create the petals of the bloom. I then add white paint (this time without any pouring medium) to the center of each bloom— this creates a crackle effect once dry. 

The next stage is to let the artwork cure for 24 hours. Once cured, the masking tape from the edges of the box can be carefully removed, the edges of the top of the box can then be trimmed and cleaned— to create a crisp edge. 

Now the final process can begin. The box will now be re-elevated on the table and the sides re-masked. I will then use my favorite resin by Faux Rizzle. This particular brand makes three different types of resin. The resin which I choose to use on all of my paintings is Faux Rizzle Art Resin UV. I find this resin produces the sharpest and shiniest finish. The mix of resin is one to one with the hardener, I mix the two products thoroughly— making sure I scrape the sides of the cup— this prevents unmixed resin being used. Once mixed, the resin is then poured onto the surface of the painting and then leveled with a palette knife, finally the surface is then gently heated with a blowtorch in order to remove all air bubbles from the resin. 

The resin is then cured for two days, before removing the masking tape from the sides and a final clean up. Once completed, I will always polish the surface of each painting before they are then presentable.

Thank you for taking the time to read my first article and I really hope you have enjoyed learning about the process of how Long Summer was created. All of my art can be found on my Instagram: @jtappenden71 please feel free to check it out.