There’s nothing like seeing fresh resin clear and uncolored, just asking to be transformed. For many of us, hunting around the house for a splash of color means reaching for those acrylic paints from last month's DIY. It feels right—acrylics are made for artists, after all. But the story gets complicated once they mix with resin.
Acrylic paint and epoxy resin don’t always bond like best friends. That classic bottle of craft paint, loaded with water and binders, can throw off resin’s hardening. Too much paint leaves you with cloudy, bendy, or even sticky results. In my own experience, going heavy on acrylic paint in resin turned clear charms into unpredictable sludge. Thin layers set better, but the color spreads unevenly, and those tiny bubbles trapped inside refuse to go away.
On top of that, most paint lines aren’t made with resin in mind. Cheap options can have chalky fillers—and these don’t disappear. Instead, they leave your finished piece with speckles and a dull surface. It takes a lot of patience to sand out paint flakes stuck in a coaster or jewelry mold.
A lot of crafters come from a place of practicality. Acrylic paint sits in almost every house, costs half as much as resin dye, and comes in hundreds of colors. When I first learned about resin art, specialized pigments or alcohol inks sounded intimidating and expensive. The temptation to grab a squeeze of familiar paint is real, especially when you just want to experiment or get kids involved. Sometimes, acrylic paint does work for light marbling, especially if you use no more than a drop or two in a small cup of epoxy. But perfecting a consistent finish takes trial and error, and clean-up can be tricky.
Professionals rely on colorants engineered for resin: liquid pigments, mica powder, and alcohol ink. These are made with compatibility in mind. They blend smoothly, cure hard, and don’t interrupt the chemistry that turns resin from a runny mess into a glassy hard sheet. Alcohol ink especially gives rich, translucent effects without leaving any haze. Mica powders bring that shimmer everyone loves in river tables or resin geodes.
Transparent dyes bring out stained-glass effects and do not interfere with hardening. They let light shine through, which keeps projects bright and colorful rather than muddy. Manufacturers also provide guides with safe mixing ratios, helping reduce trial and error, wasted resin, and headaches.
It’s possible to stretch your supplies without settling for unpredictable results. Sampling sets of resin colorants cost less than a ruined batch of art resin, and a single bottle goes a long way. Reputable sellers will let you know which pigments play well with specific resin brands, and user groups online offer tips from people who’ve learned the hard way.
Safety tips always help, too. Work in a ventilated space, wear gloves, and start small. Trying out a half-teaspoon of an unfamiliar colorant in a throwaway mold can save disappointment. If you’re drawn to acrylic for its price or availability, use tiny amounts, stir completely, and expect the possibility of a cloudy finish. Practice, patience, and thoughtful choices make resin art something that’s truly rewarding.
