Mixing acrylic paint with resin isn’t new. I remember my early days exploring resin crafts—excited, maybe even a little impatient. All those dazzling river tables and jewelry pours on the internet made it look easy. Swept up in a wave of creative ambition, I reached for the nearest bottle of acrylic paint because pigment powders and dyes seemed expensive and mysterious.
Acrylic paint finds its way into resin projects because it’s cheap, accessible, and familiar. Walk into any art supply store and you’ll see rows of acrylics. It’s a familiar comfort zone for a lot of painters and crafters. But poured into resin, its performance turns tricky.
Epoxy resin works as a two-part chemical reaction that cures into a strong, clear form. Acrylic paint is water-based. Mix that with resin—a compound that absolutely hates water—and you start to see problems. Milky streaks, soft surfaces, or even resin that never fully hardens. The science here doesn’t lie. Too much paint can seriously mess with the balance that lets resin set correctly.
That’s not all—some paints bring unintended bubbles or tiny bits of pigment that refuse to dissolve. You get cloudiness, fisheyes, or in the worst cases, an unpredictable, sticky mess. Makers on forums have documented these issues with plenty of photographic evidence. Still, folks keep experimenting.
Small amounts of acrylic in resin can give decent results. Use less than 10 percent paint in relation to your total resin volume. I learned this through plenty of wasted batches—the less, the better. Stir gently. Wait to watch for signs of separation or rapid thickening. The pigment load of different brands matters. Cheap paints may leave more clumping or impurities.
Artists who value clarity lean into commercial resin dyes or mica powders. They’re made to blend without inviting trouble. Mica gives pearly shifts; alcohol inks launch wild, organic shapes. Each costs more than dollar-store paint, but you end up with more consistent color and far fewer disasters.
Adding anything outside a manufacturer's official list means guessing at your own risk. Acrylic paint formulas vary—some have additives that might not play nice with resin. Epoxy comes with its own hazards—curing in a well-ventilated spot and wearing gloves protect your lungs and skin. Once you introduce new ingredients you’re experimenting in a gray zone. So, use a respirator if anything feels off, and don’t eat or drink in your workspace.
If cost puts mica out of reach, start with small test batches. Test your favorite brand of acrylic paint in a teaspoon of resin, document the result, and scale up if it works. Avoid pouring anything important until you find a ratio that holds steady. Don’t mix in whole tubes of paint—less adds more color than you think.
For anyone serious about the finish and longevity of their work, choose colorants for resin. It reduces waste and frustration, and you'll produce clearer, longer-lasting art.
Resin pours reward those who explore and learn from mistakes. With some caution, you can find out just how wild acrylic paint can get in a resin mix—but know the limits before betting on a big, showpiece project.
