This is the Ultimate Guide to Alcohol Inks for Epoxy Resin Art. In this post, we discuss what alcohol ink is and how it can be used with epoxy resin.Â
We have included instructions on how you can make alcohol inks at home using products you may already have lying around your house!
We reveal our top recommendations for alcohol inks that can be used with epoxy resin.
Lastly, we include a few examples of alcohol ink and resin projects you can try as a beginner. Â
Top Ten Alcohol Inksd to Use in Epoxy Resin
For your convenience here is a list of our top picks for alcohol inks to use in epoxy resin. For a more detailed review of each, read on.Â
What is alcohol ink?
Alcohol ink is an alcohol-based, highly pigmented dye. Isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol, is added to the alcohol inks to create movement and effects. The alcohol in the inks and the added alcohol evaporates quickly when heat is added, leaving just the colored dye behind. Dried alcohol ink, however, can be further manipulated by adding alcohol ink. (As long as you are using a canvas made for alcohol inks. ie: Yupo paper) The fluid nature of this art medium allows artists to create some really unique effects. There are a variety of techniques to master with alcohol inks. We will discuss a few of our favorites below.
How to Use Alcohol Ink with Epoxy Resin
There are three different ways to use alcohol inks with epoxy resin. One is to use epoxy resin as a top coat over an alcohol ink painting. Another is to actually drop alcohol ink into epoxy resin. In this technique, the inks react with the epoxy resin creating beautiful effects. This effect can be seen in the resin petri dish projects. Lastly, alcohol ink can be used to color epoxy resin. When alcohol ink is used to color epoxy resin it creates a beautiful transparent color that looks like colored glass once cured.Â
What Surfaces Can I Use Alcohol Ink on?
Alcohol Inks can be used on many surfaces, whether you are using epoxy resin or not. Some of the most common surfaces alcohol ink is used on are fabric, metal, clay and ceramic, glass, and Yupo Paper.
Another canvas you may see used with alcohol inks and resin are ceramic coasters. Many artists use alcohol inks to add beautiful colors to their ceramic coasters before sealing them with epoxy resin.
When using alcohol ink with resin you will most commonly see artists using Yupo Paper or Cradle boards. Yupo paper is a slick, photo-like, paper that allows the alcohol ink to move around freely. Many artists will create their alcohol ink art on Yupo paper, mount the paper on a canvas, then pour a top coat of epoxy resin over the top to give their piece a glass-like finish.Â
Yupo paper gets a little pricey, however, so many resin artists will paint their own canvases to mimic the smooth surface of Yupo paper. I’ll explain how below.
How to Prepare a Canvas for Alcohol Inks
I create my own surface on canvas to do alcohol ink art on. Here is a quick tutorial on how you can make your own DIY alcohol ink canvas:
- 1. Buy MDF Board canvas (you choose the size).
- 2. Paint with 2 coats of Gesso and let dry.
- 3. Use a house paint primer (I suggest the Primer linked here) and paint a layer on top of your gessoed canvas. Let dry.
- 4. Using a medium grit piece of sandpaper, (300-400 grit) lightly sand your canvas until the paint feels smooth enough for the liquid to run off of easily.
- 5. Pour your alcohol ink onto the canvas directly or pour your epoxy resin, colored with alcohol ink, onto your canvas
Do Alcohol Inks Fade over time in epoxy resin?
Unfortunately, yes.Â
(However, we do have a recommendation for an ‘alcohol-based ink’ made for epoxy resin that will not fade. Read on!)
At this point in time, alcohol inks are not lightfast. This means that, with exposure to UV light, the alcohol ink colors will fade over time.
Lightfastness is the degree of resistance a colorant, such as a dye or a pigment, has to fade when exposed to ultraviolet light. Basically, the more lightfast an alcohol ink, the less it will fade when exposed to UV light, and less lightfast alcohol ink experiences more fading when exposed to UV light.
If you are interested in the science behind the fading of alcohol inks, check out this video.Â
For most of us, it is enough to know that ultraviolet light, over time is particularly damaging to alcohol inks because it breaks down the chemical bonds in the inks causing fading.
Other things that affect fading are temperature and humidity. It is best to keep your alcohol ink artwork indoors and out of the sun.
There are a few things you can do to ensure your alcohol ink colors stay true and vibrant, whether you are dropping them into your epoxy resin or sealing an alcohol ink art piece with epoxy resin.
As the alcohol ink medium gains popularity, companies are working hard to develop colors that maintain their vibrancy over time. We are hopeful the product discussed in the next section stands up to the test of time!
Alcohol Inks that Do Not Fade in Epoxy Resin
Ranger has recently released an ink that will not fade in epoxy resin! Of course, it received our golden spoon award and you can see more information on it below. However, the product is called Ice Resin Tints. They are alcohol-based inks that are made for resin. They are so fun to work with and make the same great effects as traditional alcohol inks. These are the best alcohol inks by far to use in your epoxy resin projects. The project colors last a lifetime and you do not have to worry as much about UV degradation.
Buy Ice Resin Alcohol Inks for Epoxy Resin now
Tip to Avoid Fading of Alcohol Inks
- Keep paintings out of direct sunlight to minimize UV exposure
- Seal pieces with a UV spray to help minimize fading
- Be sure to use an epoxy resin with UV stabilizers AND HALS protection (To see our recommendations on epoxy resin with both of these UV protectants in them, check out Best Epoxy Resin for Art: Everything You Need to Know
- Mount your alcohol ink wall art behind UV glass
- Scan your alcohol ink wall art to make prints that maintain their colors!
How are alcohol inks used with Epoxy Resin?
Alcohol inks can be mixed with epoxy resin to create beautiful transparent colors. For example, an artist may use alcohol ink in different shades of blue to create an ocean art piece. The alcohol ink and resin create an effect of realistic water crashing onto the beach.
Purchase this piece here:Â Realistic Ocean Resin Painting For Sale
Another example of using alcohol inks to color epoxy resin can be seen here:
Learn how to make this alcohol ink resin painting here:Â Resin and Aluminum Foil Technique
Purchase this piece here:Â 3-Piece Resin Painting For Sale
The color options are endless and alcohol inks mix very well with epoxy resin.
Another technique using alcohol inks with epoxy resin is called the petri dish method.
In this method, you add drops of alcohol ink into a dish with about a half-inch of resin. As you drop the alcohol inks into the resin, the colors disperse.Â
If you use a heavier pigmented white alcohol ink, you can play with the effects, as the white pigment pushes the colored alcohol inks down toward the bottom of the resin.Â
Like a petri dish experiment done in a science lab, you never know how these alcohol ink Petri dishes will turn out.Â
Undeniably, however, you can achieve some stunning effects using this method. Oh, and it is a lot of fun to boot!
Here is a video of the alcohol ink and resin petri dish technique:
Tips for Using Alcohol Inks in Resin
- Only add a drop at a time. Alcohol ink can easily over-saturate the resin and cause curing issues.
- Mixing too many colors of alcohol ink will create a muddy brown mess of an epoxy resin project.
- White alcohol ink is not transparent and can be used to create separation between colors. Try experimenting with it!
- Pouring resin over the alcohol ink will cause it to disperse differently and create unique effects.
- Dropping alcohol ink on top of resin will create surface and drop effects.
- Alcohol Inks are waterproof so water will not move your colors around, only alcohol.
- Alcohol ink stains things very easily. Be sure to protect your skin, clothing, and surfaces before starting any project with alcohol inks or epoxy resin.
- If you are on a strict budget, you can make your own alcohol inks. (See below) However, we have attached some great budget alcohol ink products in our best of alcohol inks for resin list!
- Alcohol Inks are extremely flammable. Alcohol inks will still light a fire after being dropped in resin. So be especially careful when using a torch lighter to pop air bubbles in resin colored with alcohol ink.
- Alcohol ink is toxic because alcohol evaporates easily into the air.
- Use alcohol ink in a well-ventilated area and/or wear a respirator to protect from toxic alcohol vapor. This safety risk is only exasperated when working with epoxy resin, which also has the potential to emit harmful vapors into the air.Â
For more info on the health risks of epoxy resin and how you can protect yourself from exposure, check out Is Epoxy Resin Hazardous To Your Health?Â
What determines the Quality of Alcohol inks for Resin?
There are a few qualities to look for when purchasing an alcohol ink for epoxy resin artwork. You do not need to spend exorbitant amounts of cash to get high-quality alcohol inks for your resin artwork.
With some research, you can find affordable alcohol ink products that are top quality. (Really you just need to check out our list because we already did the research and testing for you!)
Notably, however, the pricier products have all ranked very highly in our quality rankings, as they tend to be more pigmented meaning the colors do not fade as quickly. Â
Since we have done all the research and testing for you though, you may as well not break the bank.
The list below recommends the top alcohol inks to use in resin artwork on the market today, including the best budget alcohol inks.Â
The budget inks we have included below give the pricier options a run for their money because they perform just as well if not better.
The qualities we ranked these products on include pigmentation, color variety, white alcohol ink, solubility, vibrancy, packaging, and affordability.
Factors to Determine the Quality of An Alcohol Ink to use in Epoxy Resin
Each of the following categories was used to rank the alcohol links we used in our epoxy resin projects. Here is more detail about each of the factors used to rate the alcohol inks for epoxy resin that we tested:
Pigmentation
This is the amount of pigment that has been added to a dye. Highly pigmented alcohol inks are ideal as the color is more vibrant and will not fade as quickly.Â
Sometimes the price of alcohol ink is directly related to how pigmented an alcohol ink is, but we hope this changes as the medium gets more popular. Sometimes an alcohol ink with less pigment can be useful if you are trying to lightly color your resin with a transparent hue. For this category, we rank alcohol inks that are highly pigmented with higher scores and less pigmented alcohol inks with lower scores.
Color Variety
Most alcohol inks will come in a kit with multiple colors in them. The more colors the better! Some companies sell colors individually as well as in a kit with a variety of colors. A product receives a high score in this category if there are a variety of colors available for purchase.
White Alcohol Ink
When working with alcohol inks and resin, especially when experimenting with the petri dish method, it is important to have a quality white alcohol ink.Â
Some white alcohol inks are not of great quality, as the pigments in them are not very soluble. This poor-quality white alcohol ink ends up leaving coarse pigments in your projects that sink to the bottom.Â
Although white alcohol ink is meant to be heavier than colored alcohol ink, you do not want it to be coarse. It should be heavy and smooth so it blends well with the other colors.Â
Each brand has its own white alcohol ink and it is important to find a quality one.
Solubility
Quality alcohol ink will mix well into epoxy resin. It should easily color your epoxy resin if you are using it to tint your resin. Also, if using alcohol ink in a petri dish method, the alcohol ink should glide smoothly into the resin, not sit on top of it.
Packaging
Proper packaging is extremely important when it comes to alcohol inks.Â
Alcohol inks are permanent when they come in contact with fabrics. Also, it is very hard to get alcohol inks off your skin.
Therefore, packaging must be secure to avoid spills during transit.Â
The bottles should also be easy to reseal so they can be securely stored.Â
Another thing to keep in mind is how hard the individual alcohol ink bottles are to open and close. They should be smooth to open to avoid spilling on your work surface or skin.
Lastly, the style of an alcohol ink bottle is important. If the opening on top of the alcohol ink bottle is too large it becomes hard to control how much ink comes out of the bottle with each squeeze. If the opening is too small, it is too hard to squeeze ink out and you risk squeezing too hard and making a big mess!Â
There is a happy medium and we take this into consideration when ranking alcohol inks.Â
Affordability
This is self-explanatory. Obviously, the better the price, the higher the score.
However, we also keep in mind that a higher quality alcohol ink may be a bit more expensive. It is a trade-off for quality.Â
We have attempted to find a happy medium between price and quality in the products recommended below.
Lightfastness
Unfortunately, alcohol inks do not include a lightfastness rating like other art pigments. As a result, we did our own tests measuring whether the inks we tested would fade over time.Â
The alcohol inks recommended do not fade much over time. Remember to keep your pieces out of direct sunlight to avoid unnecessary fading over time. For more information, see above.
Out of almost 100 different brands of alcohol inks that we tested with epoxy resin, only the following ranked high enough to make our top alcohol inks for epoxy resin list.
How Our Rating System Works
The Scale Of Silicone Spoons
To rate the below-mentioned epoxy resins, we use the Scale of Silicone Spoons, with one silicone spoon being the lowest rating and five spoons being the highest. The spoonier the better!
Here is an example of what our review scale looks like:
You will find our Silicone Spoon rating under each product’s heading. Ratings are assigned in each of the review categories.
Products receiving a perfect score in all categories receive a Gold-Leafed Spoon Award, which looks like this:
Best Alcohol Inks For Epoxy Resin
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You just cannot go wrong with Marabu alcohol inks when using them in your epoxy resin projects. They receive 5 spoons in every category, aside from affordability. Yes, they are pricey, but if you are serious about using ink that stands up to the test of time and has true color properties, this is the brand for you. Â
Also, the bottles contain more ink than competitors of their quality in their price range, so you get a little more bang for your buck.
"Marabu keeps pace with the times. Up-to-the-minute products, trendy colors, and a varied assortment meet the wishes of creative people and artists."
Â
The company is not lying when it mentions they have a variety of colors. With 70- alcohol ink color options, they are one of the leading manufacturers in the market today. If you have a little extra money to spend on a quality alcohol ink product, Marabu is hands down the best.
Our favorite set of Marabu inks is definitely the Alcohol Ink for Petri Dish Kit found here:
This set includes 4 metallic colors and 4 bright colors that you can make many projects with.
(Remember to buy white alcohol ink if you want to use this kit because it does not include one. For your convenience, you can buy it here.)
You can also buy each color individually. This is a bonus because you can pick the colors from whatever palette you are trying to use without buying a whole kit.
Be sure to try out their Rainbow Alcohol Ink Additive. It is the perfect mixture of glitter and iridescent sparkle that looks fantastic underneath or mixed into epoxy resin.
This set includes 4 metallic colors and 4 bright colors that you can make many projects with.
(Remember to buy white alcohol ink if you want to use this kit because it does not include one. For your convenience, you can buy it here.)
You can also buy each color individually. This is a bonus because you can pick the colors from whatever palette you are trying to use without buying a whole kit.
Be sure to try out their Rainbow Alcohol Ink Additive. It is the perfect mixture of glitter and iridescent sparkle that looks fantastic underneath or mixed into epoxy resin.
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We love TRex alcohol inks! The colors are so beautiful and vibrant. Also, the Trex alcohol inks mix flawlessly with epoxy resin.
The best thing about these quality alcohol inks for epoxy resin is that they are affordable. The quality you are getting for the price is one of the best on the market today. You can purchase these inks on Amazon or from the manufacturer’s website.
The way these bottles are designed isn’t ideal for controlling the inks on your canvas. We do recommend purchasing these bottles to transfer your ink into when doing your detail work. This will ensure that not too much ink comes out all at once!
The only complaint we have seen about these inks is that some people receive their packages and the bottles are only half full. I am sure the company will make this right if this happens to you though! So do not be afraid to reach out.
Another issue that has been identified with these inks is that the purples have faded over time. We recommend using a good UV varnish if using these inks in resin. Also, using epoxy resin with HALS and UV filters will greatly reduce the time your inks stay true to color in your artwork.
You can visit the TRex site to purchase their alcohol inks, as well as purchase them on Amazon.
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Jacquard Pinata alcohol links are one of the most popular on the market today. This is well deserved, as they are vibrant and a little goes a long way!
There have not been too many complaints about packaging and our orders have all arrived well packaged.Â
The bottles are also well designed for use on Yupo paper or in epoxy resin and the drops come out slowly.Â
These alcohol inks are available in tons of colors and different kits.Â
Jacquard Pinata alcohol inks have the best metallics on the market today. If you are looking for an amazing gold, silver, or bronze alcohol ink, Jacquard Pinata alcohol inks are simply the best.
The best deals on these inks that I have found can be found at the following link:
To purchase on Amazon, click here.
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Tim Holtz is a reputable company when it comes to art supplies. Alcohol inks are no exception. Tim Holtz alcohol inks are quality inks.Â
The colors are always vibrant and very pigmented. I have never run into or heard of any issues with packaging or shipping.
The bottles are designed well, only allowing a drop of ink out of the tip when you squeeze. The only thing these inks lost a point on is affordability. They are often priced on the higher end of the alcohol ink price spectrum.Â
However, if you keep your eyes peeled you may be able to find a deal on these inks! I will include links to some of the cheapest places I have found Tim Holtz inks below.
Best Price:
Amazon:
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The Brea Rose alcohol inks are one of my go-to alcohol inks. I started using them because I found them available at my local craft store. (They are a bit overpriced in store, bot don’t worry I have a link below with great deals Brea Reese alcohol inks.)
These are amazing inks. They are as pigmented as the higher-priced alcohol inks and just as high quality.
The only complaint I have with the Brea Reese alcohol inks is that you have to be careful when squeezing the ink out as the bottle opening is a bit larger and it is harder to control the amount of alcohol ink that comes out.Â
The link below takes you to the Save Dollar Craft Store. I have found the best deals on Brea Reese alcohol inks on this site. (Yes, even better than on Amazon, but here is the Amazon link in case you want it.)
I do not suggest purchasing these inks at your local craft store because they simply are overpriced. You will always find a better deal online!
Brea Reese is a time-tested company with quality products so you will not go wrong purchasing their alcohol inks!
Also, the color selection is amazing!! Brea Reese has packages that include three handpicked colors that always look amazing together. It is like they have picked your color palette for you! Keep it up, Brea Reese!
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Picassio’s alcohol inks are one of our favorite affordable inks. The alcohol inks layer very well if you are looking to make some vibrant effects in your art.Â
We like the bottles that Picassio uses to package their alcohol inks because they have a small nozzle that allows you to control the flow of ink.Â
However, some people have had an issue with the bottle design. Each alcohol ink bottle needs to be individually opened to allow the alcohol ink to start flowing from the tip.Â
If you choose to use a needle to puncture the tip of these alcohol ink bottles, be very careful.
The air pressure inside the bottle is released and ink may come spraying out all over the place.Â
It is preferable to cut the tip off with a pair of sharp scissors, but you should still be very careful using this method.
Alcohol inks are one of the hardest art mediums to get off your skin or to clean up off your table or floor.Â
Like many alcohol inks, the Picassio ink can be used on many different canvases including glass, ceramic, vinyl leather, Yupo paper, resin, and more!
If you want to use these alcohol inks with resin, they work especially well in jewelry and resin Petri dishes.Â
As far as lightfastness goes, these inks will fade in epoxy resin over time. However, use a good archival UV spray over your artwork and the fading effects will be minimized and slowed down.Â
Picassio does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 1-year free replacement warranty.
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The best thing about SigWong alcohol inks is their affordability. They simply are some of the cheapest alcohol inks on the market. This makes them great for newbies to alcohol ink art.Â
However, they are less pigmented than the higher-priced alcohol inks discussed in this article. Â
The bottles are on the smaller side but if you are looking for a set of alcohol inks to use for a couple of projects, the size is perfect.Â
I would not suggest these alcohol inks for professional artists as they are not as pigmented as we would like to see.Â
One of the best things about SigWong alcohol inks is that their red alcohol ink is true to color. It is hard to find a red ink that doesn’t look more pink or purple, but SigWong has nailed the color!
US Art Supply alcohol inks received our Golden Spoon Award for the best alcohol links to use in epoxy resin art!
US Art Supply offers 48 vibrant alcohol ink colors for your resin art projects. Unfortunately, we have not found a place to buy colors individually, but US Art Supply alcohol inks lose no points in color variety. 48 colors are phenomenal! Priced at less than $50 for a set of 48 colors, it is well worth it to buy them all! Also available is a set of 24 alcohol inks for less than $25. (See links below)
The alcohol inks are vibrant and well-pigmented. Each bottle contains one fluid ounce of alcohol ink.Â
We specifically enjoyed working with the US Art Supplies blender solution when using the alcohol inks on Yupo paper.Â
However, US Art Supply alcohol inks are amazing to work with in resin. US Art Supply alcohol inks can be used to color resin to beautiful transparent hues and create beautiful effects when used in resin petri dish projects. The alcohol inks spread beautifully when added to epoxy resin. The effects are incredible.
These are not the cheapest on the list, but they are far from the most expensive as well. We think the US Art Supply Alcohol Inks are fairly priced. A great set of alcohol ink for an affordable price, these inks received 5 silicone spoons in the price category. Â
U.S. Art Supply offers a 100% lifetime satisfaction guarantee so if you are unhappy with your purchase at any time, they provide a full replacement or refund.
24 color kit:
48 color kit:
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The best feature of ordering a DecorRom alcohol ink set is that you get more colors than you normally would in similarly priced sets from other manufacturers. (We have not found a way to buy DecrRom’s alcohol inks individually by color.)
However, the bottles are smaller so you are not getting as much of each color.Â
If you are trying to create something very colorful with alcohol inks, this is a great set to pick. The colors are vibrant and they are decently pigmented.Â
However, we do not believe these inks will stand the test of time like other inks on this list.
 For newbies or those not planning to sell their art, DecorRom alcohol inks are a great option.Â
One issue we did have with the DecorRom alcohol inks is that the white alcohol ink did not push the colored inks down very effectively. As a result, we recommend buying the DecorRom 24-color alcohol ink kit and then purchasing another brand’s white alcohol ink top to use with it. For example, you could use the Jacquard Pinata white alcohol ink, which comes in a large bottle and is well worth the price. You will use much more white alcohol ink than colored ink when using alcohol inks in your epoxy resin projects, (specifically in Petri resin projects) so you might as well have a bunch of it. Â
24 color kit:
White Alcohol Ink:
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The Abba Pappa Alcohol inks are one of our favorite inks to use with epoxy resin. The inks are more pigmented than most of the other alcohol inks on this list. This means they create awesome effects in Petri resin projects and you do not need to use much to color your epoxy resin.Â
The inks are incredibly vibrant but mix a bit of alcohol in and it is easy to produce lighter colors if needed!Â
We love how long these links last.
Unfortunately, there are not many color options available as only one kit is available at this time, and it only includes 7 colors and white alcohol ink. You are able to mix the colors though and if you only need a few pigmented colors, this is a great option. Â
Again, we are not a fan of these types of bottles because you can end up dispensing more ink than you want to. However, you can prevent this by dripping some of the ink into a tiny dish and using a pipette to suck up the amount of ink you actually want to use.
This technique makes it easy to mix your inks with alcohol to create lighter colors.
The kit we recommend comes with Yupo paper, a couple of paint brushes, a little dish to mix colors in, and a blower to create alcohol ink art with!Â
Although we use alcohol inks for resin, these tools are great to have around if you decide to try a different style.Â
An alcohol ink painting on Yupo paper is absolutely stunning when coated with epoxy resin! Just check out this piece of art we created, that is available now in the Craftelot Resin Art Shop:
Alcohol Ink and Resin Project Ideas
As promised, here are our favorite projects to do using alcohol inks and epoxy resin! We have included quick tutorials, links to more in-depth tutorials that we love, and even video tutorials!
We hope this gives you the inspiration you are looking for!
Project 1: Resin Petri Dish on Glass
Quick tutorial:
- Step One: Secure the glass panel in a picture frame using hot glue or silicone glue.
- Step Two: Pour epoxy resin into the frame over the glass.
- Step Three: Drop in alcohol inks and watch the magic happen.
- Step Four: Let Dry and flip over to see your result.
Note: In the video tutorial, we added a light behind our project and it looked so cool. Also, this project is reversible. If you use hot glue, you can peel it off after the epoxy has cured and flip the glass around to display the other side in your frame!
You can find our full-length tutorial for this project here:
Video Tutorial:
Project 2: Resin Ocean Artwork
You will need a few other materials aside from epoxy resin and alcohol inks to create alcohol ink ocean artwork. However, alcohol inks are a great colorant for these types of epoxy resin projects. Their transparent nature makes the final result look just like water. The realistic look of these pieces is stunning.
Quick tutorial:
- Step One: Paint your canvas with shades of blue, darkest at the top and lightest on the bottom. Add sand to the bottom of the canvas where you want the beach to be. Secure sand with epoxy resin.
- Step Two: Use three different shades of blue alcohol link (see full tutorial below for product links) to color three separate cups of epoxy resin. Save some clear epoxy resin on the side. In a small cup, add white alcohol ink to a bit of resin and mix to an opaque white.
- Step Three: Add the blue-colored epoxy to the ocean area of the canvas. Blend. Add a thin line of white ep[xy resin to the top of the beach area. Using a heat gun, slowly push the white epoxy over the sand and over the water area to make wave-like effects. Repeat as many times as you feel necessary.
- Step Four: Let cure and decide if you want to add more layers. Enjoy your artwork!
For a full ocean resin artwork tutorial, as well as a material list, visit Realistic Ocean Resin Painting Tutorial: Make it Yourself!
Video Tutorial:
Project 3: Alcohol Ink on Yupo Paper Top coated with Epoxy Resin
Quick Tutorial:
- Step One: Â Complete your alcohol ink Yupo paper painting to your liking
- Step Two: Use an adhesive to glue the Yupo Paper onto a wooden canvas and let dry.
- Step Three: Mix epoxy resin and topcoat your painting. Tip: Mix some glitter into your epoxy resin to give your piece a beautiful shine.
For a full tutorial, check out Art Resin’s How To Resin Alcohol Ink article.
Video Tutorials:
Project 4: Alcohol Ink Resin Jewelry
There a quite a few different techniques you can try when making alcohol ink resin jewelry.Â
One of my favorites is the feather technique that Pouring Your Art Out mastered in the video below. However, another popular technique is to use the resin Petri method in a jewelry pendant.Â
Check out the written and video alcohol ink resin jewelry tutorials below!
Technique 1: Feather Technique
For this technique, you will need to use pigment pastes as well as alcohol inks, but the results are well worth it.
Quick Tutorial:
- Step One: Clean out your silicone resin jewelry mold.
- Step Two: Mix epoxy resin according to directions on the bottle and pour clear resin into silicone jewelry mold. Leave a bit of room in the mold to add more resin in the next step.
- Step Three: Mix pigment paste and alcohol ink into separate cups of epoxy resin. Drop in your colored epoxy into the clear resin you poured into your mold in the previous step.
- Step Four: Using a toothpick, gently swirl a random pattern in your pendant.
- Step Five: Let cure and attach your pendant to the necessary jewelry findings.
Video Tutorial:
Technique 2: Resin Petri Dish Jewelry
Quick Tutorial:
- Step One: Clean out your silicone resin jewelry mold.
- Step Two: Mix epoxy resin according to directions on the bottle and pour clear resin into silicone jewelry mold.
- Step Three: Drop in colored alcohol ink. After each drop, use white alcohol ink and drop it on top. This pushes the colors into the epoxy resin. (Do not use too much or the colors will sink all the way to the bottom and you will not get the effect you are looking for.) Repeat this step 2-3 times.
- Step Four: (Optional) Using a toothpick, gently swirl a random pattern in your pendant. Â
- Step Five: Let cure and attach your pendant to the necessary jewelry findings.
Video Tutorial:
Thank you so much for checking out our article. We hope our suggestions and reviews were useful to you. Also, we hope we provided some inspiration for your next epoxy resin project. Please let us know if you have any questions in the comment section below. Remember, with resin art, the possibilities are endless!
40 Responses
hey 🙂
thx for the awesome breakdown on alcohol inks and epoxy resin! really helped me understand the whole process. i've been wanting to try my hand at resin art, and your article gave me some great insights.
btw, your top picks are super helpful. i've got my eyes on those Marabu Alcohol Inks, especially the Petri Dish Kit - those metallics sound like a dream! have you tried them yourself? would love to hear more about your personal experience.
cheers! 🙂
I have and I use them all the time. I can not ger enough. I use them in my resin as well as on Yupo paper. You will not be disappointed.
Wow. This is mind blowing.
I have learnt a lot about alcohol inks and how to use them with epoxy resin for artwork.
The resin ocean artwork really interests me. The sheer number of recommendations, the products and ratings, the complete project ideas, videos and training included is fantastic. You have poured your heart into this project and post and it is a testament to your passion for this form of artwork.
Well done!
Dale, that means so much to me so thank you for the kind words. This is just something I am passionate about. So I work and spend my free time working on this site and creating resin art. It can be a lot of work so I am always happy to hear when people are finding the information useful. Hope you have a wonderful evening!
This is the most complete guide on alcohol inks for epoxy resin I have come across yet with some wonderful recommendations. Thanks so much Craftelot.
Thanks! So glad it was helpful!
First, let me be the first to say that I have never even heard of Alcohol Ink Resin before 😂, but you have definitely provided me with enough information for me to properly educate myself. If I'm being honest this post looks just expansive enough to be a Wikipedia article. This is not a bad thing but shows just how educated you are. Keep spreading the word and keep your format. To me, and I only can speak for myself, it's a great layout for those who are new or are just getting into the field.
Elijah, thank you so much for stopping by! I am glad you found the format helpful and easy to navigate. Hope it sparked some creativity in your life!
Thank you for detailed and informative information on alcohol inks to use with epoxy resin. Either using the epoxy resin as a top coat over a alcohol ink painting, dropping alcohol ink into epoxy resin or to color epoxy resin. The one that sounds the most impressive is creating a transparent colored glass when cured. Being able to use techniques to use with fabric, metal, clay, ceramic, glass, and Yupo Paper is incredible. I have always liked ceramic coasters and this can be applied with that also. It is great to know that a product has been developed which will not fade in time due to ultra violet rays, humidity and temperature called, "Ice Resin TInts." The effects achieved by using these techniques are truly impressive. Thank you for making such a fantastic resource on this topic.
Thanks Toplink, so glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for this extensive article about the best alcohol inks. Tips for using alcohol inks are also very valuable. I'm not that much into all of this, but I was looking for one of my best friends and I will definitely share this with her. I think she will love it!
Alisa, great! I hope your friend finds this information useful!
This is amazing! I can't believe I did not find this sooner. I have been playing with clear resins for a while and wanted to add more color to my crafts, so I just would die the whole thing into a solid color. Using alcohol ink and applying it this way I can create amazing 3D colors, I hate that it took this long and randomly looking online to find this, thank you so much!
Victor, I am so glad you found us! Also, very happy to hear that this article was helpful! Please look around the site to see some of our alcohol ink and resin art tutorials if you are interested in expanding your skill set. Looking forward to hearing from you again!
Thank you for this expert, authority post about alcohol inks.
The resin art you make with alcohol inks and epoxy resins is fantastic and, as a non-artist, I am intrigued to watch you on the Craftelot Resin Co. YouTube channel, as well as all the tutorials you have posted on your blog!
Thank you for helping me identify which surfaces I can use alcohol inks on. I also appreciate the safety tips you offer in this article.
It will be nice to see if the industry comes out with alcohol inks that are non-sensitive to UV.
I will be taking your recommendations on which alcohol inks for epoxy resin art to purchase and I love your ranking system.
Thanks again.
Anusuya- So glad you found this article helpful for helping you to decide which alcohol inks to purchase for your resin art projectst!
Best of luck and happy crafting!
Hello, I just looked over your website and I have to say I am very impressed. As someone who does resin art herself, I can see it’s very informative and set out in a way that describes and explains things well.
I also like your simple yet pleasing layout! What web theme did you use?
I like how you have all of your social networks at the top of the page also! well done! Great job! Keep at it
Can I ask how long this webpage has been around?
I can not believe I have not come across it yet with all the resin art searches I do! Craftelot Resin Co. should be ranked on page one of Google when searching for resin art because some of the other sites Google directs you to are simply garbage!
This article, as well as all the others in the resin art blog, is so informative and well put together. Also, your artwork is stunning. I can not wait to purchase a piece!
Tigan! Wow, such high praise. I am so happy to hear you like the site.
I use the Astra theme and I put the website together using the Elementor page builder. I started this website a little over a year and a half ago and it has gone through many changes to get it to look like it does today!
I have been working on web design for about two years now. There was and still is so much to learn when it comes to making websites that people want to visit.
I am so glad you are finding the resin art blog articles useful and thank you for the compliments on my resin artwork.
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Thank you very much for this valuable detailed post about Guide to Alcohol Inks for Epoxy Resin Art. I really love art. I did a lot of art when I was in school. But I have never used alcohol ink. After reading your post, I really wanted to try it. And they can be drawn very nicely. I will definitely try it. Keep posting like this and I will definitely share this.
Passindu- So glad we could inspire you to try something new! Thanks for sharing and we would live to see how your art turns out!
I have tried Trex alcohol ink before, but never the others. However, I was disappointed to read that these beautiful colors can fade over time with exposure to ultraviolet light, which I didn’t know.
Great tips included and yes we have made the mistake of mixing too many colors at once and ending up with a horrible muddy colored mess.
Ugh, the dreaded muddy puddle mess! I think all artists experience this at some point. It must be some sort of right of passage or something.
Trex inks are one of my favorite alcohol inks to use with epoxy resin. Remember, if you avoid putting your projects in direct sunlight and you use a finishing spray that serves as a UV protectant, you should not have too much of an issue with fading. Hope this helps!
This is the first time I have ever seen this type of art. I must say the effects are fantastic. I am not artistic by any means, but looking at this and watching some of your tutorials I think I could enjoy trying to do this! How much would it cost to do one of the ocean resin arts that you have hanging over the sofa. I don't expect an exact cost, just a rough estimate for everything needed. I am excited to try this! Thank you for introducing me to alcohol inks and resin art!
Hey there Chas!
I know what you mean because I tried resin art once and was totally hooked! It is so much fun! I love when I get other people turned onto the technique.
The cost to create an epoxy resin ocean art piece varies greatly depending on what type of resin you use, and the size of your piece, and what type of supplies you use.
If you want to do a piece that will stand the test of time, you are looking at spending about $185 on epoxy resin. (you will have some left over for other projects) If you are wanting to experiment, you can find resin closer to the $110 mark.
For more information on picking the epoxy resin for your art project, check out Best Epoxy Resin For Art Projects–Everything You Need To Know For a quicker reference, check out Epoxy Resin Chart: Easily Compare Different Resins for Art.
You will also need to purchase, a canvas. For this, the price also greatly depends on where you are planning to display your art and how professional you want your piece to be. You can buy a different size board of MDf at Home Depot for less than $30. These large MDF boards can be cut into 4-8 canvases depending on the sizes you want your canvases to be. On the other hand, a professional-grade cradled canvas will cost a bit more. For example, an 18in by 24in, cradled, pre-gessoed canvas costs about $50. Check out Ampersand Canvases for great, albeit pricey, canvases for resin art.
Lastly, you will need craft sand (or sand from the beach if you are close to one) and epoxy resin colorants. Alcohol ink works well and you can use any of the recommendations above. For the white water, I recommend Castin Craft white pigment.
Do not forget, you should use protective equipment as well, so that may set you back a bit more. Check out Is Epoxy Resin Hazardous to Your Health? for the best deals on protective equipment for working with epoxy resin.
So, you can see it does get a bit pricey when you start making bigger pieces of epoxy resin art. If you want to try it, I suggest starting on a smaller scale to see how you like it before investing so much money into making a large art piece.
For a complete list of all the products I used (including Amazon links to purchase them) to make the Ocean Resin Art piece, as well as detailed written and video tutorials, check out Realistic Ocean Resin Art: Make it yourself!
If you decide you just want to purchase the piece or have a custom ocean resin art piece made, you can buy it here or contact us.
Hope you have a wonderful day and that we answered your question adequately!
Hi,
Glad I found this website as you really have lots of great information, tips and pros and cons. I have been looking to purchase a birthday present for my niece who absolutely loves ocean epoxy resin art, but with limited knowledge on the subject, it has been pretty confusing for me since I don't want to ask her too many questions so she doesn't get suspicious at my sudden interest in her tools!
I think I will settle for the US Art Supply alcohol inks because it offers 48 vibrant alcohol ink colors for resin art projects although it appears that the individual colors may not be available for purchase. This is such a pity as I am sure that she will run out of a few of the inks needed to create her ocean colors a lot quicker than other colors. I think the the price is right for 48 colors though. On second thoughts, I remember that she also creates alcohol ink resin jewelry, so my choice will be perfect!!
Thanks, Ceci
That's great Ceci. Trust me, she will love it. I get so excited when I get resin art tools as gifts because it really does add up after a while. Let me know if you have any questions!
Alcohol Ink-based paintings look so detailed and interesting. I would love to learn how to draw using it. Who knows, I might produce a masterpiece. Thank you for this article. It's very informative and comes with lots of videos and pictures.
So glad you found the information useful! I say give it a shot. You are right. You never know what you could come up with and the great thing about epoxy art is it looks great even if you just use a couple of colors, pour them on a canvas, and move them around with a heat gun for a few seconds. The shine makes it look beautiful even if you do not know any advanced techniques to start.
Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
Thank you for sharing these project ideas and the best alcohol inks to use with epoxy resin. As somebody who is very sensitive to chemicals, and certain chemical smells can trigger coughing and chest tightness, how safe are alcohol inks for asthmatics?
When using epoxy resin and alcohol inks, is it best to wear a mask to avoid inhaling any vapours? Thank you for your advice.
Great question! Alcohol inks are made with isopropyl alcohol. Thes pigmented inks dry quickly because the isopropyl alcohol in them evaporates quickly. This evaporation leaves alcohol vapors in the air. Therefore, there is a risk of lung damage if inhaled by those who have sensitivities. In extreme cases, inhalation of alcohol vapors has caused nerve/ brain damage. This is in extreme cases, however. To be safe, wearing a respirator mask like this one will protect you from any harmful effects you may experience!
Please let us know if you have any further questions!