Mixing up resin art in my home studio often turns into a chemistry class, more than anything. After testing mountains of color options, I used to ask whether it’s safe to use acrylic paint to color resin. The truth is, plenty of crafters try it, but the results can swing wildly.
Resin itself is finicky. Two parts come together, start to react, and a crystal-clear surface begins to set. Adding anything—a powder, a pigment, or especially paint—risks shifting the final look or even the strength. Acrylic paint is water-based. Resin is not. So straight away, you’re mixing materials that don’t love each other at a chemical level.
What you see in most home studios are tiny drops of acrylic paint blended quickly into freshly-mixed resin. A small amount usually won’t throw off the hardening process completely, especially for surface art or jewelry. Many of the glimmering river tables you scroll past online probably use a cocktail of alcohol inks, dedicated epoxy pigments, and yes, sometimes acrylics.
The problems start with how much acrylic paint gets added. I’ve seen projects where a heavy hand with paint means sticky pours that never cure, leave milky streaks, or have a rough surface. That’s wasted time and wasted resin—expensive stuff. My own early mistakes involved bold shades of neon acrylic, which made my coasters soft and cloudy. They never fully set, even after days.
There’s another catch: water trapped inside the acrylic paint can cause odd streaks, sudden pockets, bubbles, or yellowing as the resin tries to expel that moisture. The reaction between the water and uncured resin sometimes leaves adhesives weak, and artwork peels or breaks apart far sooner than it should.
Acrylic paint is cheap, everywhere, and offers every color you can dream up. A new resin hobbyist might not want to invest in epoxy pigment powders or special dyes right away. With the popularity of TikTok resin tutorials and DIY YouTube content, people see fast, colorful results using acrylic—and many get lucky on small projects.
Just because something turns out right once doesn’t mean it’s reliable for every piece. I see questions fly on forums and maker groups daily, folks asking what went wrong with foamy or soft surfaces. Inevitably, overuse of acrylic paint comes up as a common mistake.
Professional resin artists and product engineers recommend pigment pastes, resin-safe dyes, or mica powders for a reason. These products blend effortlessly, don’t disrupt curing, and keep finished art strong and shiny. Some resin formulas are more forgiving than others, but there are no shortcuts when you want pieces to last.
New enthusiasts who experiment with acrylic paint should use a light touch—a couple of drops in a small batch, thoroughly mixed—and run lots of tests before committing to a big pour. Art teachers and workshop hosts who guide beginners should point everyone toward materials that reinforce safety and durability, not just quick fixes.
Better education on what happens inside that mixing cup—how much chemistry actually matters—helps prevent frustration and creates art built to last. The more we all share our failed experiments alongside our wins, the easier it is to find the balance between accessibility, color, and craftsmanship in resin work.
