UV resin has changed the way artists look at finishing work. Acrylic paint, on the other hand, remains many creatives' go-to for bright, bold color. Now, the idea of blending the two is tempting: wouldn’t it be great to just mix acrylics into UV resin to create custom shades for jewelry, keychains, or coasters? The short answer: you can, but things tend to get messy, and the final outcome isn’t always what you hope for.
Acrylic paint is cheap, easy to find, and comes in endless colors. Artists like it because it dries quickly and can be layered or thinned with water. Many crafters start with acrylics for these reasons. UV resin, though, relies on light to cure and needs everything inside it to be clear or at least compatible with the curing process. This is where the trouble starts.
It helps to look at what both materials are made of. UV resin cures hard because a special light triggers a chemical reaction in the liquid. Most acrylic paint is water-based. Water and resin have never been friendly. Water can trap bubbles, cause cloudiness, and interrupt the curing process. Even a small drop can stop resin from getting fully hard. Plus, the pigments in acrylic paint sometimes block the UV light, and that means tacky spots or soft patches in finished pieces.
I tried mixing small amounts of acrylic paint into a thin layer of UV resin for some earring prototypes last spring. At first, it blended pretty well, and the color looked strong. After setting the mix under the lamp for three minutes (my usual time), I found that the surface hardened, but the underside stayed sticky. Even giving it more light didn’t fix this. The resin around the paint looked cloudy. Those pieces also bent more easily and started to yellow after a few sunny days on my windowsill.
Online groups for resin artists are stuffed with similar stories. Some people get lucky on a small scale—a dot of paint in a thick mold can sometimes work—but for anything large or thin, the risk of failure jumps. Commercial colorants for UV resin exist for a reason: they don’t stop the reaction or make the project weak or cloudy. Acrylic paint just isn’t built for that.
If a project really needs a unique color and only acrylics deliver, thin, dry layers painted on top of cured resin work well. Or, brush detail onto resin pieces and seal it afterward. For mixing directly in, stick to colorants designed for UV resin: their transparency, particle size, and chemical makeup keep the reaction going strong. Alcohol inks and special mica powders work, too. These give bright color without sacrificing the strength or clarity of the resin.
Using the right materials keeps projects fresh-looking for years and saves hours of rework. No one likes peeling sticky items off a mold only to bin the whole batch. Trying a shortcut is tempting, but nothing replaces tools made for the job. If you’re just starting out, invest in small packs of proper resin pigments. Your future self—and your handmade gifts—will thank you.
