Resin has a clear, glass-like look that’s hard to beat, but sometimes you just want that pop of color. Acrylic paint offers a tempting shortcut—it's cheap, easy to find, and you probably already have some on your shelf. Pouring some into resin might sound straightforward. From experience, it’s anything but. Too little paint and you barely notice the color. Too much and you’ll end up with something cloudy, sticky, or worse, a project that won’t cure at all.
Mixing the right amount of acrylic paint with resin matters more than it first seems. Resin cures by a chemical reaction. Throwing in too much paint interferes with that reaction. There’s endless talk online about the “ideal ratio,” but you only figure out what works through trial, error, and a few ruined molds. Years ago, eager to make blue-tinted coasters, I dumped in a big squirt of paint. Hours later—sticky mess. Turns out, acrylic paint throws extra water and fillers into the mix. Resin hates that stuff.
Most resin artists recommend adding about 5% paint compared to your total resin volume. That’s about half a teaspoon of paint for every 2 ounces (about 60 ml) of resin. If you want deeper color, try small increments up to about 10%. Any higher and you risk soft, bendy, or uncured resin. For anything bigger—tabletops, lamp bases—it pays to start lighter and work your way up.
Not all acrylic paints act the same. Cheaper paints often come full of fillers and water. Higher quality paints, with lots of pigment and not much extra in the mix, give stronger color using less paint. You’ll need to test what you have on hand. Too much water, and the resin can cloud, streak, or form fisheyes—those annoying clear spots where pigment won’t stay.
If you’ve worked with resin even a few times, you’ve probably watched a batch go south from improper mixing. Add the paint after you’ve combined the resin and hardener. A dedicated mixing stick or spatula works best. Scrape the sides and bottom—missed paint or unmixed resin can leave tacky spots. If you spot unmixed swirls or see bubbles form, take it slow. Sometimes warming your resin in a bath of warm water before mixing can help the acrylic blend in smoother.
Plenty of color in resin comes from specialized resin tints or powders. These usually don’t mess with the curing process because there’s no extra water or fillers. Those products cost more, but the results pay off for anything beyond beginner crafts. Still, most artists have started out experimenting with household acrylic paint. Just understanding its limits can prevent disasters.
Before working on a big project, try small test pours—bottle caps, silicone molds, or tiny cups work well. Label each sample with the amount of paint used. Cure them side by side. Nothing beats seeing, touching, and flexing the finished piece. If your resin stays sticky or bends the next day, dial the ratio back. Cleaning up after a failed batch is worse than taking time to test.
Online communities are full of artists sharing hard-earned advice and photos of both failures and triumphs. Photos help see what worked and what didn’t, especially for beginners intimidated by chemistry talk. Some companies have started listing recommendations for mixing ratios with their paints—real progress for new artists. Still, the magic number for paint in resin remains: less is more.
Getting the balance right between resin and acrylic paint doesn’t come from measuring alone. It comes from careful mixing, honest mistakes, and a willingness to learn each time. That’s how real improvement shows up in handmade work.
