I have used resin as a finishing layer on many of my collages in the past and love the glossy sheen it gives the finished work. But I have been wanting to try building a collage in layers of resin for a while- using the layers of resin to create a sense of depth between collage layers. As fortune should have it, the good folks at ArtResin offered me a complimentary 32 oz. resin kit to experiment with. I thought I’d share the process and results here.
Base Layer: I created a base layer of collage on wood panels as I normally would.
Prepping: I always make sure I have a really clean work space (even small flecks of dust can show up in a resin layer), the pieces are nice and level, and I have everything I need within reach. The ArtResin website has great video tutorials and information on all of this.
First Layer: The first step is to mix and stir, equal parts resin and hardener. ArtResin has a great calculator to tell you how much resin you need to cover your surface area. Then pour out the needed amount, spread to fully cover the surface, then use a torch to pop any bubbles (my favorite part). You really need to look closely, in good light, and from a lot of angles to be sure all bubbles are gone. You may also see some dust flecks that are resting on the surface, and you want to pick them out with a toothpick.
Prepping for Additional Layers: After applying the resin to the first layer, I covered them and let them set for 24 hours. Normally, when I only resin a single layer onto a finished piece, I would be done at this point. But for multi-layering, the next step is to sand that gorgeous glass-like finish to create some “tooth” for the next layer. From here on out, the process repeats for as many layers as you choose.
The Results: I went through two additional layers on each piece (3 layers of collage / resin in all). As always, I love the look of resin on the finished collages. The one lesson learned for me was that to improve the sense of depth and dimensionality between layers in the future, I would want to actually put two resin layers between each collage layer.
