Resin Art

Best Resin for Beginners

Walk into resin and you'll find a confusing wall of options. The good news: beginners really only need to know one type to start. Here's a plain-English guide to choosing your first resin.

Art epoxy resin — start here

For beginners, art epoxy resin is the clear winner. It usually mixes at a simple 1:1 or 2:1 ratio, gives you 20–45 minutes of working time, and cures crystal clear. It's ideal for coasters, trays, and coating surfaces — the projects most beginners want to make first.

UV resin

UV resin cures in 1–3 minutes under a UV lamp, which is great for tiny projects like jewellery. But it's limited to thin layers and small pieces, so it's a specialist tool rather than a general starting point.

Casting resin

Casting resin has a low viscosity and long cure time, designed for deep pours and moulds like paperweights or thick figures. It's not ideal for a first project because the long cure and deep-pour behaviour can trip beginners up.

Polyurethane resin

Polyurethane sets very fast (5–20 minutes) and cures opaque. It's used for specific industrial and craft applications but isn't the friendly, clear, forgiving option a beginner wants.

What to buy first

Get a quality art epoxy starter kit — ideally one that includes resin, a couple of moulds, and basic colourants. A simple ratio means a low error rate, and you'll be pouring coasters within a day. Always read your specific brand's mixing instructions before you start.