Resin Art vs Acrylic Pour: Difference and Comparison

Different art forms have been popular over the years, and currently, some of the popular art forms include resin art, acrylic pouring art, ceramic art, glass paintings, alcohol ink art, clay moulding, metal moulding art, etc. There are many types of art, and every art form has a specific technique along with a different set of ingredients required for it.

The art form may look the same sometimes, but its techniques and the type and amount of ingredients may differ. Acrylic pour art and resin art are two of them which have been the talk of the town for a while. 

Key Takeaways

  1. Resin art uses a two-part epoxy resin mixed with pigments to create a high-gloss, glass-like finish. At the same time, acrylic pouring involves mixing acrylic paint with a pouring medium and water to create abstract designs.
  2. Resin art can take longer to cure and requires more preparation and safety precautions due to the use of chemicals, while acrylic pour can be done more quickly and with less equipment.
  3. Resin art has a more 3-dimensional appearance and can be used for functional items like coasters or jewellery. In contrast, acrylic pour is primarily used on canvas or other surfaces for decorative purposes.

Resin Art vs Acrylic Pour

The difference between resin art and acrylic pour is that resin art uses epoxy resin as a base, while acrylic pour uses acrylic paint along with a thinning agent. Both may have common poring patterns or other similarities, but they have a different blend of ingredients and different outcomes for the final product.

Resin Art vs Acrylic Pour

Resin art employs epoxy resin, dyes, pigment, and other customized ingredients to make specific artworks. The resin art produces a shiny and glossy product.

The resin art is used to make tabletops, jewellery, table lamps, keychains, and other customized gifts.

The acrylic pour is an artwork made by pouring acrylic paint on a surface. The paint is incorporated with a thinning additive that makes it runny and easy to create patterns while pouring.

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The artwork is employed in making wall art, customized art pieces, backgrounds, etc.

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonResin ArtAcrylic Pour
MeaningArtwork using resins as a base. The most common resin employed is epoxy resin.Artwork using acrylic paint by the pouring method to create a specific pattern.
Substances employedEpoxy resin + dyes + pigments + additional customizations (flowers, glitters, etc.)Acrylic paint + acrylic- thinning substance + customizations (flowers, foils, stones, etc.)
ArtworkThe artwork comes out glossy.The artwork is dull when finished.
Surface requirementsWooden boards, tabletops, plastic, cheeseboards, trays, etc.Stretched fabric canvas, wooden artboard, normal canvas, paper, etc.
UsageJewelry, trays, tabletops, resin light lamps, wall art, momentous, customized gifts, etc.Wall art pieces, customized backgrounds, clock backgrounds, etc.
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What is Resin Art?

Resin art is artwork that uses epoxy resin as its base. All of the ingredients, such as dyes, pigments, glitters, flowers, etc., are mixed into epoxy resin.

This mixture is then poured into rubber moulds, where they are left for drying at room temperature. The resin art is taken out from the moulds after the hardening of the resin.

Epoxy resin is a form of adhesive and has two parts. Both of the parts, when mixed together, lead to a chemical reaction between the ingredients and the formation of a clear liquid having a thick consistency.

One of the main features of epoxy resin is it provides a shiny, glossy, and glass-like finish to the art piece. Also, the epoxy resin hardens quickly and is super easy to use.

It is sometimes also used as the finishing layer in acrylic art to give a shiny and glossy finish to the artwork.

Resin arts are used to make jewellery, trays, tabletops, bookmarks, keychains, coffee/tea coasters, customized letters, resin light lamps, wall art, momentous, customized gifts, etc. Resin art forms are not made on porous material such as canvas or paper.

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Rather they use non-porous surfaces such as hardwood surfaces and glass surfaces. Resin art forms are also made by using moulds, pouring the resin mixture, and demolding after hardening the resin.

art resin

What is Acrylic Pour?

Acrylic pour painting is a form of artwork having a base of acrylic paints. The artwork is made using the pouring method, i.e., the paint or mixture of paints is poured from a vessel/container (plastic or paper cups) on the surface.

Mixing a thinning additive with acrylic paint is essential to ease the flow of paint. The additive makes the paint runnier and does not affect the drying abilities of the acrylic paint.

It can be done on both small surfaces and large surfaces, give marbling effects and take little time to get dried due to the runny nature of the paint. However, the acrylic pour artwork isn’t shiny and glossy.

Rather they have a dim and dull appearance. They can be varnished or coated with a resin layer if one wants a shiny and glossy touch to the artwork.

The varnish or resin coat will also protect and retain the artwork maintaining its life.

The acrylic pour artwork is affordable and isn’t toxic as it does not contain harmful chemicals. The artwork is used and seen in making wall art pieces.

It is also used in interior design for homes, offices, and cafes. Artists take commissions for acrylic pour artwork and customize it according to the requirements of the customers.

acrylic pour

Main Differences Between Resin Art and Acrylic Pour

  1. Resin art uses epoxy resin as a base, while acrylic pour art uses acrylic paints.
  2. Resin art is shiny and glossy, while acrylic pour art is dull and does not have a shiny effect until varnished.
  3. Resin art cannot be done on porous surfaces such as stretched cloth canvas or other canvas, while acrylic pour can be done on both porous surfaces and non-porous surfaces.
  4. Acrylic pour art requires an acrylic thinning agent to make the paint runny, while there is no such requirement in resin art.
  5. Resin art can be toxic depending upon the type of resin being employed, while acrylic pour art is safe to make.
Difference Between Resin Art and Acrylic Pour
References
  1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141391014000561
  2. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/b17802-28/epoxy-resins-industrial-material-contemporary-art-medium-lazzari-nieto-su%C3%A1rez-l%C3%B3pez-mor%C3%A1n
  3. https://scholars.smwc.edu/handle/20.500.12770/232

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About Author

Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.