How to Create a Koi Fish with Epoxy Resin and Pearlescent Pigments

Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin can be used to create a variety of easily sellable and fun items.  Resin is used to make fluid art, charms, toys, jewelry, carpentry art, we have even seen luthiers making guitar finishes with epoxy resin.  The best part of our epoxy resin is that it is easy to cast into a silicone mold, all you need is some Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin and Pigment Powder!

 

What will we be Creating Today?

Today we will be casting Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin in a Koi Fish Silicone Mold! We will be showing you two different ways of casting a unique resin mold.  The first process we will cover is how to cast a simple one color mold with the Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin Kit and Pigment Powders.  The second process we will cover is how to cast a multi-color glow koi fish mold with Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin Kit and Glow Pigment Powders.  

What is Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin?

Epoxy resin is an adhesive plastic made from synthetic thermosetting polymers. Meaning that our epoxy resin is a sticky plastic that gets hot as it hardens. Here is a brief explanation of how resin works, we will go deeper into the essentials later in this blog post.  Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin comes in a bundle of two different bottles, we call it the Art 'N Glow Epoxy Resin Kit.  One bottle in the kit is labeled Resin, the other bottle is labeled Hardener.  When mixed together, epoxy resin and hardener solidify to become scratch resistant and are hard as a rock!  As the resin mixture begins to solidify you will notice that the resin is heating up, don’t be worried this is natural.  As a quick tip, be sure to mix gently to reduce the number of bubbles within your Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin mixture.  

Is Casting Resin for Me?

If you are asking yourself questions like, “do I have what it takes to cast resin?” or “am I artistic enough create resin art?”, then the answer is YES!  Casting resin is a fun project even the kids can do.  All you need is a simple silicone mold, you can buy them on Amazon or even at Michaels.  Most molds are found in the bakery section, and let me tell you that there are some really cool molds out there.

What Kinds of Molds are Best to Use with Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin?

When browsing for molds to cast Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin, it is best to search for a silicone mold.  Essentially any water resistant material like silicone will work well for casting resin.  Stop by the bakery section at Michael's and you will find some great molds.  Shop online with Amazon.com to find some truly unique silicone molds for your epoxy resin project.  

What can I Create with Silicone Molds?

Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin can be used for so many great projects.  Consider taking school projects to the next level by casting it in resin.  Create a beautiful scene or seasonal wonderland in a silicone sphere mold.  There are several molds that will expedite any project into something unique.  Regardless of the project, Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin has you covered!  

Are there Any Health Risks When Creating with Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin?

Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin is a non-toxic non-hazardous material and is safe to use at home.  When using Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin, make sure to be in a well ventilated, use gloves, and eye protection.  Our epoxy resin puts off a slight odor and is very sticky so can cause itchy skin if not washed off in a timely manner.  If resin gets on your hands, simply wash with soap and warm water before the resin starts to harden.  If resin gets in your eyes, make sure to flush with warm water, do not rub, and immediately seek proper medical attention.  

Materials You Need to Get Started:

1. Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin Kit, come in 32 oz and 1-gallon kits.
2. Art ‘N Glow Neutral or Fluorescent Glow Pigment Powders.  Select a few different glow pigments so that your resin has a beautiful glow at night.  
3. Art ‘N Glow Paint Brush to make sure resin gets into all the crevices of the silicone mold. (optional)
4. Gloves and Eye protection, to keep any resin off your skin and to protect your eyes.
5. Measuring cup that measures down to the ounce for resin and hardener, make sure to measure volume not weight.
6. Plenty of popsicle sticks or plastic mixing tools.
7. Plenty of cups for mixing, depending on how many colors you want to work with.
8. A silicone mold
9. Some kind of shallow box, even a cardboard box works.  So that when you pour resin, it has a place to go rather than your table.
10. Heat gun or a small cooking torch to remove any bubbles and unwanted debris from the resin.  If you do not want to use a torch, you may try blowing through a straw, just make sure not to inhale!

Let’s Cast a One Color Koi Fish:

1. Layout your Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin Kit and Glow Powder.
2. Get your mixing cup and pouring cup ready!
1. One cup for measuring Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin and one cup for measuring Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Hardener.
2. One cup for each color to mix.
3. This is where the fun begins, using a 1 to 1 ratio mix equal parts resin and hardener into one cup
1. When pouring resin and hardener make sure to pour slowly to avoid bubbles forming.
2. Make sure to mix the resin and hardener slowly together for about 3-4 minutes until it is totally clear.
4. Once the resins are mixed, it’s time to add the glow pigment powder for some color!
1. Use a 1 to 4 ratio when mixing glow powder into the resin to achieve maximum glow output.  The powder mixes quick but spend about 1-2 minutes mixing gently to make sure there are no granulates of powder left.
5. Paint resin on first
1. This step is a not totally necessary, use a paintbrush to make sure resin is in the intricate grooves of your silicone mold that may be missed by just simply pouring.
6. Get ready to pour!  
1. Slowly pour resin into your silicone mold and make sure not to overflow!
7. Remove Bubbles
1. Make a few passes with a kitchen torch, BBQ lighter, or heat gun to remove bubbles.
8. That's it, now let it cure for 24 hours!
1. That’s how you cast a silicone mold with Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin and Powders!

Let’s Cast a Multi-Color Koi Fish:

1. Layout your Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin Kit and Glow Powder.
2. You will need a measuring cup and several mixing cups depending on how many colors you plan to mix.
1. One cup for measuring Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin and one cup for measuring Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Hardener.
2. One cup for each color to mix.
3. This is where the fun begins, using a 1 to 1 ratio mix equal parts resin and hardener into one cup
1. When pouring resin and hardener make sure to pour slowly to avoid bubbles forming.
2. Make sure to mix the resin and hardener slowly together for about 3-4 minutes until it is totally clear.
4. Once your Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin is mixed, it’s time to add the glow pigment powder for some color!
1. Use a 1 to 4 ratio when mixing glow powder into the resin to achieve maximum glow output.  The powder mixes quick but spend about 1-2 minutes mixing gently to make sure there are no granulates of powder left.
2. Also, make sure to add small bits of powder as you mix to avoid clumping.
5. Choose a color to start with and paint resin on first
1. This step is a not totally necessary, use a throw away paintbrush to make sure resin is in the intricate grooves of your silicone mold that may be missed by just simply pouring.
6. Get ready to pour your first layer!
1. Select your first color and pour a small layer of your colored resin mixture into your silicone mold.
2. Allow this layer to settle, so that you can add a second layer.
3. You may begin to add new colors on top of the first layer but the colors may mix.
4. If you want the colors to be totally separated, you can wait for about 5 hours before pouring the next layer of your Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin mixture.
7. That was easy, now let it dry!
1. That’s how you cast a silicone mold with Art ‘N Glow Epoxy Resin and Powders!

Remember to Tag Us!

We would love to see what you create!  Tag or email us your images and videos. We are all over social media so keep us updated with your projects!  Also, here is our email just in case you want to send us some content directly, info@artnglow.com.  We can’t wait to see what you have created.

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