4th Of July Inspired Canvas Art With Epoxy Resin | Colored Dirty Pour Tutorial!
Upstart Epoxy Family, it’s Independence Day weekend! Enjoy this step-by-step tutorial on how to create glossy canvas paintings using the dirty pour method, with a 4th of July twist. Full tutorial below:
Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate/Expert
Estimated Working Time: 48 Hours
What You’ll Need:
- Upstart Epoxy Table Top Resin
- Upstart Epoxy Powdered Pigments Set
- Blank Canvas
- Matte Black Paint (Optional)
- Denatured Alcohol
- Sander
Prime your canvas.
We jumped right in with our blank canvas and primed it with matte black paint. We did this because we’re looking for a nice contrast between the black and the powdered pigment colors. Also, we know that this step will prevent any bland white spots from peeking through and ruining the project’s final look. If you plan on incorporating white into your project, definitely opt for a matte black primer!
Mix up your epoxy resin.
Next, we mixed up Upstart Epoxy’s Tabletop epoxy resin, pouring equal parts of both Part A and Part B. DIY Tip: you’d likely be doing this project in the summer, and epoxy can become less viscous in the warmer months. That means you might have to work a little quicker to get your epoxy mixed just right. Be patient with it!
Choose your powdered pigment colors.
Now it’s time to grab our colors from the Upstart Epoxy powdered pigments set. We chose three colors- Sparkle White (AW4), Deep Blue (BL3), Gold Red (OR2)- and mixed up mini cups of premixed tabletop epoxy resin for each one. Perfect colors for the 4th of July!
Conduct a dirty pour on your epoxy project.
Now, time for the dirty pour! A dirty pour is a pouring technique that can happen two different ways. The first method is when different colors are mixed in separate cups and then are blended together, either on a canvas or surface. The second method is when different colors are put into one cup, and then poured onto a surface or canvas together.
For this project, we decided to use the first method- pouring the colors separately onto our canvas. We started off with a little bit of white, then red, followed up with a little blue, and repeated that until we ran out of colored epoxy. While doing the pour, make sure you get the sides and edges, ensuring proper epoxy spillover. Beautiful!
Add alcohol to release bubbles and form a new design.
Now, the gloves come off! We’re spraying denatured alcohol on the project to get the bubbles to release, as well as to make the colors mix and form a very cool design. The epoxy separates and then forms back together, which gives it a unique pattern. Now, you sit back and let the epoxy do its magic! Allow the project to cure overnight.
Let the project cure overnight, then sand for a gorgeous finish.
After 12 hours of curing, we’re back! The piece came out absolutely beautiful- we got JUST the right amount of color merging and separation. Also, it’s perfectly leveled, just as Upstart Epoxy’s Tabletop promises! As we do with any resin project, we used our sander to clean up the underside. We paid close attention to the small lips on the back of our canvas while sanding, which helps it sit flush against the wall. What a great project to help celebrate the 4th. Happy Birthday, America!
