Epoxy Resin Wall Art: Pour Technique Glossy Ocean Designs

So I’ve been doing these epoxy resin ocean pieces for about two years now and honestly the first three I made were complete disasters but I’m gonna save you from all that trial and error because I literally wasted like $200 figuring this out.

What You Actually Need to Buy

Okay so for resin itself, don’t go cheap on this. I learned the hard way with some Amazon brand that literally never cured properly and stayed tacky for weeks. I use ArtResin or Stone Coat Countertops epoxy – the Stone Coat one is actually what I prefer now because it’s thicker and gives you more control during the pour. You want a 1:1 ratio resin, makes measuring so much easier when you’re doing this at 11pm and your brain is foggy.

For a standard wall piece like 24×36 inches, you’re gonna need about 2 gallons total if you want that deep glossy look. Yeah it’s pricey, maybe $80-100 for good stuff, but the cheaper alternatives yellow over time and your ocean turns into… swamp water basically.

The Color Situation

This is where it gets fun but also overwhelming. I use alcohol inks mostly – Ranger and Jacquard Pinata brands. For ocean designs you need:

• At least three shades of blue – I do turquoise, teal, and deep navy
• White (this is crucial for the foam and wave effects)
• Metallic silver or pearl for that shimmer
• Sometimes a tiny bit of green or purple for depth

The metallic powders are also great – I sprinkle mica powder in gold or bronze sometimes for a sunset ocean vibe. My cat knocked over my entire container of gold mica once and I’m still finding sparkles in weird places six months later.

Prep Work Nobody Tells You About

Your workspace needs to be LEVEL. Like actually level, not “looks pretty level” – use a real level tool. I didn’t do this on my second attempt and the resin all pooled to one corner and created this weird thick edge situation. Had to sand the whole thing down.

Cover everything within a five foot radius with plastic sheeting. Resin drips. It drips in ways that defy physics. I ruined a perfectly good rug because I thought “oh I’ll be careful” – yeah no.

Temperature matters more than you’d think – your room should be between 70-75 degrees F. Too cold and you get bubbles like crazy, too warm and it cures too fast. I actually run a space heater in my studio during winter even though my husband complains about the electric bill.

The Base Panel

I use birch plywood panels, the ones that come pre-sealed. You can find them at art supply stores or honestly Home Depot works. Sand the edges smooth and tape them off with thick painter’s tape or those weird plastic edge strips. The tape method is cheaper but you gotta really press it down so resin doesn’t seep under.

Oh and another thing – prime your board with a thin seal coat of resin first. Mix up maybe 8 oz, pour it on, spread it with a foam brush, let it cure 24 hours. This prevents air bubbles from coming up through the wood grain during your main pour which will absolutely happen otherwise and ruin your whole design.

Mixing the Resin Without Losing Your Mind

Okay so this is gonna sound weird but mix it slower than you think you should. Fast mixing creates tons of micro bubbles. I use those wooden paint stir sticks and just go slow and steady for like 3-4 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of your mixing container really well because unmixed resin = sticky spots that never cure.

After mixing, let it sit for like 5 minutes. Just wait. I know you’re excited but this lets the bubbles rise to the surface. You can also use a heat gun or torch to pop surface bubbles but we’ll get to that.

The Actual Pour Technique

Alright here’s where it gets interesting. For ocean designs I do what’s called a “dirty pour” mixed with some direct pouring.

Mix your resin in separate cups – one for each color. For a beach ocean scene I typically do:

• White with a tiny bit of turquoise (for the beach/shallow water)
• Bright turquoise
• Medium teal
• Deep blue
• Dark navy or even black for the deep ocean

Add your alcohol inks to each cup – start with just a few drops because you can always add more but you can’t take it back. The ratio is roughly 1 drop of ink per ounce of resin but I eyeball it honestly.

The Layering Process

Start with your darkest color – pour it along one edge of your panel where you want the deep ocean. Don’t pour from too high up, keep the cup close to the surface. Then pour your medium blues in the middle section, letting them touch and blend naturally at the edges.

For the beach/shore area, pour your white-ish mixture and here’s a trick – tilt your board slightly so it flows toward where the darker blues are. This creates that natural gradient from beach to deep water.

Wait I forgot to mention – work in sections if your piece is large. I tried to do everything at once on a 4-foot piece and ran out of working time before I could add details. Epoxy has about 45 minutes of working time before it starts to gel.

Creating Wave Effects

This is my favorite part. Take a popsicle stick or even a toothpick and drag it through the resin where your colors meet. You can create swirl patterns that look like waves and currents. Don’t overdo it though – I made that mistake and it looked like a marble countertop instead of water.

For foam and wave crests, drizzle pure white resin in lines where waves would naturally form. Then use a heat gun on low setting and blow across (not directly down) the white – it’ll spread and create these organic foamy patterns. My client canceled last month so I spent like three hours just practicing this technique on small test boards and it made such a difference.

You can also use a straw to blow the white into cellular patterns but honestly the heat gun gives you more control.

The Shimmer and Shine Details

Once you’ve got your basic ocean layout, sprinkle your mica powder or metallic pigments over specific areas. I like to add gold to the “shallow” areas near the beach section – it catches light and looks like sunlight on sand underwater.

Silver or pearl mica on the wave crests adds dimension. Just pinch it between your fingers and dust it over – a little goes a long way.

Some people add actual elements like crushed shells or glass pieces but I find that can create uneven surfaces unless you do another flood coat on top which is more resin and more money.

Dealing With Bubbles

You’re gonna get bubbles no matter what. Pass a heat gun or torch over the surface about 6 inches away, moving constantly. The heat pops the bubbles. Do this every 15 minutes or so for the first hour. I literally set a timer on my phone because I get distracted watching Netflix and forget.

Don’t hold the heat in one spot too long or you’ll create divots or burn the resin. Quick passes back and forth.

The Waiting Game

This is the hard part – you gotta let it cure undisturbed for at least 24 hours. Cover it loosely with a cardboard box or something to keep dust off but don’t seal it completely because resin needs air circulation to cure properly.

It’ll be dry to touch after 24 hours but not fully cured. Wait 72 hours before handling it seriously or hanging it. I know it’s torture but trust me.

Common Problems I’ve Run Into

Okay so funny story – my third ocean piece developed this weird cloudy area in the center and I panicked. Turns out I didn’t mix the resin thoroughly enough in that spot. The fix was sanding it down with 220 grit sandpaper and doing another thin flood coat on top. Not ideal but it worked.

If your colors muddy together and look brown instead of oceanic, you mixed too much or tilted the board too aggressively. Sometimes you gotta embrace happy accidents though – one of my “failed” pieces where the colors all blended turned into this moody stormy ocean that I actually love.

Sticky spots that won’t cure = either incorrect mixing ratio or old resin. If it’s been more than a week and it’s still tacky, scrape it off and start over. I know that sucks but there’s no real fix.

Finishing Touches

After it’s fully cured, remove the tape from the edges. You’ll have drips on the sides which is actually part of the look – that glossy drip effect is very on-trend right now. But if you hate it, sand the edges smooth with 220 grit then 400 grit sandpaper.

I usually paint the sides with white acrylic paint or sometimes a coordinating blue. Makes it look more finished.

For hanging, attach D-rings to the back or use a wire hanging system. The piece will be heavy – resin weighs more than you expect. Use proper anchors in your wall.

Tips I Wish Someone Told Me

Work in a ventilated area but not somewhere with strong air currents. I tried working with a window fan going once and ended up with debris blown into my wet resin.

Wear gloves. Nitrile gloves specifically. Resin is sticky and hard to get off skin plus some people develop sensitivities over time.

Buy more resin than you think you need. Running out mid-project is the worst because you can’t really match the batch if you mix more later – slight temperature differences change how the colors develop.

Keep paper towels and rubbing alcohol nearby for cleanup. Alcohol dissolves uncured resin.

Oh and invest in a good torch if you’re gonna do this regularly. The little creme brulee torches work but a proper heat gun is better for larger pieces.

Cost Breakdown Reality Check

For one 24×36 inch ocean piece you’re looking at:

• Resin: $80-100
• Panel: $25-40
• Alcohol inks and pigments: $30-50 if starting from scratch
• Supplies like cups, stir sticks, gloves: $20

So yeah, around $150-200 for your first piece. Subsequent pieces are cheaper because you already have the inks and supplies. It’s not a cheap hobby but the results are honestly stunning when you get it right.

I’ve sold pieces for anywhere from $300-800 depending on size so there’s potential to make money if that’s your goal, but start by just making stuff for yourself and learning the techniques.

The key thing with epoxy ocean art is embracing the unpredictability – you can’t control exactly how the colors will flow and blend and that’s actually what makes each piece unique. My most popular piece happened because I accidentally knocked over my teal cup and it created this beautiful organic pour pattern I never could’ve planned.

Just start with a small practice board, maybe 12×12, before committing to a huge wall piece. And don’t be discouraged if your first attempt looks nothing like those perfect Instagram photos – those artists have done hundreds of pours to get there.