You’ve created a beautiful piece of art. And now, you want to add shine and depth with a layer of epoxy resin for art. But do you need to seal the artwork first? And if you do, how do you seal artwork before adding resin?
Here’s the best way to know if you need to seal your artwork.
Ask yourself whether getting the surface wet will affect the appearance. If the answer is YES, you must seal your artwork before adding resin. If you don’t, your art will change colors and stain.
But you might also want to seal your artwork if adding resin can disturb the surface. For example, lightweight items, like beads, sand, and feathers, can float in resin. It may also disturb chalk and pastels.
It’s also essential to seal your artwork if it’s porous. Pores and holes trap air, which will be released into the resin. Porous items you need to seal are:
- Paper
- Wood
- Clay
- Fabric
- Concrete
- and other organic things.
What if you aren’t sure if any of these three circumstances apply to your art?
Seal it to be sure nothing changes with your artwork after adding the resin.
Now that you’ve decided to seal your art, what do you use to seal it?
You’ve got two choices — liquid glues and aerosol sealers. Here are the pros and cons of using them to seal your art before adding resin.
Pros of liquid glue:
Manual application ensures you get it in tight spaces
More cost-effective compared to aerosol products on a per-ounce basis
Cons to liquid glue:
Takes longer to apply
Dries slowly in humid areas
⭐️ BONUS: Here’s how to seal paper with glue
Pros of aerosol sealers:
Applies faster
Dries faster
Cons to aerosol sealers:
Must use them outside
May finish cloudy if you apply too thick
Regardless of which you choose, here are a couple more things to know:
Use something that dries clear.
Apply two coats. And don’t worry about brush strokes or an ‘orange-peel’ look. This will go away once you apply clear epoxy.
💡 Pro tip: If you’re unsure about using a sealant for your art, test a scrap piece or inconspicuous area first.
But you might be lucky enough that your artwork surface doesn’t need sealing.
Papers with a waxy coating and art canvases come with a coating that won’t take up moisture.
Like when I applied a glossy coat of epoxy to this canvas art print, I didn’t seal it first.
But since I don’t have a lot of experience with sealing artwork before adding resin, here are some resources:
Want to give resin a try but worried about making mistakes?
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