After receiving many questions regarding how I create cells and lacing on my beach scenes, I decided to create another video, however, this time I am going into more detail on the process.
There are a number of factors that come in to play when trying to achieve cells and lacing. One of which is the type of resin you are using. The consistency of the resin, too thick and the resin is difficult to move, too thin and you can lose them.
The time of year and the temperature of your room also plays a major role. I find it difficult to get cells and lacing during the winter and much easier during the summer months.
The colourants you use also play a part. For instance, the Angel White from Le Rez is great at creating lacing and cells because it is a dense pigment paste. It retains its bright white colour and breaks up nicely when blown with a heat gun or blow torch.
Also, if you pour a clear layer before pouring the white, you create a barrier between the lower layer and the white layer, meaning the colours don’t blend when you apply the heat.
As with all of these factors, you need to experiment with your own resin. I would highly recommend that your room is warm as this will give you the best chance of achieving the cells and lacing.
For this project, I used the following products:
• Three MDF panels – 30 x 40 cm each
• Real West Australian Sand
• Liquid Glass Resin from U Resin (http://bit.ly/LiquidGlassResin)
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• Le Rez Expressions Epoxy Pigment Paste – Angel White (http://bit.ly/lerezmatpaste)
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I hope you enjoyed this video and it has helped some of the many questions you may have had.
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Hi I love your work. What heat did you use in this video?
Thank you, I used the highest setting on my heat gun, which can get up to 600Ëšdegrees. Sue
Very nice I’m so impressed with how easy you make this project flow. Easy to understand and follow – thank you
My pleasure, Phil
Thank you for watching.
Sue
I love the way the colours easily blend making it look like the waves are about to come off the page! I would love to achieve that.
Thank you, it just takes a little practice. However, as you can see from the video, I didn’t do a great deal to achieve this effect. Sue
Where can you buy • Le Rez Expressions Epoxy Pigment Paste – Angel White. Amazon doesn’t have it and on the Le Rez website there isn’t any white. Does paste work just as well?
Hi Nancy
I usually have Le Rez Angel White pigment for sale on this website, however, I have just sold the last few. I will be getting more in as soon as it is available. Regards Sue
I am just starting out in this and look forward to learning from you.
Welcome, I hope you find these tutorials to be helpful to you. Good luck with your first project. Sue
Do you know how long before the angel white pigment paste comes in? Should I check back?
Hi Rosa Lee
I am placing an order this week for more pigments and pastes and as soon as they arrive, I will be adding them to my website. Please come back and check soon.
Regards Sue xx
Hello, great work! Was that clear resin you poured over your ocean colors that gave the wave lacing effect?
Hi Eric
It was clear resin that I poured between the blue and the white layers.
Regards Sue
How thick is the mdf board? I’m wondering what thickness works best without making it too heavy for hanging.
The thickness I use depends on the size of the piece. I go thicker, the larger it is for stability and to prevent warping. Sue x
When you did the sand layer, is that real sand combined with the resin or did you poor a clear coat over the sand? This looks phenomenal!
Thank you, Jimmy
Yes, I did use real sand and mixed it directly with the resin.
Kind regards Sue.
Looks amazing! Can you use acrylic paint mixed with resin or white alcohol ink (by itself) to get the lace effect also?
Hi Caron
I have never used either white acrylic paint or alcohol ink to try and achieve lacing, so I don’t know for sure.
I am sure you can if the conditions are good.
Good luck
Sue
HELP! I have been trying and trying to get my LeRez Angel White to lace and it just doesn’t seem to want to! I got it to happen in a larger piece once, but now that I’m doing some coasters, it just never wants to create cells! My sister is getting really overloaded now with my mistake coasters! She told me I don’t need to send her any more! What am I doing wrong with this? I know it’s got to be something I’m doing or maybe NOT doing! PLEASE HELP!
Hi Molly
What resin are you using?
Are you pouring on board, or is it all resin?
If it is all resin, how deep is your mould?
Are you using any additives to help with cells?
Until I have a better idea of what you are doing, I can’t help sorry!
Kind regards
Sue
I’m trying and trying cells. I get them with heat but trying to get even more lace effects. If I add alcohol, should it be added to the base clear layer or the white?
Hi Steve
I don’t add alcohol, If I were to add anything, it would be mineral turpentine or white spirits, which I would add to the white.
For larger lacing effects, I have found letting your resin sit for about five minutes and then coming back with more heat works well.
Be careful though, as it is easy to burn the resin. If you do burn your resin in the pursuit of cells and lacing, then I recommend pouring a clear coat of resin over the top.
Good luck
Sue
Sue, thank you! Going crazy. I’ve probably tried 30 different ways.
Is it best if the base coat of epoxy is thinner than the white pigment/epoxy blend? or is the white blend to be heavier?
please! thank you!
Hi Steve
The resin does play a major role, it can’t be too thick or too thin.
Same goes for the temperature of your room, it can’t be too hot or too cold.
Unfortunately, it does come down to experimenting.
Sorry, I can’t be more specific.
Sue
On another note, your white pigment needs to be of a good quality.
It needs to be opaque and preferably a pigment paste. I like using Le Rez Expressions, Angel White.
https://www.lerezexpressions.com
At what temperature do you set your heat gun for making lacy waves? Thanks!
It is on the high setting of my heat gun, I can’t control the heat.
My shell painting is NOT drying. Put it in the freezer for a while.
It was okay, but then it lost some hardness.
What to do?????????
Thank you Carol
Hi Carol
I am not sure what the issue is without seeing the piece.
I have never placed anything in the freezer, so don’t know if this can help you.
Kind regards
Sue
Hi Sue: Lack of experience is my main problem. I believe I used too much resin and it never dried. I like the composition, but will leave it to posterity and try again.Want to have cells and lace in a composition. How much silicone or floetrol do I add to my resin? I am using Golden paint. Want to do a pour using the resin on an 8″ by 8″ to begin with.
The image that I like – I used sand with resin and glitter, used shells and then blueish
water -the water never dried – also put glitter in the water. Thank you for
your knowledge and talent you are presenting. Would love to send an image, but I do not know how to do that. Carol
Great work! I do a technique where I do one wave at a time and build subsequent wave over each other to give a realistic 3D look of the ways rolling up over each one.
Hi Ron
Sounds fabulous, thank you for sharing.
Sue x