Realistic Water Too Dark

[jwbrock]

So following some advice from here and other online resources, I did my first pour of resin (realistic water). I poured it in layers, mixing with a bit of acrylic paint and going about 1/8 inch on each pour. I cycled from an umber to green and finally to blue - with mixed results. The final blue layer may not have been tinted nearly enough, though when it was wet it looked pretty close to what I wanted. Now that it has dried, the blue is barely visible. What I have is a mix of green for the river (maybe not that bad) but a definite umber brown for the lake. Question is - how bad does it look? Is there anything I can do to make it look more blue (a blue wash paint coat?). Or is it bad enough I should tear it all out and start over? I'm really hoping the answer won't result in having to spend a lot more money, lol. I appreciate any insight or opinions.

 

[RhB Michael]

I think it looks fine. It makes it appear as a shallow pond where you would likely see the bottom mud. I wouldn't change it or start over.

 

[wheeler1963]

Looks a lot like every pond, creek, river down here in the southeast. Lots of minerals in the soil down here. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Selector]

You can always pour some Mod Podge or other acrylic gloss medium over what you have and do all sorts of things. For example, paint the surface 'better' (whatever you think that should be for a second trial/experiment), and then pour gloss medium over it. You can tint the gloss medium if you wish with a couple of drops of acrylic craft paints. Mix very well, though. You can even safely add a drop or two of acrylic craft paints into two-part epoxy if you prefer to use that (I have done this several times with no problems, and have even added a pinch of Plaster of Paris powder to make it look turbid). Or, tint some gel gloss medium (it looks like cold cream), again mixing very well, and then stipple it over what you have, maybe also painting what you have a lighter/different colour first. The stippling makes it look more like a typical outdoor water surface.

 

[KB02]

I agree that I think it looks pretty good!
If you take Selector's advice and use the Mod Podge, I would say tint it ever so slightly green.
I would also be perfectly happy with the current outcome.

 

[DeaconKC]

Spend a week paying attention to all the streams, ponds, etc around you. There will be almost none the same shade.

 

[Michael B]

I think the water looks ok, maybe add some green like they said.

I think your gray rocks need some brown wash.
I just think it looks odd with brown crumbs falling off grey mountains.

Has anyone tried fiberglass resin for water?
I intend to try it, at least for the deep water.
One thing about the resin - you can add blue bondo hardener to tint it. I will also try to tint it with PPG DMD colors.
You see, I have a bunch of resin on hand and no other use for it now.

 

[Selector]

I have used Envirotex and Swing Paints' Nu-Lustre 55, both of which are 'finish quality' two-part epoxies. Neither seems to yellow over time, but I tint mine so it's hard to tell, plus that painted dark bottom. I don't know if resin will yellow, but the two parts of those two epoxies comprise resin and a hardener, each mixed very accurately in equal amounts, and mixed for several minutes to get really good homogeneity...otherwise you get sticky patches which gather crud and dust...not good.

The mixing will encourage bubbles to enter the compound. When you pour, and you should figure out how much to mix so that what you pour covers the area intended, but NO DEEPER than about 1/4" (you can always mix more later and pour another layer, but don't pour more than 1/4"), you will see that the poured layer has bubbles. Don't fret! Most will 'self-destruct' inside of about ten minutes. Walk away when you're satisfied that it has spread over the area you need to look like water, and that it isn't all running out of a small hole you neglected, and set a timer to return in ten minutes., You'll notice that 90% of the bubbles have risen and popped in that thin pour (that's only one reason you only pour 1/4" at a time, the other is heat and cracking....only 1/4"!). For those stubborn ones, you take a soda straw, place it between your lips, and carefully bending at the waist, you blow through the straw with the lower end just an inch above the curing epoxy pour. Those stubborn bubbles will pop as if by magic.