Creating Ocean Waves: The Best Epoxy Resin, White Pigment and Heat Gun

Are you looking to make those frothy ocean waves when working with epoxy?
If so, I’ve got some game changing tips for you!

Firstly, I need to start by saying there are a few things that go into making those perfect waves. In my opinion there are two items that are way more essential than the heat gun you use…

1. Good quality epoxy resin: Superclear Epoxy 

2. Good thick white pigment: Mixol White Pigment

This is by far my favorite combo to make those nice and juicy cells.

When I first started working with resin, I bought the cheap resin from Michaels and used Castin Craft white pigment. Now, I will say that I really like Castin Craft and it comes as a close second to Mixol but my personal favorite is still Mixol, mainly because its way easier to squeeze out of the bottle. Unless you cut the tip off the Castin Craft white pigment dispenser, it comes out in literal drops, which is super time consuming to get the amount you need while you work. As we know when working with resin, time is of the essence.

Below are some photos of when I first started and used the cheap resin from the craft store and an old heat gun from my dad’s tool room.

Ok so now that we’ve talked about resin and white pigment, let’s move on to which heat gun you should use. I’ve personally only used two brands: Wagner and Seek One. I honestly love them both equally.

When I first started working with resin, I exclusively used the Wagner Heat Gun. I started with that heat gun because of Jessica Keddie, she happened to marry an awesome dude Matt Keddie who works for MAS Epoxy. She was super influential in what products to use when I first started working with resin. As most people do, I found her through IG and was so thankful that I did. She has so many amazing tips and tricks for new resin artists that I can honestly say I wouldn’t be where I am today without her influence when I first started. If you don’t follow her, you should definitely check her out….her IG is @nottooshabbyjess. You can thank me later ;)

So back to the Wagner Heat Gun. Up until about a month ago, I was predominately using the Wagner heat gun; the waves that you can produce with it are so damn bubbly…they are seriously amazing! It does take a bit of finesse to learn how to move the heat gun to get the best results, but once you get the hang of it, it’s magical.  

Another artist that uses the Wagner Heat Gun regularly if not exclusively is Kelsey Rae who I am an absolute fan of! There are a few artists in the epoxy resin community that I follow with sincere admiration and curiosity, like…what are you up to now, and she is 100% one of those artists. Her innovation and constant ingenuity always has me wondering what she’s up to. Her IG is @lovekelseyrae if you want to check out her work. Again, you can thank me later ;)

Wagner vs Seek One

Ok, I keep getting side-tracked with amazing artists that use the Wagner heat gun that have at some point influenced my art; but moving on, Wagner vs Seek One.

Wagner

• Larger opening and creates more bubbly looking waves.

• It’s a bit more difficult to get the hang of how to move it while blowing out your waves vs the Seek One but the results are fantastic.

• Good for creating a consistent wave that is close to your white pigment line

• Don’t need a torch to produce cells

• Has attachments

This is a phenomenal heat gun that I would highly recommend regardless of where you are at in your journey as an artist.

Below are some examples of waves I’ve created with the Wagner Heat Gun.

Another amazing artist who you might be familiar with is Amy Cutaiar from @amysacutabove. She does loads of tutorials on her IG that you might find helpful if your an aspiring resin artist. She was kind enough to share some photos of her waves when using the Wagner Heat Gun with attachments (pictured below).

Seek One

• This heat gun has a smaller opening and creates more of what I like to call a ‘swirly’ wave.

• Good for creating a dynamic looking wave that can spread far from your white pigment line.

• Doesn’t require as much attention to how you move the heat gun compared to the Wagner.

Again, this is a phenomenal heat gun that I would highly recommend. I do like the attachments that come with the heat gun as you can change the look of your waves slightly.

Below are some pictures of the results with the Seek One Heat Gun and attachments.