is there a good way to to a resin swirl effect using acryllic right on the foam? i’m told that using too much paint on foam seals the pores affecting the mechanical bond with the resin. something you can do with an airbrush perhaps?
I’ve been doing paint and resin swirls on the foam decks for decades. With paint, you will get a more intense color effect. Basically, just pour the paint undiluted directly onto the foam. Be sure to have the rails taped-off really well. Spend a lot of time laying out the colors. (The difference with paint vs. resin is that with paint you normally apply each color separately and with resin the colors are applied in unison).
Apply the paint in accordance with the squeegee pull direction, that is, put more paint at the end of the board where you are starting the pull (usually the nose). Remember, you only have one chance for each pull as going back over the work will “mud” the colors. Pull from nose-to-tail and row-by-row until all the excess (surpising how much paint gets wasted) is pulled off the tail. Keep the squeegee clean.
Resist the tempatation to go back and brush in areas; instead plan your pours better… …cannot really recall a time where the resin had a problem with bonding (any worse that a sprayed airbrush). HTH
Plus One, I’d love to see a picture.