Where to Start with Tatiana Danilova
Tatiana Danilova is a self-taught artist originally from Russia who now lives and works in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where she runs the Artan Studio. She grew up in the south of Russia and later in Siberia before relocating to Slovenia, where she found the space and inspiration to pursue visual art full time. Her studio offers hands-on workshops in resin art, alcohol ink, fluid art, and sacred geometry drawing for both adults and children. Danilova studied resin and fluid art techniques at master classes in Moscow and St. Petersburg before developing her own teaching methods. She has published several books in her “Contemporary Art for Beginners” series, each built around step-by-step lessons with full-color photography. Her approach is rooted in practice: every chapter leads to a finished project, so readers build confidence through making rather than just reading.
Start here
Resin Art: A Step by Step Guide for Beginners
Tatiana Danilova · 100 pages · 2021 · Easy
Themes: epoxy resin, resin art basics, mixed media crafts, DIY home decor
A compact, project-driven introduction to epoxy resin art from an artist who teaches the craft daily at her studio in Slovenia. Tatiana Danilova covers safety, materials, color theory, and composition before walking you through 14 complete projects, from abstract paintings and seascapes to jewelry, coasters, and cutting boards.
Why Start Here
Many resin art books either bury you in chemistry or skip straight to pretty pictures without explaining what went wrong when your pour turned cloudy. Danilova takes a different path. She opens with the practical fundamentals: which resins to buy, how to mix safely, what surfaces work best, and how different pigments and additives behave. Then she moves directly into projects, each one designed to teach a specific technique.
The 14 lessons cover a genuine range: abstraction, sea-inspired art, geode effects, marble patterns, clock faces, and cosmic designs for wall art, plus functional objects like cups, jewelry, coasters, vases, toys, cutting boards, and trays. Each lesson includes step-by-step photography so you can compare your progress against the intended result.
What makes this book particularly useful for beginners is the troubleshooting section. Danilova draws on her experience running workshops to anticipate the mistakes new resin artists make, like bubbles, uneven curing, sticky surfaces, and color bleeding, and explains how to fix or avoid them.
What to Expect
A 100-page paperback with full-color photography throughout. The tone is instructional and direct, written by someone who has answered the same beginner questions hundreds of times and knows exactly where people get stuck. The book is part of Danilova’s “Contemporary Art for Beginners” series and assumes no prior art experience. You will need basic supplies (epoxy resin, pigments, a heat gun or torch, and disposable tools) but nothing exotic or expensive.
Alternatives
Tatiana Danilova · 131 pages · 2022 · Easy
The follow-up to Danilova’s resin art guide, this time tackling alcohol ink, the vibrant, unpredictable medium that creates stunning fluid effects on non-porous surfaces. With 24 lessons and the same practical, photography-heavy teaching style, this book is a natural next step for anyone who enjoyed the resin guide or wants to explore a different branch of fluid art.
Why Start Here
If you have already worked through Danilova’s resin book, this is the logical next chapter. Alcohol ink behaves differently from resin: it is faster, more spontaneous, and rewards a willingness to let the medium do some of the work. Danilova covers the theory first, explaining safety, materials, ink types and how they compare, composition principles, and color theory. Then she moves into 24 practical lessons, nearly double the project count of her resin guide.
The projects range from drawing flowers and decorating everyday objects to creating geode effects, Petri dish art, clock faces, and resin-ink hybrid pieces. Each lesson builds on previous techniques, so working through the book in order gives you a steady progression from simple to complex.
What to Expect
A 131-page paperback with full-color step-by-step photography for every project. The format matches the resin book: direct, practical instruction aimed at adults with no prior art experience. You will need alcohol inks, blending solution, synthetic paper or Yupo, a heat tool, and basic craft supplies to get started.