Blue Ombre Heart 💙

This quick little project is one of those pieces that looks way more advanced when it’s finished. You’ll lightly trace a heart onto an 8x8 canvas, paint a simple two-color ombre undercoat, then build a dimensional glass gradient using four shades: Cobalt → Pacific Blue → Caribbean Blue → Clear. Finish it off with a thin resin coat, pop bubbles, and you’ve got a sparkly, textured heart that’s perfect for Valentine's Day or any time of the year.

Step 1: Prep Your Canvas and Heart Template

Start with your 8x8 canvas and make sure the surface is clean and dry. If your canvas has any scuffs, a quick coat of white paint over the entire canvas helps freshen it up and gives you a clean base. Next, print a heart template (Pinterest is the easiest source - search “free heart template” and print one you like). Place the template on the canvas and trace the heart.

Step 2: Paint a Soft Ombre Undercoat Inside the Heart

This paint step is mainly here to hide tracer lines and give the glass a pretty base color underneath. Start by brushing a little white on the right side of the heart (it won’t look like much because it’s white on white, but it matters). Then add Turquoise Blue on the left side and paint right up to your traced line so you cover it cleanly. You’ll keep the left side darker and gradually lighten toward the right by blending in more white. If the transition feels too harsh, add a tiny bit of water to your brush and lightly blend where the two colors meet so it fades instead of forming a stripe. Let dry.

Step 3: Add Glass

Using clear tacky glue, lightly outline the heart edge where the blue glass is going to sit. This isn’t required, but it makes placement easier because it creates a little “bridge” that grabs the glass and helps keep your shape clean. You’re basically giving yourself guardrails so you can stay inside the lines without fighting the pieces.

Now comes the fun part: building the gradient with glass. Start on the left with Cobalt and place pieces close to the edge, especially around the curve and point of the heart. You don’t have to do a single flat layer - this project looks amazing with a bit of height, so feel free to lightly pile pieces for dimension. Next, move into Pacific Blue and blend it into the cobalt area by mixing a few pieces across the boundary so you don’t get a hard color line. Then add Caribbean Blue, continuing the blend the same way. Finally, finish with Clear on the far right side. The reason we kept the paint lighter on this side is so the clear glass doesn’t pick up the deep blue underneath and turn your whole ombre darker than you want.

Step 4: Mix and Apply Your Resin 

For an 8x8 heart like this, you can mix 3 oz total (1.5 oz resin + 1.5 oz hardener). If you’re new, it’s safest to measure in separate cups and then combine so your ratio is exact. Stir slowly for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom.

If it’s cold where you are, warm your resin bottles first by setting the closed bottles in a warm water bath for a few minutes. Cold resin makes more bubbles and can look cloudy.

Instead of pouring resin all at once, start by drizzling directly on top of the glass. This helps resin sink down through the stacked pieces and reach the canvas underneath so everything gets fully saturated and secured. Work across the heart, making sure every section gets coated, especially the thicker piles.

Once your glass looks glossy and wet all over, drizzle a little resin onto the flat canvas areas and spread it gently to the edges of the canvas surface.

Once your resin is spread, use a heat gun or torch to pop bubbles. Keep your hand moving the entire time so you don’t scorch the resin, and don’t hold heat in one spot. You’ll usually see bubbles rise and disappear quickly, and the surface will look clearer and glassier once they’re gone.

Set your canvas somewhere level where it can cure undisturbed. If you have a cover (like a clean box), place it over the piece to keep dust and pet hair out while it cures. Then let it harden fully according to your resin brand’s cure time.

If you're a member of The Shattered Circle, you'll find this tutorial in your classroom under Art Shattered Weekly Facebook Lives, search for "Blue Ombre Heart".

If you don’t want to miss my Facebook LIVE art instruction, make sure you are on my texting list. I always text 10 minutes before I’m going to go LIVE, so you won’t ever miss it. You can text “Hey Cindy” to 901-519-2923.

Want more inspiration and artwork?

•  My website artshattered.com with resources, shop, and more!
•  My creative membership The Shattered Circle, where you can explore the world of glass art with online workshops, a supportive community, and more!
•  My mini creative membership Just A ‘Lil Bit Monthly Glass Art Club, where you’ll get a new quick and easy online tutorial for just a lil' bit of sparkle in your life!
• My Facebook page where I go LIVE every Wednesday night.
• My YouTube channel which has tons of free art lessons right at your fingertips.