painting with encaustic
Now you're ready to paint
You have your encaustic medium and paints ready. You have assembled tools and set up your studio space.
Let the fun begin
Let the fun begin
Supports: Encaustic painting is done on a rigid surface, typically cradled wood panels. Unfinished wood surfaces take the encaustic medium well or the surface may be coated with specially formulated encaustic gesso. Occasionally, for an interesting background, I wrap the panel in hand-dyed fabric and then coat it with encaustic medium. The important thing is to have a support that 'grips' the wax medium.
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If you want to keep the edges sharp and paint-free you can mask the edges with painter's tape. Or you can enjoy the drips that melt over the edge.
paint, fuse, scrape, paint, fuse, scrape, paint, fuse...
Painting with encaustic involves multiple repeated steps, but the many layers provide many chances to tweak your individual creative process. Begin on the panel with several base coats of encaustic, scraping down any ridges for a uniform surface, and then fusing each layer before adding the next.
Keep building up layers with background colors and working up with more details. Scrape as needed and fuse each layer. Note: some prefer the unique textures of encaustic and so do not need to scrape down as much - but I prefer a smoother surface.
You can use oil pastel or oil sticks to sketch ideas onto the cooled surface.
For crisper, more defined edges, you can incise areas through the wax layers and then fill and scrape across the top.
Paper bits and other additions can be added into layers, painting over each layer with encaustic medium and then fusing.
To retain the sheen, metallic additions like pearlex powder and gold leaf are best pressed into warm encaustic surfaces, fused, without an additional cover layer of encaustic.
Experiment - explore - tweak your own techniques! Encaustic is a versatile medium for deepening your creative process.
Keep building up layers with background colors and working up with more details. Scrape as needed and fuse each layer. Note: some prefer the unique textures of encaustic and so do not need to scrape down as much - but I prefer a smoother surface.
You can use oil pastel or oil sticks to sketch ideas onto the cooled surface.
For crisper, more defined edges, you can incise areas through the wax layers and then fill and scrape across the top.
Paper bits and other additions can be added into layers, painting over each layer with encaustic medium and then fusing.
To retain the sheen, metallic additions like pearlex powder and gold leaf are best pressed into warm encaustic surfaces, fused, without an additional cover layer of encaustic.
Experiment - explore - tweak your own techniques! Encaustic is a versatile medium for deepening your creative process.
and when you are done...
Knowing when you are finished is sometimes the hard part. Can't help you with that. At some point you just have to stop, sign your work, and frame it. Signing encaustic is tricky. You can scratch in your signature and then go over it with an oil stick or oil pastel to embed color, or you can use a type of pencil that works on wax (like Stabile in white or black). You may prefer to just sign on the back of the panel.
After you are all done let the painting 'cure' for a few days at least and then you can polish the surface with a microfiber cloth or a soft, old t-shirt. As with other paint media, an encaustic surface sometimes dulls over time as it cures. Just simply polish the surface again.
Ok. So now you are finished. You need to know how to store or display this precious piece. Keep it stored in a reasonable temperature. Below 20 degrees it may crack, above 150 degrees it'll soften and start to melt. So don't keep it in your car in a hot parking lot or in your unheated garage or storage unit. I've kept paintings over my fireplace, exposed to a south facing window with no problem but I wouldn't advise hanging it directly in front of a heating source. If the bees wouldn't like it, neither would your painting.
After you are all done let the painting 'cure' for a few days at least and then you can polish the surface with a microfiber cloth or a soft, old t-shirt. As with other paint media, an encaustic surface sometimes dulls over time as it cures. Just simply polish the surface again.
Ok. So now you are finished. You need to know how to store or display this precious piece. Keep it stored in a reasonable temperature. Below 20 degrees it may crack, above 150 degrees it'll soften and start to melt. So don't keep it in your car in a hot parking lot or in your unheated garage or storage unit. I've kept paintings over my fireplace, exposed to a south facing window with no problem but I wouldn't advise hanging it directly in front of a heating source. If the bees wouldn't like it, neither would your painting.
