An Encaustics Lesson
This is not a full-blown tutorial. I just want to give you an overview of the process that I use to make my Encaustic Paintings.
Equipment
Except for the Surface, the Stove top and the Hot Air Gun, these items can be bought in an Art Supply store.
- Beeswax
- I get this in one or two pound chunks. These chunks have to be broken up into pieces small enough to fit into the small tins (see below). I use a hammer and chisel for that.
- Ten or twelve small tins
- You can buy these tins specially for an Encaustics project, or work with soup cans. One tin is needed for every colour you will use.
- Some kind of stove top
- To melt the beeswax. Different people have their own setups here.
- Pigments (Powdered)
- The pigments come in jars of powder and cost about $20 per jar.
- Brushes (natural bristle)
- You can't use any kind of synthetic bristle. The wax is so hot that it will melt the end of your brush. The natural bristle, on the other hand, will burn at the end, leaving the brush usable.
- Electric Hot Air Gun
- Used for stripping paint from cars, they can be purchased for $30 or $40 at a hardware store.
- Surface
- I like to use old pieces of wood like driftwood or barnabas.
Melting the Beeswax
Starting with a chunk of hardened beeswax, I bang it into small pieces with a hammer and chisel. Putting enough wax for each colour into the small tins, I slowly heat up the stove top.
Mixing the Colours
As the pieces of beeswax inside the tins approach a temperature of 190º Fahrenheit, they will start to melt. This needs to happen so you can mix in the powdered pigments.
Maintain Temperature
If the temperature of the wax exceeds the melting point by too much, it will start to smoke. If the temperature falls below the melting point, the wax will solidify. In either case, you will not be able to properly mix or apply the wax to your surface.
Painting
When the wax is the right consistency, I dip my brush in and begin painting. I can usually paint for ten or twenty minutes until the wax becomes either too hot or too cool. At this point, I have to adjust the stove and wait for the temperature to come back to the target range. While painting, the wax sticks and dries to the board immediately. It can later be scraped off and re-applied, or layered, depending on the effects I want to create.
Burning In
The final stage is the "burning in" process which can be done with an electric hot air gun or a torch. This takes two or three minutes. I have to be careful at this stage not to melt the painting, just burn it in to the board so that the layers are all fixed together.
Finishing
An encaustic painting can be rubbed with a soft cloth to clean or buff. This will also create a sheen. Alternatively, it can be left Matt.
Care of an Encaustic Painting
Do not
- hang directly in the sun
- hang close to a heating duct
- leave wrapped in plastic in a hot car
Encaustic paint expands and contracts with the weather so it will not crack or shrink.