Here are some more images from the International Encaustic Artist’s retreat from last weekend! I learned several techniques from my new friends who were extremely generous with their time and…
By Kellie Day in Art Tutorials > Painting Tutorials I’ve always been fascinated by encaustic art and the eerie, soft look it has. All those layers of wax are incredibly intriguing, and up until recently, were a complete mystery to me as to how they were created. Just to give you an example, here’s a close-in detail of an encaustic piece entitled Fire Divided by encaustic artist and teacher Shawna Moore. Amazing, isn’t it? So smoky and soft, and textured! For those […]
A Non-Traditional style of Encaustic painting. An explanation of how Randy L Purcell paints by transferring ink on top of beeswax.
Join us to learn this lovely Faux Encaustic Technique! Create mysteriously beautiful misty effects for your Mixed Media art!
Mixed-media artist Cathy Nichols provides 10 helpful tips for artists interested in discovering the world of encaustic art!
How to paint with encaustic: 1. Prepare a substrate 2. Melt encaustic medium 3. Brush medium onto the substrate 4. Fuse every layer 5. The sky's the limit
Rules & techniques for Encaustic Collage: Encaustic is an ideal medium for mixed media. Wax can both preserve and adhere collage elements to the painting.
Encaustic Painting: the tools you need to get started. Links & tips throughout the post showing you what to buy and how to setup your encaustic art studio.
Artist Shary Bartlett explores using Alcohol Inks with Encaustic painting. She explores how the ink reacts with wax, safety concerns and questions
Have you ever seen encaustic art and found yourself drawn in? There is something about encaustic artwork that grabs the viewer in a way that is different from other […]
Patti Brady explores how to use acrylic encaustic art supplies to create an aged patina in this excerpt from the 10th anniversary edition of her seminal book, Rethinking Acrylic.
Patti Brady explores how to use acrylic encaustic art supplies to create an aged patina in this excerpt from the 10th anniversary edition of her seminal book, Rethinking Acrylic.
Sharon Blomquist details procedures to enhance your encaustic painting with rust for dynamic results. Includes photos and info to help get you started.
By Kellie Day in Art Tutorials > Painting Tutorials I’ve always been fascinated by encaustic art and the eerie, soft look it has. All those layers of wax are incredibly intriguing, and up until recently, were a complete mystery to me as to how they were created. Just to give you an example, here’s a close-in detail of an encaustic piece entitled Fire Divided by encaustic artist and teacher Shawna Moore. Amazing, isn’t it? So smoky and soft, and textured! For those […]
Patti Brady explores how to use acrylic encaustic art supplies to create an aged patina in this excerpt from the 10th anniversary edition of her seminal book, Rethinking Acrylic.
Tips for sourcing and using stencils in encaustic painting
Creating encaustic texture by using this drybrush accretion painting technique - building up layer upon layer of encaustic medium and fusing very gently
Photo encaustic begins by printing photographs on paper, adhering the paper to a substrate then painting with encaustic on top of the photo.
Alanna Sparanese is a full time encaustic artist using oil paints,powder pigments,drawings and photography.Inspired by nature, open skies, and contrast....her work stirs a deeper connection in all of us reflected in her luminous layers and marbled skies.
I finished a commissioned piece that will be hung in a beautiful new Aspen, CO home, and thought it might be nice for my client to get a little insight into the process of building up an encaustic …
Join us to learn this lovely Faux Encaustic Technique! Create mysteriously beautiful misty effects for your Mixed Media art!
Student Gallery of images created by photo encaustic students in either the online class or a studio workshop.
Not just for bees, you can make incredible mixed-media art with wax. Discover encaustics and encaustic art techniques with this must-have free tutorial.
The Encaustic Beginner's Guide will help those of you who are looking to get started with encaustic painting to learn about materials, tools & techniques.
Wax Fusion is a digital journal of International Encaustic Artists. We hope to bring you inspiration, highlight contributions to the encaustic community and serve as a resource for educational opportunities.For this issue, we looked for artists who are reaching beyond the ordinary - in their tools, their techniques and their subject matter. Each has a unique style and story.
I decided to embrace the fact that I am a beginner at encaustic. As a beginner, I allowed myself to mess it up, try different techniques, and play!
Patti Brady explores how to use acrylic encaustic art supplies to create an aged patina in this excerpt from the 10th anniversary edition of her seminal book, Rethinking Acrylic.
by Jessica Burko of Reclaimed To You Over the years I have increasingly utilized encaustic medium in my mixed-media artwork. Basic encaustic is a combination of beeswax and damar resin. Artists who paint with encaustic add pigments to create a full palette of color. Encaustic is applied to an artwork in a fully melted state, a liquid, and becomes a solid as the surface cools. Because my artwork is photo based collage, I use encaustic without added pigment to fuse paper to surface, and paper to paper. In my creative process I combine found paper elements, clip art, vintage paper, and original photography. After I've developed the subject matter of a new piece, I prime a wooden panel to begin my college process. The panels I use are either plywood remnants or wooden canvases. I first paint the panel white; two coats total: one coat in one direction, let it dry, then I lightly sand the surface, and then I paint a coat in the other direction. Not a purist, I use any paint I have available. Most recently I have been using flat interior wall paint. After the panel is painted I make sure to have an ample supply of un-pigmented encaustic on hand. I make my encaustic by melting approximately 85% raw, white beeswax with approximately 15% damar resin. My studio is pretty bare bones; I use baking tins for mixing my encaustic, and I melt on an electric griddle using brushes with natural bristles. The next step I take is to paint the primed panel with a solid coat of encaustic. For either paper fusing or image transfer, it's important to have a smooth base surface. To achieve maximum smoothness I paint on a coat of encaustic and as it cools I re-heat the surface to both fuse where the wax overlaps itself, and to smooth surface texture created by brush strokes. Recently I purchased a heat gun which makes this process fairly quick. However, previously I used a super hot hair drier and that worked too, it just took more time. This is an especially important step for encaustic image transfer. Without a smooth surface your images will not transfer evenly. Once your surface is fully prepared you can begin to transfer your images. I have found that transfers with the best image quality come from black and white or color photocopies made from high contrast images. I've also made successful image transfers using vintage print, though this is rather a hit or miss prospect. Before beginning the transfer it's helpful to warm up the surface. Onto the warm, smooth encaustic surface, place a photocopy, image-side down, and burnish evenly. You could use an actual burnishing tool, or use a solid table spoon like I do. More important than what specific tool you use is that you apply even and strong pressure to all areas of the photocopy. Circular motion works best. The pressure actually integrates the ink into the encaustic which remains there after the paper backing is removed. The paper is removed from the now transferred image by simply soaking it off with plain water. I use pieces of an old, clean hand towel, and soak them in a bowl of room temperature water. I find that it's helpful to have a few small cloths handy so a clean one is always available. Soak the back of the burnished photocopy with water, while gently rubbing away the paper. Go slowly. What is left after the paper is removed is the ink from your image, transferred onto your encaustic surface. To fuse your transferred image, and to magically make any white paper remnants disappear, lightly go over your image with your heat gun or hair dryer. Please keep in mind that the method described in this blog post is how I create image transfers as part of my encaustic collages. As with most artistic techniques, there are many variations out there in the world. As you experiment with encaustic and transferring images I encourage you to research other techniques and find your own best working method. Here are a few things to keep in mind when using any encaustic technique: • Ventilate your space. • Have all your materials on hand before you begin working. • Molten wax is hot! Take appropriate precautions. • Enjoy and have fun!
