Encaustic Painting

Encaustic painting is a mixed media technique that involves using heated beeswax to which colored pigments have been added.

A variety of heated appliances and tools are required to work with encaustic. Hot plates, and heated tools such as blowtorches, heat-guns, and irons are used to fuse the wax-based paint.

I use 100% Pharmaceutical Grade beeswax for my more clear applications and unfiltered beeswax that I get from a local Wisconsin beekeeper when I want a natural warm glow to my images. Resin is used to harden the wax, raising its melting point.

I love how the wax can be modeled, sculpted and textured as I scrap back into it. For me it is both an additive and a subtractive process. Because the wax seals out the air, it is an ideal base for collage material and I often embed such things as leaves, twigs, fabric and pieces of metal into my paintings.

Encaustic Monotypes

Encaustic monotypes are similar to encaustic paintings in that they involve painting with beeswax. However, the painting is painted on a large hot-plate and then the paper is laid down on the wax and pulled back up leaving a thin layer of wax on the paper. My monotype paintings are usually matted and framed under glass or plexi as they are more vulnerable to damage than typical encaustic paintings.

Caring for an Encaustic Painting

Will it melt?

I add resin to the wax which hardens the surface and raises the melting point. The painting is stable under normal temperatures. Although it may soften slightly on a hot day, only direct heat or temperatures in excess of 150 degrees will affect the painting. Like all paintings, it may be damaged if left in hot or cold cars or storage areas, the safest place for an encaustic painting is hanging on your wall.

Buffing the painting

Over time the surface of the painting may become dull or dusty. This is normal. The painting can be wiped clean with water periodically and buffed (gently, firmly but not overly vigorously) to a high gloss using a soft lint-free cloth such as cotton.

Protecting the Surface

Always try to protect the surface and edges of the encaustic painting when moving or transporting it. Do not use bubble wrap or other textured packing directly on the surface as the texture might imprint. I have been successful at first covering the surface directly with parchment paper (which has a silicone coating) or glassine and then a snug foam-core box and then any extra typical packing materials such as bubble wrap (or crating for larger work).

Although the surface is completely dry, encaustic paintings can be scratched, gouged, or chipped if handled roughly and should be treated carefully like all pieces of fine art.