PrintArtist's Encaustic
Encaustic painting uses beeswax as its medium. Beeswax is probably the oldest known pigment binder, and the technique of
Encaustic goes back to the Ancient Greeks where beeswax, resin and pigments were used to paint warships. The Greeks also
perfected the technique for both easel painting and fully dimensional coatings for clay and marble sculptures. Encaustic
has seen a revival in recent years, both for its ancient appeal as well as its adaptability to modern techniques. The
technique requires the melting of the wax and resin, the addition of pigment to achieve the desired color, applying the
paint while hot and then fusing each layer. Variations of formula, application and heat give the artist freedom. No other
medium allows such tremendous textural possibilities. We give two basic recipes, one recipe combining beeswax and resin,
and a second recipe combining beeswax with hard Carnauba wax. For more
information about Encaustic Painting, we recommend the book, THE ART OF ENCAUSTIC PAINTING by Joanne Mattera, Watson-Guptill
Publishing, available where fine books are sold.
Ingredients
- 2 parts Beeswax
- 1 part Dammar Resin lumps
Dammar Resin has a higher melting point than beeswax, so it should be melted first, then the beeswax added. Neither should be
heated over an open flame, or to temperatures above 250 F. Stir to blend while melting, then pour the mixture into aluminum foil
muffin pans for cooling. Although the dammar resin will contain some impurities, these will fall to the bottom of the mixture as it
hardens. Each contained portion can now be stored to be melted again with pigments.
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Ingredients
- 3 parts Beeswax
- 1 part Carnauba Wax
Using the same technique as above, melt the Carnauba Wax first, then add the beeswax and stir over heat until blended. Some artists
feel this ratio is too high in Carnauba, and prefer to use less, even as little as 5 to 10% Carnauba.
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Non-toxic Pigments, Binders and Mediums