Encaustic is a wax based paint (composed of beeswax, damar resin and pigment), which is kept molten on a heated palette. It is applied to an absorbent surface and then reheated in order to fuse the paint. The word ‘encaustic’ comes from the Greek word enkaiein, meaning to burn in, referring to the process of fusing the paint. Although they come from the same root word, ‘encaustic’ should not be confused with ‘caustic,’ which refers to a corrosive chemical reaction. There is no such hazard with encaustic.
Encaustic painting was practiced by Greek artists as far back as the 5th century B.C. Most of our knowledge of this early use comes from the Roman historian Pliny the Elder whose Natural History, written in the 1st century A.D., was a monumental encyclopedia of art and science. According to Pliny, encaustic had a variety of applications: for the painting of portraits and scenes of mythology on panels, for the coloring of marble and terra cotta, and for work on ivory (probably the tinting of incised lines).
The Fayum portraits are the best known of all encaustic work. These funeral portraits were painted in the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. by Greek painters in Egypt. Encaustic enjoyed a revival beginning in the 18th and 19th centuries when the buried cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were uncovered. Modern encaustic painting was made possible by the invention of portable electric heating implements and the availability of commercial encaustic paint, and was popularized by it usage among many prominent artists.
Opulence. Encaustic is perhaps the most beautiful of all paints, and it is as versatile as any 21st century medium. It can be polished to a high gloss, carved, scraped, layered, collaged, dipped, cast, modeled, sculpted, textured, and combined with oil. It cools immediately, so that there is no drying time, yet it can always be reworked.
Wax is its own varnish. Encaustic paintings do not have to be varnished or protected by glass. Beeswax is impervious to moisture, which is one of the major causes of deterioration in a paint film. Wax resists moisture far more than resin varnish or oil. Buffing encaustic will give luster and saturation to color in just the same way resin varnish does.
No yellowing. Encaustic paint will not yellow or darken. However, wax itself is photoreactive, so unpigmented encaustic medium that has been kept in dark storage will darken slightly. When re-exposed to light that darkening will bleach out.
No solvents. Encaustic paint does not require the use of solvents. As a result, a number of health hazards are reduced or eliminated.
Encaustic can be used as a traditional painting medium, but it can also be used in works that are just as much about painting or sculpture as they are about photography, drawing, and printmaking. Painting with encaustic is a multi-step process. First, the paint must be melted. Next, the molten paint is applied to a porous surface. Then the applied wax is fused into the working surface, allowing it to form a bond. As a final option, the cooled paint can be buffed to bring up the luster of the wax and resin.
Basic Set-up Suggestions
You will need a level counter or worktable to put a heated palette on and adequate electricity to support your palette and heat gun. Ensure that your work area has proper ventilation. Exhaust fans in windows, cross-ventilation, or a studio ventilation system are all good options, and it is important that you have a source of fresh air. It is recommended that you have a burn kit and a fire extinguisher on-hand for safety purposes.
Tools and Equipment
Important tools and equipment for your home studio include the following items:
A heated palette to mix encaustic paint and medium on with temperature controls.
A palette surface thermometer to assist you in keeping the temperature of your palette within a safe range (180 - 200°F).
Fusing tools that enable you to fuse (or re-heat) each layer to ensure that it is adhered to your substrate.
Natural bristle brushes for painting (don’t use synthetic as they will melt).
An assortment of mark-making tools for etching and drawing.
A selection of a rigid, absorbent, and heat resistant supports.
Soy wax for clean-up.
Palette cups to keep melted waxes separate on your palette.
Encaustic paint in an assortment of opaque and transparent colors.
Encaustic Grounds & Surfaces
Encaustic paint is best used on a rigid surface that is absorbent and heat resistant. Wood supports make great, stable panels. Stretched canvas is not recommended. Over time, encaustic tends to crack as the canvas flexes with changes of temperature and humidity. Also, the weight of the wax, if applied thickly, may cause the canvas to sink in the center.
As the use of encaustic has expanded into the realm of mixed media over the last 60 years, it is being applied to a greater range of surfaces, including glass, plexiglass, metals, papers, fabrics, commercial panels, ceramic, stone, other paint mediums, etc.
2-Dimensional Examples: lauan; untempered masonite; plywood; any rigid, absorbent, and heat resistant material
3-Dimensional Examples: unglazed ceramics; plaster; wood; sculpture; paper pulp; any rigid, absorbent, and heat resistant material
R&F recommends Ampersand Encausticbord panels as the preferred support for encaustic painting. Encausticbord is a collaboration between R&F and Ampersand Art Supply. It features a specially formulated gesso that forms a bright, smooth, velvety surface that is ready to use for encaustic painting. The ground is not only heat resistant and highly absorbent, it holds tight to layers of wax without the fear of cracking or separation.
The term “ground” refers to a prepared surface for painting. A ground is applied to a substrate, or support, that can be wood, board, stretched canvas, or an alternative. As a general guideline, grounds for encaustic painting must be absorbent, so acrylic gessoes were not recommended in the past.
R&F Encaustic Gesso contains an acrylic binder as one component of its carefully formulated product making it one of the most durable grounds available for encaustic painting. The following is a list of ways you can prepare panels for encaustic painting, in order of ease and effectiveness:
R&F Encaustic Gesso: A brushable white ground that dries to a ready-to-paint absorbent surface. This is the easiest and fastest way to prepare a white ground for encaustic painting. R&F Encaustic Ground differs from typical acrylic gessos by having a higher proportion of solid to binder, making it highly absorbent while retaining the adhesive qualities of the acrylic.
No Ground: You can paint on raw wood. Select a nice grade of birch plywood and paint directly on it. Some artists prefer to create an encaustic paint ground by painting a layer of encaustic directly on the wood, and then working up from it. Many artists who work this way prefer to make their ground with white encaustic paint because it shows subsequent colors to full advantage. The drawback to this method is that the wax ground is susceptible to heat and has the potential to re-melt as you work.
Paper: A white ground can be created by gluing watercolor or printmaking paper onto a supporting panel. The heavier the paper, the more absorbent the ground. Bear in mind that lightweight papers will be made translucent by the wax, resulting in the substrate showing through and darkening the tone of the ground. This can be avoided by first coating the bare panel with white acrylic paint, or R&F Encaustic Gesso. Allow it to dry before gluing the paper down on top of it. White grounds are generally desired to show colors to full advantage, but any absorbent paper can be used. Braced or cradled substrates are preferable to avoid warping.
Traditional Rabbit-Skin Glue Gesso: The most traditional, time-tested ground for encaustic, but it is a time-consuming and elaborate process that does not appeal to everyone.
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