The practice of painting encaustics can be dated back to ancient Greece and Egypt, as early as 100-300 AD. Also known as hot wax painting, encaustic painting uses heated beeswax to which colored pigments are added. This mixed media wax is then applied to a surface, usually wood or canvas, using a variety of techniques and encaustic supplies. Special tools are used during the process, including the increasingly popular hot wax art stylus. Metal encaustic tools and special brushes help apply the wax, while heated tools can be used to manipulate the wax after it has cooled. What makes encaustic wax painting so versatile is the many possibilities for adding materials to the wax using collage techniques, layering, or by using an encaustic medium.
In this free encaustic technique eBook, we’ve pulled together four articles by some of our favorite experts on mixed-media encaustic art. Whether you’re just starting out exploring encaustics paint, or have been dabbling in the many exciting techniques for years, this eBook has something for you.
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What’s inside?
These projects offer endless opportunity to explore different materials such as personal templates, tissue paper, and more. Beginners and experts alike will benefit from the helpful instructions on encaustic painting supplies, basic encaustic wax painting techniques, and expert tips. With the helpful tips and individual approaches to encaustic paintings from these artists, you’ll be on your way to creating unique works of encaustic art.
Tutorial #1:
Building Up Layers by Michelle Belto
What better place to begin than with a basic lesson on getting started. In this article Michelle Belto tells you how to use materials that are likely already in your art stash to experiment with encaustic painting. In this demo, you’ll start your piece with an underpainting and then add texture and dimension to the artwork.
Tutorial #2:
The Release Technique: Creating Shapes in Wax by Kimberly Lambert Gibson
Once you’ve warmed up to the basic process of using encaustics, read this article by Kimberly Lambert Gibson. Here she walks you through the steps of preparing your substrate, creating a template, and then painting the shape you’ve created.
Tutorial #3:
Encaustic Collage, A Medium for Journalistic Musings by Patricia Seggebruch
Patricia didn’t grow up journaling, it just wasn’t a part of her world. So imagine her surprise when she began a series of encaustic paintings that were very reminiscent of journalistic musings. In this article, she demonstrates how to use encaustic painting supplies and wax to tell a story. Follow along to learn how to choose, arrange, and fuse paper layers together as well as how to embed objects, transfer images, and add lines of color.
Tutorial #4:
Multi-layered Wax Backgrounds: Tips for Using a Stylus with Encaustic Paints by Patricia Gaignat
In this article, Patricia shares her new found encaustic painting techniques and delves into the basics. Learn what you need to get started, plus important safety lessons for using encaustic wax supplies. She’ll help guide to which encaustic supplies work best for you, and how to begin exploring encaustic collage.
This tutorial is packed fulled of exciting tips and inspiration.
Plus, along with these articles on how to sell your art, online blogging tips, and ideas for promoting your business, you’ll tap into an entire community of thriving and creative artists just like you. And, with this free membership to the Cloth Paper Scissors community, you’ll discover a support network of thousands of mixed-media artists to help you along your journey.