What is Encaustic?

In its simplest form, encaustic involves melting beeswax with damar resin (a natural tree sap which acts as a hardening agent) to create an encaustic medium which can be tinted with various pigments. The medium is brushed on when it is in a melted state and each layer is fused to the surface with a torch, heat gun or iron.

Encaustic has so many variations. The wax can be built up or scraped into. Objects can be embedded into the surface, such as photography, collage and found materials.  Oil paints, alcohol inks, shellac and india inks can be applied for numerous effects.  

Encaustic painting is an ancient technique, dating back to the Egyptians and Greeks who used wax to caulk ship hulls. Pigmenting the wax gave rise to the decorating of warships. Perhaps the best known of all encaustic work are the Fayum funeral portraits painted in the 1st through 3rd centuries AD by Greek painters in Egypt. A portrait of the deceased painted either in the prime of life or after death, was placed over the person’s mummy as a memorial. It speaks to the incredible durability of the medium how fresh the color has remained even to this day due to the protection of the wax.

The 20th century has seen a rebirth of encaustic on a major scale. It is an irony of our modern age, with its emphases on advanced technology, that a painting technique as ancient and involved as encaustic should receive such widespread interest.

FAQs

How do I care for my encaustic painting?

  • Hang and store at normal room temperatures.  Avoid freezing and extremely hot temperatures; wax will melt at 150°F / 65°C.

  • As with all artwork, keep out of direct sunlight as much as possible.

  • During the first 6-12 months, as the wax cures, an encaustic painting may develop "bloom".  Bloom is a naturally occurring hazy white residue.  It may also occur if a painting is exposed to cold.  Bloom can easily be removed by buffing the surface of the painting.

  • Encaustic paintings can be buffed to a high gloss using a soft, lint-free cloth.  If the original sheen has become dull over time, it can be brought back by repeating the buffing process.

  • Once an encaustic painting has fully cured and hardened, it will shed dust and dirt more readily.

Will encaustics melt?

I am often asked if an encaustic painting will melt.  An encaustic painting WILL NOT melt in your house even if the sun may shine on it for a time.  ALL paintings can melt if left in strong, intense heat or sunlight for a prolonged period of time or in a very hot place, like in your car where it may get up to 190F or more.  As long as the temperature does not reach 150F, no damage will current to encaustics.

Will encaustics stand the test of time?

Yes! Encaustics will last a long, long time (ask the Fayum funeral portraits😊). If handled properly, you will be able to hand it down to other family members for generations to come.

I’m moving. How should I wrap my paintings?

This is what I do when I ship paintings, and also my recommendation for transport or storage:

First wrap your painting with glassine paper or wax paper. Then put a piece of insulation panel (such as this) cut to size. The insulation will keep the temperature more regulated for the painting. Then bubble wrap very well, especially around the corners. Finally, put in a cardboard box and properly seal. This should protect your painting from heat, cold and moisture.