Introductions
Meet the Artists
Learning the Basics
What is encaustic?
Studio safety
Availability of materials
Tools of the trade
Materials
Demonstration - Abstract
We will all begin with a small wood panel. Use the wax bath and the wide brush to cover the panel with a couple overlapped strokes. Make sure to fully load the brush and make sure it is hot. Fuse this first layer so that the wax soaks into the wood. Continue until you have built up a thick surface of 4 or five layers of wax, fusing between each layer. If the panel gets too hot, let it cool before moving on. While the panel cools, dig through the boxes of chains, grids, and wire. Prior to making your marks you will run a hot iron over your wax surface to smooth any seams in the wax and to create an interesting painting for your under painting. The wax surface responds differently to the iron if it is cool or warm so this will affect your surface. You will now add a thin layer of oil paint. Wear gloves to keep your hands and work area clean. Use the cheaper paint as most of this will get wiped away. Use oil and a blue towel to gently dissolve the oil paint and leave just enough to reveal this initial layer. Lightly fuse this thin coat of oil paint, after making sure not to leave too much oil or any clumps of oil paint. Cover this under painting with a thin coat of encaustic paint (wax) using a thick brush. Now you can begin to press in chains or metal grids or make drawings into the surface. One rule to follow at this initial stage is to not make the painting too dark too soon. Try to stick with similar colors at this point and create a harmonious palette. Highlights and imagery can be added later. Any marks or drawings can be reinforced with a thin coat of oil paint or pigment stick, lightly fused and then covered with a thin coat of wax to seal the layer. Continue moving up through the surface, adding imagery and maintaining a sense of light from deep within the painting. Think Italian fresco, old parchment, and beautiful stone cliffs with Indian petroglyphs.
Demonstration - Landscape
You begin a landscape inspired encaustic painting in the same way you begin an abstract one. Make sure your panel is clean and begin with a coat of warm wax using the thick brush. Build up 3 or 4 layers fusing after each layer. You might want to create an under painting at this point by using the iron and a thin coat of oil paint wiping away what you don‘t need and what taking care not to make the painting too dark too soon. Don’t forget your gloves! Make sure to fuse lightly and then cover the under painting with a thin layer of wax. Fuse the wax lightly and begin drawing your landscape with the pigment sticks. Wear your rubber gloves and draw with the stick itself, your fingertip or a swap. At this point, don’t get carried away, just hint at the landscape. Remove any extra paint or mistakes and lightly fuse. Cover this first attempt with a thin coat of wax and then repeat until you have created the sense of depth and detail you desire. At this point you can draw on top of the landscape using transfer paper or add textural detail by drawing into the surface or pressing things into the wax to make marks. Think of the way trees and hills are reflected in water and the atmospheric paintings of Turner.
Demonstration - Collage
Prepare a panel as you did for previous paintings. You may want to repeat the step where you create texture with the iron and the oil paint, unless you think you will be covering the entire panel with collage. I like to use pages from old books, maps, and Asian papers with characters and writing. Collage with encaustic is easy. Warm the panel and then dip the paper or collage item into the wax. Gently drag it along the side of the hot plate to remove extra wax and then place it on the warm encaustic painting. Use your fingers or a flat tool and work out any extra wax or air bubbles from the center of the collaged piece. Lightly fuse here. You may want to “antique” the edges of the paper or panel at this point with a thin coat of oil paint that is gently wiped away and fused. Leaves are fun to collage with, whether you leave them in the collage or gently pull them out and just use their shape as an imprint or drawing. Take a few leaves and experiment with attaching them to the surface by dipping them and then lightly fusing. Add wax over the top and experiment with how much coverage you want between the leaves and the surface. Try to fuse the final surface without igniting the leaves. Continue to experiment with additional materials like pattern pieces or photos. The trick is to not light your collage elements on fire as you fuse and to build a them around the collage elements or drawing you choose. Think of Ashley Collin’s horse paintings and the way yellowed photographs and old paper is so interesting. The paintings could feel like opening an old trunk in an attic and coming across interesting treasures.
Review of techniques and questions.