“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better”, Albert Einstein
What is Encaustic?
The word encaustic comes from the Greek enkaustikos which means “to burn in”. Encaustic painting can be traced back to the 5th century B.C. in Egypt where it was used on the ancient Fayum funeral portraits. Encaustic uses a blend of natural beeswax, damar resin (a crystallized tree sap), and either oil paint or pigments for color. The wax and demar are then heated to just under 200 degrees Fahrenheit to create a workable hot paint.
Artists typically apply encaustic paint to wood panels. The core of the medium lies in its two main ingredients—beeswax and damar resin—which together create a versatile substance known for its transparency and strong adhesive properties. Pigment can be added to this base either manually by the artist or by using pre-made encaustic paints that already contain traditional artist-grade pigments.
Encaustic is a highly archival medium as beeswax is naturally resistant to mold and mildew.
primed birch panel ready to paint
A few things that set encaustic apart from traditional painting techniques…
Encaustic can be transformed by heat and also carved like a sculpture when cold.
It can be reactivated with heat at any time - even after years have passed.
Traditional painters work with wet paint, encaustic painters work with hot paint (wax)
Encaustic is extremely archival and does not need to be protected by glass.
Even after it “cures” it still smells amazing due to the bees wax
