Artists have an array of materials at their fingertips with which to create. From charcoal to clay, paints to wood, the kinds of substances artists can elaborate beauty from are endless. One of the most ancient materials artists used is encaustic or molten wax. The word encaustic is derived from the Greek for "to burn into". Learn about where it comes from, how it's used and what effects it achieves to broaden the artistic palette of possibilities.
Where Encaustic Materials and Techniques Came From
The use of encaustic is ancient. It dates back over 3,000 years to when encaustic pieces were used to decorate tombs, as in the Fayum funeral portraits. The material was also used as a sealant on warships. Encaustic materials were difficult to work with but were easily preserved. The pigment mixed with beeswax, even if heat was not also incorporated as part of the technique, remains fresh and lively to the present day. Pliny discussed the use of encaustic as a key material for painters and sculptors.
Encaustic then fell out of favour as tempura and oils were used more readily. In the 18th century, artists began making encaustic works once more. The archeologist, Comte de Caylus, excavated to discover the old techniques and wrote papers to popularize this material again. Still, it remains a rarely used material as it can be laborious to heat up. Diego Rivera and Jasper Johns are among the 20th century artists who have used encaustic.
How to Apply Encaustic
Greek artists used both brushes and palettes to apply the wax. Modern artists have many tools to apply, scrape, detail and carve the wax. After being heated on electric elements or a special palette, the wax can be poured on wood, canvas or many other materials. It cools quickly and then is endlessly malleable.
Some artists work in multiple colours of wax. Others only use the natural beeswax shade and then carve it with images into which they pour or brush paint. It takes practice to get the wax to flow smoothly so there are no bubbles and streaks on the surface texture.
The Effects Encaustic Achieves
Encaustic enables the creation of very bright, eye-catching images. The finish is high gloss, smells like honey and doesn't need sealants to protect it. Beeswax is not affected by moisture, thus it will not yellow or darken over time. Encaustic pieces never need to be framed in glass.
Encaustic artists appreciate the revisionary qualities inherent in the material. Changes to the image can be made any time without damage to the whole. The texture is 3-D in nature, lifelike and absorbs paint well. Also, objects can be embedded in the wax, rendering it a perfect material for assemblage artists.
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