METHOD
WHEN WORKING WITH ENCAUSTICS, MAKE CERTAIN YOU ARE IN A WELL-VENTILATED SPACE, AS VAPORS FROM MELTED WAX ARE HARMFUL.
-1- FIRST, CHOOSE YOUR SUBSTRATE. YOU’LL WANT SOMETHING RIGID, SUCH AS 1/4” (6MM) PLYWOOD. COVER YOUR WORK TABLE WITH FREEZER PAPER TO PROTECT IT. HEAT UP YOUR PALETTE TO ABOUT 200 ° FAHRENHEIT (168° CELCIUS).
-2- MELT YOUR ENCAUSTIC MEDIUM IN A SMALL METAL BOWL ON THE PALETTE, USING A WIDE FLAT BRUSH, COVER YOUR SURFACE WITH THE MEDIUM. TO FUSE THE LAYER TO YOUR BACKGROUND, HEAT WITH A HEAT GUN UNTIL THE SURFACE IS SLIGHTLY SHINY.
-3- LET THIS COOL A FEW MOMENTS AND THEN ADD AS MANY LAYERS AS YOU WISH. AS LONG AS YOU FUSE EACH LAYER, YOU CAN BUILD UP YOUR SURFACE TO UNBELIEVABLE DEPTHS. YOU CAN EMBED OBJECTS INTO YOUR CREATION AT ANY TIME DURING THE PROCESS, FOLLOWED BY MORE LAYERS OF ENCAUSTIC MEDIUM AND SPECIAL ENCAUSTIC PAINT.
-4- TO ADD COLOR, MELT A SMALL AMOUNT OF ENCAUSTIC PAINT ON YOUR PALETTE, MIX THE COLOR, AND PAINT JUST LIKE YOU WOULD WITH ANY OTHER PAINT. KEEP YOUR BRUSHES SOFT AND PLIABLE WHILE YOU’RE WORKING BY LAYING THEM ON THE HEATED PALETTE WITH THE HANDLES OVER THE SIDE, THIS WILL KEEP THE PAINT IN THE BRISTLES MELTED AND THE HANDLES COOL.
{SPECIAL EFFECTS}
AS FOR HAVING SOME REAL FUN, THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS! SCRAPE, PAINT, STAMP, EMBED, CARVE, COVER AND LAYER UNTIL YOUR MASTERPIECE REVEALS ITSELF. YOUR ADDICTION TO ENCAUSTIC COLLAGE HAS JUST BEGUN!
• CREATE AMAZING MARBLED EFFECTS BY MELTING THE WAX AND BLOWING IT AROUND WITH YOUR HEAT TOOL.
• SCRAPE A WAY LAYERS OF WAX TO REVEAL WHAT’S HIDDEN UNDERNEATH.
• BUILD UP A FEW LAYERS OF WAX, FUSING BETWEEN EACH LAYER, AND STAMP INTO IT WITH A RUBBER STAMP WHILE IT IS STILL SLIGHTLY WARM. LET THE STAMP COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE TRYING TO REMOVE IT. IF YOU JUST CAN’T WAIT, PUT IT INTO THE FREEZER FOR A FEW MINUTES.
SUMMER DREAM
• CARVE LINES INTO THE WAX WITH ANY CARVING TOOL. RUB OIL PAINT INTO THE LINES AND REMOVE THE EXCESS WITH A SOFT CLOTH. USE OIL-BASED RUB-ONS, OIL PASTELS, OIL PAINTS OR OIL STICKS TO ADD COLOR AND DEPTH TO THE SURFACE. YOU CAN ALSO CARVE LINES INTO THE WAX AND THEN ADD A LAYER OF DARK-PIGMENTED ENCAUSTIC PAINT. WHEN IT COOLS, USE A SCRAPING TOOL TO REMOVE THE EXCESS. THE DARK WAX STAYS IN THE LINES TO CREATE OUTLINES OR SURFACE TEXTURE.
• USE A GREASE PENCIL TO DRAW A PICTURE, PATTERN, OR WORDS ON YOUR SUBSTRATE.
• USE GOLD LEAF ON THE SURFACE FOR SOME “BLING!”
• IMAGE TRANSFERS ARE EASY TO DO ON AN ENCAUSTIC COLLAGE. JUST LAY THE TONER-BASED PHOTOCOPY FACEDOWN ON A WARM, WAXY SURFACE AND BURNISH DOWN COMPLETELY. WHEN THE WAX IS COOLED, WET THE PHOTOCOPY AND GENTLY RUB OFF THE PAPER. CONTINUE WETTING AND RUBBING UNTIL ALL THE PAPER IS GONE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT BUT THE IMAGE.
{CLEANUP}
CLEAN YOUR BRUSHES BY DIPPING THEM IN MELTED PARAFFIN WAX AND RUBBING THE EXCESS COLOR ONTO PAPER TOWELS. CLEAN YOUR GRIDDLE AND TOOLS WITH PARAFFIN TOO, THEN WIPE CLEAN WITH PAPER TOWELS. YOU NEED TO CLEAN WHILE THE GRIDDLE IS STILL HOT.
{SAFETY}
• NEVER LEAVE A HOT GRIDDLE UNATTENDED. IF YOU TAKE A BREAK, UNPLUG THE GRIDDLE AND LET IT COOL DOWN.
• KEEP A CHECK ON YOUR TEMPERATURE; IF YOUR PAINTS AND MEDIUM ARE SMOKING, THEY ARE TOO HOT—THE SMOKE IS BAD FOR YOUR LUNGS (USE ENCAUSTIC PAINTS AND MEDIUM IN A WELL-VENTILATED AREA).
• SUPERVISE CHILDREN AND WATCH OUT FOR PETS ON THE TABLE TOO!
• NEVER USE YOUR GRIDDLE FOR FOOD ONCE YOU HAVE USED IT FOR ENCAUSTICS.
• REMEMBER, EVERYTHING IS HOT!
