About Encaustic Painting
Encaustic was first noted in the Egyptian-Greco times as early as 12
AD. Greek shipbuilders used beeswax to waterproof the hulls of their
vessels and caulk the joints. In Egypt, wax portraits were found on
mummy casings, designed to transport bodies of the deceased to their
spiritual afterlife. History has shown us that the Egyptian culture did
not fear death the way many other cultures do.
In 1954 Jasper Johns put pigmented beeswax on a rigid surface and
from that day forward encaustic was back on the map. The medium is well
known for its transparency and translucent density and it is a delight
to paint layer after later and watch the colors appear through the
layers.
Encaustic is a mixture of beeswax, Damar resin crystals and dry oil
pigment. It is kept warm at approximately 220 degrees on an electric
griddle or palette. The wax dries almost immediately so the painter
must work quickly. After each layer of medium one must apply heat to
fuse the surface so the wax will not separate over time. Sources of
heat may be a heat gun, torch, or tacking iron. |