A Brief Explanation of the Encaustic Method of Painting by Teresa Posyniak

It is worth mentioning that encaustic painting dates back 2000 years to ancient Egyptian and Byzantine icons. There have been brief revivals over the centuries, especially since the 50s when Jasper Johns revolutionized its possibilities on a stretched canvas as in Flag (1955) and White Numbers (1959). More recently, artists have begun to explore this challenging medium again. However, unlike oils or acrylics, I like to point out that painting with hot wax is a demanding process in itself, highly temperamental and insisting upon a mind of its own.

Thus, every artist who manages to successfully use it, has to struggle with a very individualized way of incorporating it into their work.

When I began encaustic painting over a decade ago, I could not find any books on the subject, nor were classes in this medium available (some colleges and universities are starting to teach it). I relied on the Internet and other artists who had dabbled in the wax process. Adding to this challenge was the nature of my work which is primarily figurative, which requires more control and deliberation. For many years I worked with beeswax, which is subject to cracking unless heavily varnished. Eventually I had the fortune to personally meet Canada's leading encaustic figurative painter, Tony Schermann who generously advised me on other types of waxes and methods which produce better results. Happily, I have now arrived at a successful combination of microcrystalline wax and beeswax as my main encaustic formula.

Beginning with a stretched canvas (usually linen) or working on paper, I use charcoal and chalk pastels to lay down the basic image and color. Once the figure and background are drawn, I brush hot, melted wax over the surface, judiciously planning the brushstrokes, the drips and the splatters. Because wax solidifies when it touches the canvas, I need to work very quickly and efficiently. As mentioned, wax has a mind of its own and I am always conscious of having to prepare myself for unanticipated results or accidents. However, over the years I have learned to use these to my advantage.

Color is achieved by tinting the hot wax (in pots on numerous hotplates) with paint pigment or oil paint. By brushing color over color, a translucency is achieved and well as a density of surface. For accents, I will often add small amounts of oil paint, oil stick or oil paint to the surface as I work. Occasionally, I will hold a heat lamp very close to the surface to create a "bleeding" effect with the waxes and paint.

Once the image has been completed, there is no need to varnish it because the wax has a natural sheen. Should the sheen fade, and it does in the early life of an encaustic painting (a process called "blooming"), just gently wipe the surface in a circular motion with a very soft cloth or old pantyhose. Eventually, that will no longer be necessary.

As with any painting, direct sunlight is not recommended. The only way an encaustic painting can melt is if you hold a heat lamp over the painting for about a minute and then it will begin to melt into the canvas. Prolonged exposure to heat and direct sunlight may make the surface a bit soft, but shouldn't cause it to melt. Common sense and care will keep it safe.