What are Wax Emulsion Water-Soluble Paints?
Water-soluble wax paints are tube paints comprised of pigments in a wax binder. Although the manufacturers are branding them as encaustic paints they are better described as wax emulsion tube paint that can be an interesting complement to encaustic.
Wax emulsion tube paints allow encaustic artists to experience a more painterly process, a process that is more often associated with other painting media. You can blend and mix Ceracolors together on a palette and use a brush or palette knife to brush and dab them on your painting. Water-soluble wax paints can be used on their own or in combination with a number of painting mediums. This product is not the same as cold wax medium.
There are two brands currently available, Ceracolors from Natural Pigments in the U.S. and Encaustic Cuni from Spain. Encaustic Cuni can be purchased from Miles Conrad Encaustics in the US. There isn’t a Canadian distributor. In Canada, Ceracolors can be purchased from Articulations.
Ceracolors:
- cannot be mixed directly into molten wax
- don’t require any heated tools or ventilation
- can be applied with either a brush or a palette knife
- can be used underneath and on top of encaustic wax
- are fast drying but can be reopened with water
- come in vibrant, rich colours and the gold and pearl give a beautiful metallic appearance
- clean up of brushes and tools is easy with soap and water
Using Ceracolors with Encaustic
When using Ceracolors with encaustic it is good to know how the tube paint will react with the hot wax.
- Safety—Ceracolors have been made with ingredients found in food and cosmetics and therefore are not considered to be toxic—so it is safe to fuse at low temperatures. As with all new products it is wise to review the Material Safety Data Sheet prior to first use.
- Fluid Medium—If you want to use Ceracolors with encaustic medium, you’ll need to fuse the colours, according to the manufacturer this is more successfully done with the addition of Ceracolors Fluid Medium.
- Watercolor Effect—The plus of Ceracolors is their intensity. You can create a vibrant watercolour wash by thinning Ceracolors down with fluid medium or water. I did this directly on the substrate as an underpainting before coming in with hot wax.
- Drying—Ceracolors dry in two stages. First, the paint dries quickly as the water in the paint evaporates. The paint is dry to the touch in a short time. After this initial period, the paint can be reopened with a wet brush. During the second stage, wax crystals coalesce as the paint cures. This can take several days or several weeks for thicker applications of paint.
- Encaustic over Ceracolors—Before applying encaustic medium over Ceracolors, you need to lightly fuse to ensure that all of the water has evaporated out of the water-soluble paint
- Ceracolors over Encaustic—When you paint with Ceracolors on top of Encaustic medium, they will dry to an opaque and matte finish. After the painting has cured (which can take several weeks) the painting can be buffed to an eggshell finish.
Ceracolors Mediums
Ceracolors Mediums can be thought of as colourless wax paints, as they are composed of the same or similar waxes as are Ceracolors paints. They can be used to extend the paints and to change their consistency.
Ceracolors Fluid Medium:
Fluid Medium is useful for extending Ceracolors and for creating glazes and increasing translucency. If you are going to be fusing Ceracolors, they advise using Fluid Medium.
Ceracolors Paste Mediums:
Mixing Paste Medium into Ceracolors, will thicken the paint and give it more body for impasto-like effects. You can add Ceracolors Paste Mediums directly to Ceracolor paint on the palette or in a container.
- Molding Paste One way that Joya Paul uses the Molding Paste is to spread the paste through a stencil with a palette knife. Molding Paste is gray but can be tinted with any Ceracolors paint. Molding paste is compatible with encaustic but, as you can easily use encaustic medium through a stencil and to build up texture, I didn’t feel that this was a necessary product for encaustic.
- Fiber Paste is less dense than Molding Paste and can be used to create light, opaque, textured impastos effects. The mineral fibers provide a papier-mâché-like texture.
A friend who has tried both of these found that the Molding Paste is best used in thin layers since it will crack as it dries if the layer is too thick. Fiber Paste can build up layers quickly without the worry of cracking.
Ceracolors Gel Medium:
Ceracolors Gel Medium can be used with Ceracolors as an adhesive in collage and can be used to coat the painting to give it a protective coating. I would use hot wax here instead.
Have you tried using Ceracolors with encaustic painting?
I’m still experimenting with this new medium so I would love to hear from you. Please add your comments below and let me know what you like or don’t like about using Ceracolors with encaustic.
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Hi Ruth,
Thank you so much for your willingness to share and teach encaustic techniques. What is the best way to store my palette of Ceracolors between painting sessions? I can only paint on the weekends as my studio is not located at my home. Do you suggest covering my palette with plastic wrap and putting it in the freezer?
I’m interested to know if you can mix the Ceracolors mediums with water soluble oils. This would allow me to expand my color palette. Since you can mix traditional oils with hot wax, I’m wondering if the water soluble oils mixing with their medium makes sense. Would there be lifting or yellowing? Can encaustic medium bind with this combo?
Hello, thanks for the interesting article. I have been looking around, and experimenting with my own homemade wax emulsions, in order to find a wax paint, either hot or cold, that has the paintability of cold wax tempera, that is to say, that one can achieve small detailed figurative painting, but can also achieve the impasto and textures that one can get through hot encaustic.
I know of and have used the Cuni paints but I’ve been told they use linseed oil as a binder which yellows over time. So I guess, ideally I’m looking for something that doesn’t have oil in it. I want the durability of wax surfaces that don’t particularly require varnish, and the ability to play around with colours on the palette. I guess I’m looking for oils without the oil.
Hot wax can achieve so many things but it just dries too quickly! Is there no way to slow it down, or somehow to make cold waxes behave more like hot wax?
If you have any advice I’m all ears!
Thank you
Justin
If you’re after figurative encaustic work check out Lora Murphy. I suggest you reach out to her with your question.
Thanks! I’ll check her out.
Hi..
Can Ceracolors be used on paper with encaustic monotypes?
If yes, Is it best to paint with the Ceracolors on paper first, then print over it, or vice versa?
Thanks,
Marcia Miele Branca
Hi Marcia,
I haven’t yet tried Ceracolors on a monotype. But yes, I think that it would work well. I would pull the print first and embellish with Ceracolors second. Please let me know how it goes!
Hello,
I need to know if I can apply ceramolor on an enameled ceramic surface (plate).
It is for domestic use so I need it not to be toxic.
Can I use it after cooking, to cook the piece at low temperature (300º)?
Is the paint resistant to washing and dishwashing?
Thank you
A greeting from Spain
Monica
If you have any questions about a product your should contact the manufacturer. Ceracolors are wax based paints not for ceramics. I expect they will melt right off the ceramic surface at 300º.
Ceracolour paints and mediums also available from Iron Oxide Art Supplies Nanaimo BC.
Thanks Tony, glad to know there is a suppler here on the island so I don’t have to order on line and pay shipping. Would lover to hear about your experience with Ceracolor, have you worked with it?
Ceracolors are now available at Opus in B.C. I have been working with them for a couple years now. Most of what I have learned about how to work with them has been through experimenting. Was so excited after applying a thick layer of molding paste, when I came back to it a few days later it had done this amazing crackle. This is now a feature of my pieces. I use Ceracolor as my under painting for the colour and textures they offer, I adhere found treasures then a good coat of molten encaustic medium. I am loving how the water soluble medium plays well with encaustic, its a game changer if you want to travel with paints or do plein-air. Would love to hear how other artist have experienced with these new paints.
Thanks for the extra info Ruth. When I originally took the workshop at Joya Paul’s studio, the guest artist that was leading us said that you could not put hot wax over the Ceracolors. This is why it did not excite me, however, when I was at the hive last weekend Joya Paul was there for a friends opening and she clarified that the instructor did not fully understand how the Ceracolors and hot wax would react. I think she was more of a purist and was concerned about its longevity and archival qualities. Your post backs up what Joya was saying. I bought a set and have not tried them yet but now with your additional info I might just drag them out of storage. Thanks again.
You’re welcome, Carol. I’m happy that the post was helpful.