If you’re not sure how to use the heat-resistant sponges and scrapies with the encaustic iron: here’s a free tutorial with lots of pictures.
This slideshow demonstrates various sponge painting techniques including drawing patterns in the wax, stippling, stamping, and dragging. You will also see how to use the rubber tipped scrappy tool to draw in the wax and how to clean your sponges.
Use your arrow keys to navigate through the slideshow | Click to view larger
Different heat-resistant rubber sponges, Scrapy, texturing tool
How to cut the fine, white sponges: use an Exacto knife
How to cut the coarse, orange sponges: Use a pair of scissors.
Place card with wax on upturned iron and draw patterns in the soft wax with the sponge
Make a small palette of wax on a piece of card
Take up the wax with the sponge
Place painting card on the upturned iron and make shapes with the sponge
Stipple to finish a tree shape
Using the fine, white sponge
Stamp in the soft wax
or drag the sponge edge through the wax
Make another palette with a different colour
Take up the wax with the white sponge
Release the wax by placing the card on the upturned iron and pressing the sponge on the card.
Using the small donut
Drag the donut with the edge through the soft wax
You can use the big donut the same way
Making a wiped background:
Add a small amount of wax directly with the crayon or block
Wipe most of the colour off with a piece of tissue paper
Create another palette with wax on a spare piece of card
Take up the wax with the donut
Place the wax-laden donut on the wiped background and pull towards you
To make a bamboo shape: stop at several intervals, press and lift the donut, then place back on the card a few mm’s lower and drag again.
Use the edge of the donut to create stems and leaves
You can also use the big donut to make the bamboo shape
Paint the leaves with the edge of the donut
Use the Scrapy with a rubber tips to draw into the soft wax.
How to clean your sponges
Put a piece of tissue paper on the upturned iron and press your dirty sponge into it. The wax will come off on the tissue. Repeat as needed.
Tutorial: Using the Encaustic Iron with Heat-Resistant Sponges:
Start with heat-resistant sponges and scrapy texturing tools.
cut coarse orange sponges with a pair of scissors
cut the fine white sponges with an exacto knife
use your encaustic iron upturned as a hot plate to heat the wax
use a spare piece of card to create a small palette of coloured wax
use the sponges and rubber tipped scrapy tools as shown to create different effects
Dutch artist Thea Haubrich studied at the Encaustic Academie in Germany to become a teacher of Encaustic. In 2004 she moved to British Columbia, Canada. Thea was a member of several art councils, the International Encaustic Artists and the South Okanagan group, the Rip Off Artists. In 2008 she was awarded active status with the Federation of Canadian Artists. Thea Haubrich passed away in September 2013.
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You can find them here: https://encausticartsupply.com/products/eas-sponges-assortment?variant=12656480124979
Where can I purchase the heat resistant sponges?
I haven’t seen them available for a while. You can go to the Encaustic Art Iron Works Facebook group and ask. Perhaps someone there will know of a supplier
Jan they are available here at the moment. https://encaustic.ca/collections/encaustic-art-the-original/products/encaustic-art-heat-resistant-sponge-set