All Things Encaustic Blog

Explore the Art of Encaustic Painting: Techniques, Tips, and Inspiration

Welcome to All Things Encaustic, your go-to resource for everything related to encaustic art! Whether you’re new to this ancient art form or a seasoned artist, you’ll find a wealth of information, tutorials, and product reviews to inspire your creative journey.

What is Encaustic Painting?

Encaustic uses molten wax, heat and pigment to create artwork. Different waxes are used to make encaustic medium but, most often, beeswax is combined with a hardening agent such as damar resin, a natural tree sap.

The word encaustic comes from the Greek enkaustikos which means “to burn in” referring to the process of fusing with heat. The artist applies molten encaustic paints to a surface and then uses heat to fuse the layers of wax together. This can be done with a blow torch, an iron, a heat gun, or other tools.

Encaustic allows for a variety of effects, including layering, texture, and mixed media. Artists can carve into the wax, create texture with various tools, and even embed objects or collage materials within the layers. The wax can be translucent or opaque, depending on the desired effect. One of the advantages of encaustic is its durability and resistance to moisture.

encaustic hot wax tins

Latest Blog Posts

At All Things Encaustic, you’ll find encaustic hot wax painting tips and tutorials. I invite you to join the conversation by sharing your insights and experiences in the comments.

How to Choose and Prepare the Best Substrate for Encaustic Painting

How to Choose and Prepare the Best Substrate for Encaustic Painting

How to Choose the Best Substrate for Encaustic Painting Encaustic painting, is an art form that demands careful consideration of your substrate. The surface you choose can make or, quite literally, break the durability and success of your encaustic painting, …
How to start a sketchbook

How to Start a Sketchbook: Building Your Visual Vocabulary

Start a sketchbook as a tool for exploration and growth, helping you experiment with mark-making and develop your visual vocabulary …
Painting Intuitively, Not Impulsively

Painting Intuitively, Not Impulsively

Painting intuitively is creating art led by inner guidance and intentional choices rather than reacting impulsively without active thought …
5 tips for Making Peace with Air Bubbles in Encaustic Art

5 Tips for Making Peace with Air Bubbles in Encaustic Art

When fusing, air bubbles from the substrate rise up through the wax and cause tiny pinholes on the surface of the encaustic painting. Air bubbles are a common challenge, but they don’t have to be a source of frustration. Achieving …
Suminagashi Paper Marbling

Suminagashi Paper Marbling

How to Create Stunning Suminagashi Patterns on Paper Suminagashi, which translates to “floating ink,” is an ancient Japanese marbling technique that creates mesmerizing patterns on paper by floating sumi ink on the surface of water. This meditative art form, dating …
Using a Gelli Arts Plate To Create Collage Papers For Encaustic

Using A Gelli Plate To Create Collage Papers For Encaustic

This post walks you through everything you need to create collage papers with a Gelli Arts Printing Plate using acrylic-free encaustic-compatible products. Disclosure: Gelli Arts sent me a plate to review for this blog post. Gelatin Printing & Encaustic Collage …
encaustic underpainting with a stay-wet palette

Encaustic Underpainting using a Stay-Wet Palette

What is Encaustic Underpainting? In art, an underpainting is a foundational layer of paint applied to a ground. When working in layers an underpainting serves as a base for the final painting, providing structure and helping to establish the basic …
Cardboard as a substrate for encaustic painting

Cardboard as a Substrate for Encaustic Painting

Cardboard as a Substrate for Art I first thought of using cardboard as a substrate because I had a couple of frames that weren’t standard sizes. By cutting and gluing back together strips of cardboard I was able to fashion …

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