Masonite

Back of Panel

Hollow core Panel

Twin Cartridge Particle Mask

Painting Implements

Muffin tins & Griddle

Chapter Contents:

Painting surface: Boards, mounted canvas, alternatives
Grounds: Gesso, Oil, Acrylic, gold leaf, flake white (Crementz or lead white), and tinted grounds
Dry pigment: Sources, precautions
Making Encaustic paint: Pigment, Wax, and peculiarities
Tools and Equipment: Hot plate, heat guns, heat lamps, others
Safety: Hazardous materials, fire, others
The Medium: Wax, water-wax, oil-wax, commercial products
Drawing materials: WC and Oil crayon, carving and scraping tools
Varnishes: Wax and none
Presentation: Frame, edge, none
Alternatives and Future use: Giclee printmaking, simple means

Any discussion of encaustic painting begins with the painting surface. Because encaustic is not flexible at cooler temperatures, a rigid surface is necessary. Masonite, sometimes called pressed board or hardboard is a standard. Becoming more popular recently, is the hollow core door. It offers rigidity and light weight as well as stability - by comparison to the old wooden panels of more than 50 years ago. I had a professor say that the old masters would abandon all their linen, canvas and wooden panels for a good hollow core door.

The panel should have rounded edges to prevent or lessen the possibility of chipping the encaustic paint layer. This can be accomplished by sanding or shaping with a rasp. Finish sanding prepares the surface to be sealed. There are commercial sealers, but an easy solution is several coats of lacquer - thinned with 10 parts lacquer thinner to one part lacquer. It soaks into the board and makes it waterproof. An unsealed board can leach out color and chemicals that can darken the painting over time. After sealing, a gesso layer is added to stabilize the surface and make a sand-able surface that can be prepared to receive paint. Gesso should be painted on the back of the masonite to keep drying and shrinking gesso from causing the surface to cup or dish. The back may be completely covered or a simple X may be painted to simulate the tension applied to the surface.

When the desired surface is reached, the paint may be heated in muffin tins or cupcake tins - one color and wax added to each cup. Practice will show the correct proportion, but I begin with about 1 part pigment to 4 parts bees wax by volume. The muffin tins are then placed in a low pan with water in it and then on to a hot plate or pancake griddle. It is best to add the pigment to the molten wax. [For safety and to keep from breathing the toxic pigments, wear a double canister mask while handling and mixing the pigment into the molten wax.]

Light colors are slow to become molten, dark are the quickest. You will have to learn how these differences affect working with colors together. Paint may be placed on the board by using: old stiff painting brushes, painting knives, carving tools, wooden dowels, sticks and spatulas. ,

The board surface may also be heated on a hot plate, and the paint layer worked by means of reheating with a heat gun, heat lamp - or even by placing under a broiler in a oven for a few seconds. A hair dryer that reaches high heat with little air may also be used, but they tend to burn out with prolonged use.