"Lane" (heavy impasto)

"Courtyard" (thinly painted)

"Red Bowl" encaustic mixed media

"Bowl of Cherries" Encaustic mixed media with Gold Leaf

Paint may be applied directly as in the examples "Lane" and "Courtyard" without an under-painting. In "Lane" the paint was placed on a cool surface. It cools and dries almost immediately. In "Courtyard" the paint was placed on a hot surface, that made it thin, and allowed working the wet paint as the plate and wax cooled.

In "Red Bowl" and "Bowl of Cherries" there is an under-painting of acrylic paint, to establish an under-paint layer and add detail where encaustic is difficult to manage. The rich high pigment encaustic paint is then added to enrich colors and accent the image and rich textures. Watercolor may also be used as an under-painting medium. Some people use oil and wax, but there seems to be a difficult affinity between them.

There are commercial mixtures of wax and solvents (Dorlin's for instance) designed to make the paint mixable at room temperature. As they are exposed to the air the solvent evaporates and the wax layer hardens. These are easiest, but they contribute solvent problems to the process [they can darken and react with some pigments to change the eventual appearance. Like most conveniences they come at a cost.]

An acceptable substitute can be produced by using a blender and hot water to blend wax and water into a paste. Pigment may be mixed with this suspension, and used quickly before the water evaporates.

Varnish is unnecessary for encaustic paintings. Wax, with a positive charge tends to repulse dust and lint. An additional layer of clear wax may be added to help protect against abrasion, but is not necessary. This is an appropriate place for the commercial wax paste. At most the painting may need an occasional buffing with a soft cloth to enhance or polish the surface, but even that is rarely done. Unlike oil paintings the varnish or paint layer does not darken or yellow with age. Ancient encaustic sarcophagus paintings show no signs of age. They appear to have been painted in recent times.

Frames are optional, since the 3 dimensional nature of the work serves to give the painting weight - but a frame with a raised lip will prevent most surface damage if the painting is subject to bumps in handling.

Giclee prints are a good way to capture the color and texture of the original encaustic. The high saturated color translates well into that medium.