Encaustic Demo

[ladyjarhead]

How do you get your beeswax to go on so smooth? If you do not mind me asking, what do you use for your medium? I am pretty new to this encaustic painting and i am not getting mine to go on smooth like this. I really do love your work, wish you had some more videos and sound so i can know what you are explaining. I hope to be as good as you!!

[amyroyce]

It takes practice to get wax to flow smoothly. Personally, I am not too concerned with it until finishing the piece-I like texture, so I tend to want more of it! However, if I want it glassy smooth, I use a combo of even brushstrokes that don't overlap, then fuse, and scrape the high spots with razor blades, scraping tools. I've seen people use japanese bamboo brushes to get an even flow of wax. I make medium using recipes found in the great encaustic instruction books out there-good luck!

[salowasalzer]

Oh I really like this one!

[Scattycrafter]

don't you have to be really careful with the torch. I would be scared of scorching my canvas/ block/paper

[amyroyce]

Hi there,

you definitely have to be careful, especially with paper or if there is no wax covering a section of the canvas or board. You do develop a feel for how quickly to pass the torch over the piece but ALWAYS follow safety precautions and have a fire extinguisher within reach, just in case. You can use a heat gun or iron if the torch scares you but you definitely have to be aware that it too could catch something on fire if improperly handled.

[humanpaintball88]

Amy, I'm new to encaustic art and I had a question....

What was the black paint-like material you put on the piece near the end?

Thanks!

[amyroyce]

Hi there,

You're right-it is paint! Oil paint to be specific. You can use just about any oil based media (never acrylic) to approach encaustic in a mixed media way. In this case, I am filling the lines and divots in the texture with the oil paint and then wiping off the excess. Creates more depth and interest in my opinion. I also use oil bars to do this. Have fun!

[mogodbeer]

Just wondered if the blow torch makes much difference to the work than the heat gun? I use a heat gun but wonder if blow torch is better?

[amyroyce]

Thanks for your question. Both torch and heat gun work well, just depends how intense you want the heat. The torch is more intense and quicker to fuse the wax but if you're not careful you can blow it out too much and destroy brushstrokes/texture you may have wanted to keep. I am growing to prefer the torch because it's so fast and find I use the heat gun less and less.

[mogodbeer]

Thanks for answering, I am using a heat gun at the moment. I like it but just wondered if it made a lot of difference. Have you used any waxes other than beeswax. I am picking your brain hope you don't mind.

[amyroyce]

Beeswax has "give" and flexibility, unlike paraffin which can be brittle. Other natural waxes like carnauba can be added in in small proportions. Some artists still like to add a bit of paraffin too. Some great references for experimenting with the ratios of waxes and damar are: Joanne Mattera's "The Art of Encaustic Painting" and Linda Womack's "Embracing Encaustic". By testing different mixes you'll discover what works best for you! Have fun!

[EarthsGirl]

WOW! That's great!

I wish I could paint like you, Aunt Amy!

[amyroyce]

Thanks, I made this vid in about 20 minutes to accompany an artist talk about my work. It was meant to be a supplement to the talk. I'll keep in mind making a more comprehensive video with sound. FYI, this particular panel that I was working on eventually materialized into a painting of a horse-though usually I keep things quite abstract. Thanks for looking.

[giantteeth]

That was cool - I wish I could hear her speaking about what she's doing, though!

[Magnum3579]

with this - you call yourself "artist" ?