EncausticsWeek 5

Grade 7 & 8Debora Supplitt M.Ed.

What is Encaustics?

Encaustics is painting with melted bees wax

Egypt is on the North-Eastern Tip of Africa

Most of these portrait mummies were found in the Egyptian Fayum Valley

In Egypt the Fayum Valley is located in the lower Egypt west of the Nile River

Why might this be important?

Route of the Ancient GreeksRoute of the Romans

These portraits were placed on the deceased persons mummy

Egyptian Art

Picture of Ancient EgyptiansPicture of Egyptian Greco-Romans

Three Cultures or Multi-culture

Egypt used Encaustic for Funeral Portraits

Coptic Art

Fayum Mummy Portraits date from 300 BCE to 160 CE

Encaustic Fayum Mummy Portrait

Fayum mummy portraits are the first documented form of Encaustic Art

Look at the portraits what do you see?

What can you tell about this person?Notice the hair style

Egyptian Possibly Greco Egyptian-Greco Roman

What do you notice about these people?What might their life been like?

What might be some similar things that this person did in his life that you do today?

Modern Encaustic Artist

Jasper Johns

Diego Rivera

Encaustics and Gold Gilding Mural

Encaustiko is Greek which means to burn in

The brushes we use for encaustics are all natural animal hair.

• Any acrylic, nylon, teklon, or synthetic material would melt in the heat.

• Use inexpensive brushes• One brush per color or clean your brush really

good between colors.

Clean your brushPractice good brush hygiene

• Place brush on the heat palette• Melt extra wax off• Wipe excess off with a • paper towel

Fuse the layers of wax together with a heat tool

• Heat tools are held at a distance from the surface of the wax.• Gently move the heat tool from side to side

melting to only a glisten. • DO NOT OVER FUSE TO CREATE A RUNNING

MELTED WAX MESS!• Every layer needs to be fused to the layer

underneath

Incising is to cut and scrape into the picture creating lines

• Incising creates lines, definition and can reveal layers under the top layer

Karl Kaiser’s Encaustic Work

Other heat sources you can useDedicated “NO HOLE” Iron

Embellishing Encaustics• Pearl Ex powders• Gilding• Joss paperThis must be done on the top layer and fused in.

Transferring images

• Must be toner based• Heat wax first• Place transfer image face down• Words need to be revered prior to placing down to

read correctly• What can you transfer? Anything that is toner based• Use a wooden spoon or spoon to rub image onto wax

surface• Use water to wet back to dampen and remove paper.

Tweezers and dip into mediumPlace image on board and fuse

Mono Printing

• Draw image directly onto heat palette• Drop rice paper, tissue paper, or thin paper onto

image.• Rub the back surface to make sure all the wax

has been soaked into the paper.• Lift off from the corner• You may be able to get a second print.• Paper can be applied to a substrate after

finishing with PVA adhesive.

Medium is another name for the melted wax

• Most premixed medium come already prepared with 6-1 Damar resin.

• Damar resin is a hardening agent that allows the wax to dry to a solid state.

Only use metal containers on the heat palettes

• Only use dedicated muffin tins, or loaf pans. • It has been suggested not to use tuna or cat

food cans.• I use them with wooden clothes pins.

Only transport encaustic medium with a hot pot holder. Or ask for help.

Encaustic Gesso is non acrylic based using chalk as the foundation

• Absorbent materials are needed to create on.• Hand made papers can be a good choice• No pre stretched canvas’s these have acrylic

gesso and the wax will fall off.

Dipping images to embed in a painting

• Use needle nose tweezers.• Image paper will disappear once placed.• Cut excess paper off before dipping.

The plate thermometer needs to always hover around 200 degrees

• Fire extinguisher is handy• Ventilation, open door, fan blowing outside to

take exhaust out of room.

ProcessWood substrate

Melted waxColored or Clear

Paint with waxAdd color to melted wax by mixing dry pigments

• http://www.womackworkshops.com/getting-started/

Add color to picture by using oil pastels

Process of Encaustics

• Step one Warm Board with heat tool• Apply one even coat of clear wax for the base

coat.• Fuse together (melt wax just to shinny

glimmer)• DO NOT OVER FUSE to a Liquid mess.• Add color, layers, texture.

Safety• Keep heat tray or palettes at 200 degrees.NO HOTTER!DO NOT TOUCH THE DIAL Only adult hand can regulate the temperature.• If the tray or your piece starts to smokeSTOP, UNPLUG, and WAITNever let anything smokeSMOKE IS BAD!

Be Safe, paint safe, bee creative!