Encaustic Wax

[FrankenMUD]

Hey All,

 

I am total getting ready to use encaustic wax to finish off a sculpture. Any helpful hints how to use it for a surface decoration and texture? Should I just start off with color? or place a layer of wax medium first?

 

I know it is not glaze but hey! I just got try it!

 

Any books or articles out there?

 

Help!

[Guest Michael Kline]

Hey All,

 

I am total getting ready to use encaustic wax to finish off a sculpture. Any helpful hints how to use it for a surface decoration and texture? Should I just start off with color? or place a layer of wax medium first?

 

I know it is not glaze but hey! I just got try it!

 

Any books or articles out there?

 

Help!

 

Hey FrankenMud!

 

I'm assuming you're talking about parafin? I would be cautious about how hot you heat the wax and also be careful about vapors. Have good ventilation. I have used parafin as a resist but not as a finished surface. I hope this helps you explore that wonderful medium.

 

Michael

[Guest Michael Kline]

Just found this link about a book on the stuff!

[Guest Michael Kline]

This just in from FB and Katherine Meacham,

 

 

I mix paraffin and bees wax. The paraffin is clear but brittle, the bees wax is opaque but flexible. I mix in oil pastels or oil paint to get my colors. You must wear a respirator when working with this!

[Christine]

I'm not sure how you will be using the wax on your sculptures, but there are a couple of articles on Ceramic Arts Daily under "Ceramic Decorating Techniques" which you might find useful

[Lucy]

Adrien Arleo does a lot of wax encaustic on her ceramics and I attended one of her classes. She uses a yellow or bleached beeswax, melted, and oil paint to tint (optional). She heats hers in soup cans sitting in water in a hot plate burner - outside and using a vapor respirator. She c-clamps the cans to the side of the hot plate so they don't float around in the water, possibly tipping over. She adds Demar Varnish (sp?) as a hardener. She uses a natural bristle brush to put on piece (nylon bristles will melt). And she uses a heat gun to melt the wax into the piece a bit.

[pent19]

I would be very interested in seeing the final results of this! As an artist I work in 2 mediums-clay and encaustics. I am on a clay kick right now and my encaustic equipment gathers dust on the other end of my studio. However I was eyeballing my encaustics and beginning to toy with some ideas.

I have used beeswax, colored pigment (from RandF Encaustic or DickBlick.com). I received a grant years ago to purchase equipment so I have a legit and safe set up. I use a heated metal palette and an electric burner underneath. I have an asst. of muffin tins on top with colors (25% pigment 75% beeswax.) I am pretty straightforward with my approach. (melted wax with pigment straight to canvas or masonite) because I love the texture and visercal affect of this medium. I assume you are applying this bisqueware? i don't think the wax would adhere well to a glazed piece.

I would assume you are applying it to bisque I would fuse the first layer of wax to the piece. Apply a layer of wax then use a heat gun or handheld iron tool to work the wax into the bisque using a circular motion. That should help prevent it fro flaking or popping off in the future.

I also purchase y beeswax in large quantities from a local beekeeper for a fraction of the cost of what you would pay in a store or online. Since my set up is pretty safe i just have an open window for ventalation. It takes at least an hour for my wax to melt and i keep my heat settings on low. I hope this helps!