The start

On the substrate I sketch/transfer the image.



About to add color from my homemade colors melted down into a muffin pan. My other tools include

a woodburning versa tool with a hot brush attachment,reference photo and a tuna can of soy wax for cleaning the brush in between colors.



 Initial phase

Check back to see more progress photos and final product.

Substrates



Substrates are what you paint on. Encaustic needs a rigid surface so that the wax does not crack from movement over time. Traditionally, encaustic was painted on wood panels by Greek artists when they painted portraits to be places on peoples' tombs when they died. If you look up Fayum portraits you will see the beautiful portraits done by these artists. Today we have more options for what we can paint on. My personal favorite is encausticbord by Ampersand.


 Its a great surface designed for encaustic. My second favorite is a cradled birch wood panel.



This is a great more affordable alternative to encausticbord since it is cheaper and work great. Other suitable surfaces are claybord by ampersand



 and even watercolor paper( thick paper only). Other artists have experimented with surfaces such as plexiglass, metal,etc.The  R&F company has a list of substrates suitable for encaustic. Check the link below for more details. Stay tuned for the next post when we will get started painting!

Surfaces