Encaustic Painting - Frequently Asked Questions

Many customers approach us hoping to get insight about our products and the painting process. In an effort to address the most commonly asked questions !e"#e created this inde$%

Getting Started Questions:

&hat 'upplies (o I )eed *o 'tart Painting+ &hat 'ubstrates (o I ,se For &a$ Painting+ Are *here Any -ealth .r 'afety /uidelines+ &hat Is Fusing+ &hat Is &a$ Medium+ &hat Is 'lick &a$+ &hat *ypes .f 0rushes 1an I ,se In Encaustic+ &hat Is *he 0est &orking *emperature For Encaustic Paints+ (oes Enkaustikos 'ell Palettes For Encaustic ,se+ 1an Encaustic 0e ,sed For 2ealism+

Painting Technique Questions:

-o! (o I 1lean My 0rushes And 'tore My Paint 0et!een ,se+ Are 0lo! *orches 'afe *o ,se+ 1an I ,se A -air (ryer *o Fuse+ How Do I Mix Colors In Encaustic? -o! (o I Prime My 'urface+ -o! (o I 1reate A /la3e+ -o! Is 'craping4Incising (one+ -o! (o I 1reate (ifferent 'urfaces+ -o! (o I 1ollage In Encaustic+ I"m A Mi$ed Media Artist &hat *ypes of Products 1an I ,se In 1ombination &ith Encaustic+

Technical Product Questions:

Are Encaustic Paintings Permanent+ &ill My Painting 5ast .#er *he 6ears+ 1an &ooden 0oards Primed !ith /esso 0e ,sed+ (o 6ou 2ecommend 1laybord For Encaustic+ -o! (o I (etermine If A 'ubstrate Is 'uitable+ &hat"s 7*he Free3er *est7+ &hy (o 6ou (o *he Free3er *est+ (o 6ou -a#e E$amples of 'ubstrates *hat Failed *he Free3er *est+ &hat (oes It 5ook 5ike+ Is *here More *han .ne *ype .f Microcrystalline &a$+ -o! (oes Enkaustikos 'elect *heir Pigments ,sed In *he 1olor 5ine+ &hat Are *he &orking Properties .f Encaustic Paints+ -o! (o I 8no! &hen *he 'lick &a$ Is )o 5onger /ood+ -o! 5ong (oes It 5ast+ Pigment &arnings9 'pecifically Prussian 0lue Is It 'afe+ &hat *ype .f Mill (oes Enkaustikos ,se+

-o! (oes *he Pigment 5oad of Enkaustikos Paints 1ompare *o .ther 0rands+ &hat Is A 'ingle Pigment Paint And &hy 'hould I 1are+ &hat Is *he (ifference 0et!een :( and .riginal &a$ Medium+

Company, Retailer, & Purchasing Questions:

&ho (o I *alk *o For Painting .r Product Questions+ -o! (o I 5ocate A 2etailer 1arrying Enkaustikos Products+ &hy 1an"t I 0uy From EncausticPaints.com+ &hat (o I (o If I &ant A Product .n *he &ebsite 0ut My 5ocal 'tore (oesn"t -a#e It+ &hat (o I (o If I &ant *o Purchase 2efills 0ut My 5ocal 'tore (oesn"t .ffer *hem+ I )eed 0ulk 'i3es of 6our Paints or 'undries &hat (o I (o+ 1an I .rder From Enkaustikos (irectly+ &here 1an I Find Enkaustikos 6ou*ube ;ideos+ -o! 1an I 'ign ,p *o 0e .n *he Mailing 5ist+ (oes Enkaustikos -a#e A 1atalog+ &here 1an I (o!nload *he Enkaustikos 1olor 1hart+ &hat Makes Enkaustikos Paints (ifferent From .ther 0rands+ (o 6ou 8no! .f Any (emonstrations .r &orkshops+ 'till ha#e a question+ 'end an email to info<encausticpaints.com

What Supplies Do !eed To Start Painting"

6ou can start !ith the necessities and then add more tools or paints as you get more comfortable !ith the medium. &e recommend you !atch our youtube #ideo !here 8athryn !alks you through the basic supplies and check out our safety guidelines !ebpage to help get you acquainted !ith studio recommendations. A checklist for beginners9 A hot palette. Pancake griddles are easily affordable at department stores and !ork !ell for encaustic use. &a$ paints. 'tart !ith the basic color palette primary colors to get a handle on color mi$ing techniques and then add additional colors as you go. &a$ Medium. *his is used for basecoats topcoats e$tending colors and gla3ing. 'lick &a$. *his is our non-sol#ent cleaner used for cleaning your palette and brushes. A heat gun or heat lamp for fusing your paint layers. -og bristle brushes. Paper to!els. 'ubstrates that are compatible !ith encaustic. Optional: A variety of tools such as scrapers, pottery loops, or picks are also nice to have on han if you woul like to try scrapin! or incisin! effects" #hese tools are easy to fin at your local art supply store or you $ay even have the$ in your stu io alrea y"

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What Su#strates Do $se %or Wa& Painting"

&e typically recommend you use substrates that are absorbent and rigid such as !ood panels and masonite =fiber board>. -o!e#er many of today?s artists are !orking on museum board and @AAlb !atercolor papers as !ell. 'ince artists are e$perimenting all the time !e?#e actually disco#ered that many artists are e#en using light!eight !atercolor and printmaking papers. Artists that !ork in thin layers or !ho do encaustic monoprints are !orking on #ery thin almost transparent =yet strong> Bapanese rice papers. 'o it seems that it is key that substrates are absorbent. *his e#en includes cotton can#as mounted to a board ungla3ed ceramic and lo!fired bisque!are. 'o you can see there are plenty of options a#ailable to artists !hen it comes to choosing a substrate. 8eep in mind of course that using a traditional gesso made from rabbit skin glue and precipitated chalk !ill pro#ide a nice absorbent surface to !ork on !hile acrylic based gesso is not compatible !ith the encaustic process. &a$ paint simply !ill not bond to the acrylic polymer and the !a$ paint could flake off the substrate. *his is more likely to happen !hen the art!ork is transported from a hot region to a cold region and #ice #ersa. *he best !ay to determine !hether a substrate is suitable for encaustic is by doing 7*he Free3er *est7.

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're There 'ny (ealth )r Sa%ety Guidelines"

As !ith all art mediums health and safety concerns must al!ays be addressed. Encaustic painting is sol#ent-free eliminating the need for turpentine mineral spirits or oily rags in the studio. An encaustic studio should be set up Cust like an oil or acrylic painting studio !ith good #entilation and circulation of fresh air. An ideal encaustic studio should ha#e an open !indo! to allo! the entry of fresh air and an e$haust fan near or abo#e your hot palette to remo#e fumes. .f course common sense caution should be e$ercised !hen !orking !ith any of the heated equipment like the hot palette or heat gun. .ur paints are artist quality therefore !e do not recommend our paints for children under the age of DE because our paints are made !ith artist grade pigments. A good !orking temperature for the !a$ paint is bet!een DFA-DGF degrees Fahrenheit. *his !orking temperature is e$tremely important !hen !orking !ith encaustic paints as it !ill allo! you to a#oid creating fumes and help maintain the paint"s integrity. It is a fact that many encaustic artists use blo! torches. *his is a bad idea and should al!ays be a#oided. *orching your art !ill create unnecessary fumes and accelerates the decomposition of your bees!a$. Please refer to our 'afety /uidelines listed on the !ebsite and read the Material 'afety (ata 'heets a#ailable for our products.
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What s *using"

Although !a$ paint is applied in layers paintings require intermittent fusing to merge the layers together. *hat is fusing as you !ork simply means to apply heat to allo! each layer to soften enough in order to merge !ith the pre#ious or subsequent layers. 6ou need to form one single paint film and fusing !ill do that for you. *o fuse !e recommend using hot air guns. -ot air guns can be easily found at your local department store and many encaustic painters use the &agner model -*DAAA !hich typically sells for HEF to H@A. It is a lo! cost in#estment and you !ill be using this tool frequently as you paint. *ake note that hair dryers are not suitable for fusing as they simply do not get hot enough to fuse the paint layers properly. &e recommend you check out our youtube #ideo that features the fusing process if you !ould like to see ho! it is performed.

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What s Wa& +edium"

Enkaustikos &a$ Medium is made from ,nited 'tates Pharmaceutical /rade 0ees!a$ and (amar 2esin. &a$ Medium is used for a #ariety of purposes !hen it comes to encaustic painting. It can be used as a topcoat a basecoat or e#en used to create a te$tured surface. 6ou can also add it to your !a$ paints to increase the transparency of colors for gla3ing techniques or use it to mi$ in your o!n pigments for custom colors. &a$ Medium can e#en be used for collaging techniques. &e manufacturer t!o different types of &a$ Medium9 .riginal and :( !hich contains e$tra damar to gi#e it a stickier tack and thicker consistency. 1heck out our 6ou*ube channel to see demonstrations on gla3ing priming and e#en collaging.

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What s Slic, Wa&"

'lick &a$ is our unique synthetic cleaning formula that is designed to clean your encaustic brushes tools and palette. 'lick &a$ eliminates the need for any type of sol#ent in your studio. 'lick &a$ !ill remo#e !a$ paint colors from your brushes in bet!een color changes and allo! you to keep your hot palette clean bet!een color mi$ing techniques. 'imply ha#e a melted tin of 'lick &a$ on your palette and dip your brushes into it to get rid of e$cess paint. After dipping your brush in the 'lick &a$ !ipe off the e$cess !ith a paper to!el and get right back to painting. 0y using 'lick &a$ you can a#oid color contamination and make nice clean color mi$es%

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What Type o% -rushes Can #e $sed .ith /ncaustics"

&e recommend you use short-handled natural bristle brushes. A#oid synthetic brushes because they may burn !hile !orking !ith heat. -og-haired brushes like slotted brushes or goat-haired

brushes like -ake brushes are great for encaustic. 8eep in mind that your brushes need to stay solely for encaustic use as you !ill ne#er completely remo#e all the !a$ from the bristles. 'lick &a$ is a great product to use to clean your brushes bet!een color changes or uses.

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What s The -est Wor,ing Temperature *or /ncaustic Paints"

*he best temperature for heating your -ot 1akes is bet!een DFA-DGF degrees Fahrenheit. *his !ill allo! you to maintain the integrity of the paint and a#oid creating fumes. 0e sure to re#ie! our safety guidelines.

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Does /n,austi,os Sell Palettes %or /ncaustic $se"

At the current time Enkaustikos does not sell hot palettes. &e recommend that artists simply purchase an affordable electric cooking griddle from a department store. 1ooking griddles !ork nicely in encaustic and are a small in#estment for those Cust starting off in encaustic. .ur local retail stores sell cooking griddles for as little as HEA to H@A,'(. &e ha#e found that these griddles !ork perfectly fine as encaustic palettes and 8athryn can be seen using one in our 6ou*ube #ideos.

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Can /ncaustic -e $sed *or Realism"

*his is one of the most common questions !e recei#e from customers Cust learning about the encaustic medium and the ans!er is--yes%% Encaustic painting does not limit you !hen it comes to the subCect matter. 5ook at the famous Faiyum Mummy portraits of 2oman Egypt. *hese portraits !ere so like-life they !ere often placed o#er the mummies themsel#es. &e suggest you take a look at our Featured Artist section as !ell to see !hat other artists are doing !ith this medium. *here are a lot of different possibilities you can do !ith encaustic%

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(o. Do Clean +y -rushes 'nd Store +y Paint"

&hen you"re done !ith your painting session Cust turn off the heated palette lea#e the !a$ in your brushes and co#er your tins !hen the paint cools. It"s that simple. *he tins !ill keep your paints safe and dust-free during storage !hile the !a$ paint on your brushes !ill keep the bristles intact. *he ne$t time you !ant to paint all you ha#e to do is re-heat the palette to reacti#ate the !a$. 6ou must remember that the brushes you decide to use must be dedicated solely to encaustic. .nce they are used in the !a$ paint you !ill ne#er completely get the !a$ out of the bristles so Cust ha#e brushes set aside for your encaustic paintings only. &e do recommend using 'lick &a$ to clean the e$cess paint off your brushes bet!een color changes so that you do not need one brush per color. *he use of 'lick &a$ !ill help you to pre#ent color contamination. *o be e$tra clean you can also use 'lick &a$ on your palette to clean it off !hen you"re done color mi$ing or painting.

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're -lo. Torches Sa%e To $se"

It is a fact that many encaustic artists use blo! torches. *his is a bad idea and should al!ays be a#oided. *orching your art !ill create unnecessary fumes and accelerates the decomposition of your bees!a$. *o fuse !e recommend using hot air guns instead. -ot air guns can be easily found at your local department store and many encaustic painters use the &agner model -*DAAA !hich typically sells for HEF to H@A.
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Can $se ' (air Dryer To *use"

-air dryers are not suitable for fusing because they do not get hot enough to properly fuse paint layers. &e recommend using a hot air gun.
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(o. do +i& Colors in /ncaustic"

1lick here to !atch an informati#e #ideo on color mi$ing%
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(o. do Prime my Sur%ace"

1lick here to !atch an informati#e #ideo on priming%
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(o. do Create a Gla0e"

1lick here to !atch an informati#e #ideo on creating gla3es%
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(o. is Scraping1 ncising Done"

1lick here to !atch an informati#e #ideo on scraping%
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(o. Do Create Di%%erent Sur%aces"

1lick here to !atch an informati#e #ideo on creating surfaces%
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(o. Do Collage in /ncaustic"

1lick here to !atch an informati#e #ideo on encaustic collaging%
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2m ' +i&ed +edia 'rtist, What Types o% Products Can $se n Com#ination With /ncaustic"

Mi$ed media artists can e$plore using a #ariety of products !ith encaustic. Paint sticks graphite pastels oil pastels and oil bars are a fe! e$amples that you can use on top of encaustic paintings to create unique looks. 6ou can also collage !ith encaustic by taking obCects like Bapanese papers origami gold leaf ne!sprint photographs and4or plant materials and encapsulating them in &a$ Medium. &atch our 6out*ube #ideo to see 8athryn demonstrating mi$ed media techniques.
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're /ncaustic Paintings Permanent" Will +y Painting 3ast )4er The 5ears"
Encaustic paints are perhaps the most durable form of painting. &a$ itself is inherently moisture milde! and mold resistant as !ell as unappeti3ing to insects. *he !a$ paint film you create on your paintings !ill successfully seal out moisture acids dirt and e#en atmospheric gases. *he artist grade pigments used !ithin our paints !ill also not fade o#er time nor !ill the !a$ yello!. As !ith any piece of art!ork encaustic paintings shouldn"t be displayed in direct sunlight and to dust the painting be sure to use a soft cloth. If properly cared for encaustic paintings !ill last the test of time. 'imply look at the EAAA-year-old Faiyum Mummy Portaits currently on display in museums. *hese portraits ha#e strikingly beautiful finishes and ha#e not cracked or darkened o#er time despite their age. .ne of the best qualities of encaustic paint is the fact that any encaustic painting can be re!orked at anytime if gi#en the addition of heat. )o matter if you decide to retouch your painting a !eek a month or e#en years from no! you can. 6ou can e#en scrape all the paint off the surface if you decide you !ant to start completely o#er. It"s a !onderful quality of encaustic paint and in fact a reason !hy many artists ha#e fallen in lo#e !ith the medium. 5earn more about encaustic paint by #isiting our history !ebpage.
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Can Wooden -oards Primed With Gesso -e $sed"

&a$ paints do not bond !ell !ith acrylic gesso. -o!e#er

linen
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are

suitable

if

boards !rapped !ith cotton or left unprimed.

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-air dryers are not suitable for fusing because they do not get hot enough to properly fuse paint layers. &e recommend using a hot air gun.
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-air dryers are not suitable for fusing because they do not get hot enough to properly fuse paint layers. &e recommend using a hot air gun.
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Do 5ou Recommend Clay#ord *or /ncaustic"

)o !e do not recommend 1laybord for encaustic. At one point !e did highly recommended it and !e still ha#e do3ens of beautiful samples that !e painted on claybord o#er DI years ago that are in impeccable shape e#en today. -o!e#er the manufacturer of 1laybord has since changed something in their manufacturing process that has affected its suitability for encaustic use. *he images belo! sho!s some of the incompatibility issues that encaustic paint has !ith 1laybord. Initially encaustic paints seem to adhere and absorb nicely into the clay surface. 6et for some reason unkno!n to us after about a !eek the !a$ paint seems to detach itself from the clay surface and shears off cleanly. *his is a good e$ample of !hy encaustic artists should test any ne! type of substrates before in#esting time and paint into a proCect.

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(o. Do Determine % ' Su#strate s Suita#le" What2s 6The *ree0er Test6"

*he best !ay to determine !hether a substrate is suitable for encaustic painting is to do 7*he Free3er *est7. *he free3er test should be done before you start painting on any ne! unfamiliar surfaces to ensure they are compatible !ith encaustic. Apply a layer or t!o of &a$ Medium or !a$ paint o#er the substrate you are questioning and then burn it in to make sure it is properly fused to the surface of the substrate. Allo! it to cool for a couple of hours then place it in your free3er. A day or t!o later take the substrate out of your free3er and toss it on the floor. )ot Cust once se#eral times. /i#e it a fe! e$tra taps and then inspect it. Aside from the dented corners if the substrate is suitable the paint !ill still be completely intact. If you find any paint chipping off completely e$posing the substrate then it is not suitable for encaustic painting. &hy

do

this

test+

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Why Do 5ou $se 6The *ree0er Test6"

One of the reasons we o the %&ree'er #est% is (ecause artwork $ust (e transporta(le fro$ your stu io to your !allery an fro$ the !allery to the (uyer of your artwork" Artwork is typically shippe (y )*+ or &e Ex across the country as well as across the (or er" ,our artwork $ust not only survive rou!h han lin! (y the truck rivers (ut also survive the constantly chan!in! te$perature shifts" ,our artwork coul possi(ly sit in the (ack of a elivery truck where it can reach --. e!rees if shippe fro$ the +outh an a ay later, (e expose to su( 'ero te$peratures if shippe to a /,C !allery in 0anuary or &e(ruary" 1y oin! the

%&ree'er #est% you can feel $ore confi ent that your paintin! will last the ship$ent (ecause you teste the su(strate to (e encaustic co$pati(le" 1e sure to check out our exa$ple su(strates of ones that have faile %#he &ree'er #est% to see what coul happen if you use the wron! type of su(strate" 2henever you are tryin! out a new type of su(strate, we reco$$en you o the test to ensure co$pati(ility"
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Do You Have Examples Of Substrates That Have Failed "The Freezer Test"? What Does It oo! i!e?
,es, the i$a!e (elow is a sa$ple of 2allis Museu$ 3ra e *astel *aper" 2e ha hear that a few encaustic artists were workin! with this $aterial so we eci e to test it" At first appearance, it see$e like the perfect encaustic su(strate especially when we (e!an to layer paint on it" #he !ritty surface see$e to offer the perfect $echanical a hesion for the encaustic paint" )nfortunately, the acrylic coatin! that a heres the alu$inu$ oxi e 4!ivin! this paper its !rit5 also prevents the wax fro$ a(sor(in! into the paper so as you can see fro$ this i$a!e ,the paint actually chippe co$pletein! off the paper after oin! %#he &ree'er #est%" #he surface (eneath is so white where the paint chippe off it looks like it was never painte on to (e!in with" Can you i$a!ine shippin! your artwork to a /,C !allery in the winter $onths an havin! the$ open the crate to fin your paint layer sittin! in the (otto$ of the (ox? Or,worse, havin! the !allery ship a sol paintin! (y &e Ex to a collector an havin! the custo$er open the (ox to iscover your paintin! in this con ition? #his hol s true for any acrylic !esso pri$e canvas an (oar s" 2e $ust stress that you shoul always test the suita(ility of a su(strate (efore you (e!in paintin! in or er to avoi this situation fro$ happenin! to your artwork" *lease note, we are not pickin! on 2allis *astel *aper as it is (y far the $ost popular pastel paper on the planet"""however, it is 6ust not suita(le for encaustic use" #his is a !reat exa$ple of why %#he &ree'er #est% is so (eneficial to o"

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s There +ore Than )ne Type )% +icrocrystalline Wa&"

Microcrystalline &a$ is deri#ed from petroleum oil. &a$ refiners purchase the hea#y distillates !hich ha#e been remo#ed during the production of lubricant oil and refine it to produce microcrystalline !a$. Microcrystalline !a$ is a#ailable in se#eral colors from dark bro!n =!hich is often used in !a$ casting> to !hite =!hich is used in cosmetics>. &e offer a high quality !hite grade for those !ho insist on using microcrystalline in their encaustic paintings. Microcrystalline does ha#e some #ery nice properties like elasticity and a chemical structure !hich makes it compatible !ith natural !a$es and oils. Essentially it is a complicated carbon based !a$ characteri3ed by branched cyclic chains meaning it blends better !ith bees!a$ and oil colors than paraffin !a$es do. For comparison paraffin !a$es are only simple straight carbon based chains !hich !ill shrink and not blend as !ell. Microcrystalline !a$ melts at a higher temperature =DGA to DJA degrees F> than bees!a$-based paints =DI@ to DFA degrees> so this allo!s you to apply bees!a$-based encaustic paints o#er the sculpted microcrystalline surface !ith minimal disturbance to the layer underneath. *his is a helpful because microcrystalline !a$ !ill yello! o#er time =!a$ refiners ne#er get DAAK of the oil out of the !a$> and therefore by using it in the early stages of your painting you can e#entually encapsulate it !ith bees!a$-based

paints. 8eep in mind that !hen you melt microcrystalline !a$ at its higher temperature you !ill also be filling your studio !ith petroleum-based #apors and therefore plenty of #entilation is a must in your studio. 6ou also must be careful not to burn your encaustic paints !hen heating your palette to this le#el.
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Choosing The Right Pigments

t2s 'll '#out The Research7
&hen it comes to pigments Enkaustikos is dedicated to selecting artist grade pigments that are most suitable for encaustic painting. -o!e#er pigment selection isn"t an easy task. In fact it"s not Cust a matter of picking out our fa#orite colors a lot of different factors must be considered. &e do plenty of research and testing on pigments before making our final choice to ensure !e can pro#ide our customers !ith high quality professional encaustic paints.

5ello.

Pigments777!ot

'll

're

Suited

*or

/ncaustic8

&e are often asked for -ansa 6ello! encaustic paint and it pro#ides a great e$ample !hy research is so important. &hile -ansa 6ello! is a beautiful transparent yello! and e$tremely popular !ith oil acrylic and !atercolor artists it should ne#er be on an encaustic artist"s palette. E#ery artist considers factors like tinting strength and light fastness !hen selecting their colors but encaustic artists also ha#e to factor in heat stability. 8eep in mind that your colors !ill be heated typically in the range of DFA to DGF degrees Fahrenheit. -o!e#er there !ill be times !hen you may inad#ertently o#erheat an area !ith a hot air gun !hich could cross the EAA degree barrier. 1onsequently encaustic artists must be concerned !ith the stability of their pigments under e#ery possible condition. &e do not use any of the -ansa 6ello!s because they are simply not heat stable. -ansa 6ello! 5ight P6@ decomposes at EEF degrees F and -ansa 6ello! Medium P6G@ is e#en lo!er it decomposes at DIA degrees F. *herefore if you !ere to heat up -ansa 6ello! Medium as soon as your !a$ paints liquefy at DFA degrees F they !ill ha#e already begun to decompose. (ecomposition means that the color undergoes changes and that beautiful -ansa 6ello! may turn green. 1olors mi$ed !ith -ansa 6ello! !ill also e$perience this color shift. *he other factor e#en more important to the encaustic artist is that prolonged heating of -ansa 6ello! pigments abo#e their threshold leads to the release of harmful gases. *herefore considering these factors -ansa 6ello! pigments are not suitable for encaustic use.

)ur

-ismuth

5ello.

Di%%erent7

.n the other hand a great e$ample of proper research is our 0ismuth 6ello! pigment. In fact o#er a year ago !e found and added the eyecatching 0ismuth 6ello! P6DJI to our color palette after conducting e$tensi#e research and testing. 0ismuth 6ello! is a brilliant yello! high performance pigment !hich offers e$cellent light fastness and heat stability =FGE degrees F>. *his is the perfect yello! for sophisticated color mi$es. It is a semi-transparent pigment !ith a high tinting strength. It is also ideal for creating beautiful gla3es. As you can see our color line is based on pigment research and !ithout this step !e !ould not ha#e the beautiful color line !e ha#e no!. It is also important to mention that !e utili3ed a state-of-the-art milling system that shears our pigments to their finest particle si3e !hich brings out the true personality of each pigment. 6ou !ill find that our paint is rich creamy and #ibrant thanks to this ad#anced technology. As you select your -ot 1ake colors you can feel confident that you are buying high quality encaustic paint.
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9ey Wor,ing Properties o% /ncaustic Paint

1ecause ryin! ti$e is not an issue, workin! with wax allows artists to work i$$e iately on (uil in! layers an reworkin! in an a itive an su(tractive fashion" It is i$portant that each layer of wax is (on e or fuse to!ether" #his is one with the use of a in! heat i eally with a heat !un" #his process is known as %(urnin! in%" 2ithin $inutes of usin! wax paint, you can easily create (oth the elicate layerin! of thin, transparent !la'es or thick heavy i$pasto textures" Once coole , wax hol s its shape so s$ooth, !lasslike surfaces, etails with fine line, li!ht or heavy (rush strokes, to even sculptural effects are easily achieva(le" 2ax provi es the a(ility to a here o(6ects $akin! this a !reat $e iu$ for $ixe $e ia an colla!e artists" Even print $akers will fin this an intri!uin! $e iu$ for $ono prints an lifts" Many experi$ental artists are top coatin! their i!ital i$a!es with wax $e iu$ for a rich, lustrous wax finish successfully co$(inin! $o ern technolo!y with one of the ol est paintin! techni7ues"

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(o. Do We 9no. When Slic, Wa& s !o 3onger Good" (o. 3ong Does t 3ast"
*here is no !ay to say e$actly ho! long 'lick &a$ !ill be effecti#e for you. A lot of its effecti#eness depends on factors like ho! often you paint ho! often you clean your brushes or tools and if you !ipe off e$cess paint before dipping your brush into the 'lick &a$. 0asically if you notice that your brushes are not coming out clean anymore then simply it"s time to put a ne! refill cake of 'lick &a$ into your tin and pour out the old 'lick &a$ =.r replace the tin altogether !ith a 'lick &a$ -ot 1ake%>. Fortunately e#en if your 'lick &a$ gets really dirty looking from all

of its use--especially if you forget to !ipe off e$cess paint--it is can still be effecti#e at cleaning. &e al!ays recommend that painters Cust use their 'lick &a$ until they no longer see that it !orks. .f course if you !ant to ensure you are e$tra clean !hen !orking !ith your &a$ Medium or lighter colors you may !ant to consider ha#ing an e$tra tin of 'lick &a$ on your palette to use Cust for this purpose. &ith the e$tra tin of 'lick &a$ on hand you can thoroughly clean your brushes and ha#e tighter control of your color mi$ing.
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Pigment Warnings: Speci%ically Prussian -lue, s t Sa%e"

&e often recei#e questions about the safety of using certain pigments in encaustic. If you ha#e any questions about the safety of our paints or the pigments !e use please let us kno!. &e also hope you check out oursafety guidelines and M'(' sheets a#ailable for do!nload on our !ebsite. *o help pro#ide some ans!ers !e"#e included a recent e$ample of a pigment safety question. +i,e, the /n,austi,os President, recei4ed the %ollo.ing question 4ia email: Mike, I've been reading about warnings against using Prussian blue in encaustic paint because of the danger of emission of cyanide gas if the pigment is heated. ould you please write and tell me why you sell this paint for use in encaustic !hot cakes" and if this particular color is sold with specific warnings about its to#icity$ Thank you, %nna +i,e2s response .ent as %ollo.s: -ello Anna As you kno! all artists grade pigments require safe handling and use. Prussian blue pigment is no e$ception. &e read the same information you did about Prussian blue. .ur pigment supplier publishes a M'(' sheet !hich e$plains that the decomposition temperature of this pigment is DDDE degrees Fahrenheit. &e ha#e a do!nloadable M'(' sheet on our !eb so you ha#e all the information a#ailable to you. In regards to encaustic painting your bees!a$ should ne#er be heated abo#e EAA degrees F or the bees!a$ !ill burn and smoke in addition your damar resin !ill also begin to break do!n and lose its !orking properties. *he ideal !orking temperature is DFA to DGF degrees Fahrenheit at this temperature your all of !a$ paints !ill be !orkable and safe to !ork !ith. I hope this ans!ers your questions. Mike

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What T"pe of #ill Does E$!austi!os %se?

Here at Enkaustikos we strive to $ake the $ost (eautiful, professional encaustic paints" #o o this, we utili'e a state8of8the8art $illin! syste$" #his syste$ uses $o ern technolo!y that shears the pi!$ent to the finest particle si'e" 2e reco$$en you review our pa!e, 2hat Makes Our Color 9ine Different to see i$a!es of our $ille paint vs" han $a e paint" Our paint is truly artist87uality"
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(o. Does The Pigment 3oad o% /n,austi,os Paints Compare To )ther -rands"
Many customers often ask ho! our colors compare to other brands especially in regards to pigment load. -ere at Enkaustikos !e hea#ily pigment our colors using the finest artist-grade pigments a#ailable. *o sho! ho! our colors compare !e included a section on the !ebsite !here !e pro#ided actual color s!atches of the popular color 0urnt 'ienna...#ie! the s!atches on the &hat Makes .ur 1olor 5ine (ifferent page.

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Single Pigment Paints, They Do +atter8

At Enkaustikos !e are constantly e$perimenting !ith ne! pigments. It is of utmost importance to make sure that the pigments !e use are suitable for the encaustic process. .ur first priority is to make sure the pigment is safe to heat up on an encaustic palette. As !e discussed in our last ne!sletter some colors like -ansa 6ello! are Cust not heat stable so this research is #ery important. In addition to health concerns !e !ant to pro#ide artists !ith the !idest range of lightfast colors possible. 5ast year !e added se#eral ne! modern pigments !ith outstanding lightfastness ratings like 0ismuth 6ello! Anthraquinone 0lue and Indian 6ello! to name Cust a fe!. *his year !e are introducing Quinacridone /old 1obalt Aqua and a fe! others. &e could ha#e easily e$panded our color line by Cust mi$ing a fe! e$isting colors to offer a larger range. -o!e#er !e feel that artists can easily mi$ their o!n colors if gi#en the best single pigment paints to begin !ith. Enkaustikos currently mills JF colors GE of !hich are single pigment paints. &e offer more single pigment paints than any other company. 6ou might askL !hy is a single pigment paint so important+ *he main reason is that single pigment paints allo! artists the greatest opportunity to create the most intense clean and luminous color

mi$es. A good rule to follo! !hen it comes to color mi$ing is to use the least number of pigments to create your custom mi$. *he more pigments you use to make a custom mi$ the more likely you are of making a muddy and dull paint. If you !ant to 7gray do!n7 a paint color your best option is to mi$ compliment single pigment paints together. In this !ay your grays !ill be rich and radiant. ,sing single pigment colors are the key to producing the best mi$es. *here is nothing !rong !ith using mi$ed paints. In fact !e offer D@ composite paints !hich are paints that are mi$ed !ith multiple pigments. *hese paints are commonly referred to as con#enience colors. &e offer paints mi$ed !ith modern non to$ic pigments to match classic colors like )aples 6ello!. /enuine )aples 6ello! is popular !ith oil painters but it is #ery to$ic because it is made !ith lead. .f course !e !ould ne#er !ant lead paint on our heated palette so !e offer a mi$ed alternati#e for you. .ur )aples 6ello! -ue is a good e$ample of a composite paint made from mi$ing three pigments together. Another reason !hy Enkaustikos mills composite paints is to pro#ide you !ith consistency e#ery time. .ur labels note !hich pigments are used in the making of each -ot 1akes and -ot 1akes 2efill. Please utili3e our label information to create the cleanest brightest mi$es possible.

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What s The Di%%erence -et.een :D and )riginal Wa& +edium"

:( &a$ Medium has equal parts of (amar 2esin and ,'P 0ees!a$ a FA-FA blend. :( !as created to offer a harder top coat for finished paintings and digital prints. Artists ha#e disco#ered so many more uses such as for mi$ing gla3e colors and to use bet!een layers as an isolation coat to help protect pre#ious layers !hen fusing since the e$tra damar has a higher melting point. :( has a thicker consistency then our .rignal &a$ Medium !hen liquefied so it is a little trickier to !ork !ith. It also has a stickier tack !hile cooling !hich makes it easier to build up te$ture and it stays pliable for a longer time. .nce cooled it is resistant to surface alterations from scraping and offers a hard film. &hen using :( it is easy to achie#e a glass-like topcoat because it becomes more clear than .riginal &a$ Medium. It is also slightly more yello! due to the high load of damar resin. 5earn more.

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Who Do Tal, To *or Painting )r Product Questions"

&e encourage you to check our !ebsite to learn more about encaustic painting% &e created our !ebsite !ith you the customer in mind% 6ou !ill find a #ariety of educational resources and e#en technique #ideos so you !ill surely learn more about this unique medium. If you find you ha#e specific questions about our products or techniques you can also email us directly. &e"d lo#e to talk !ith you about encaustic. &hen it comes to purchasing !e suggest you contact a local -ot 1akes dealer. *hey !ill be able to assist you !ith any product a#ailability questions and may e#en ha#e information regarding any upcoming demonstrations or !orkshops in your area. Encaustic !orkshops are a great !ay to learn more about encaustic. *o find a dealer use our !ebsite search pages. If you are ha#ing trouble finding a retailer near you Cust let us kno!.
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(o. Do 3ocate 'n /n,austi,os Dealer"

.#er IFA retail stores carry our Enkaustikos products% *his includes stores in the ,.'. 1anada Australia and Me$ico. *o make finding a retailer e#en easier !e ha#e included se#eral search pages on our !ebsite. 6ou can bro!se our location lists or search by your 3ipcode to find a store nearby. .n our !ebsite you can e#en get directions a map and the store"s contact information. Please keep in mind that although !e try to list as many of our retailers as !e can many retailers purchase through distributors and therefore there is a delay in getting their contact information on the !ebsite. If you are ha#ing trouble finding a retailer nearest you let us kno! and !e !ill assist you% 1all Enkaustikos at FJF-EM@-MN@A or email info<encausticpaints.com
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Why Can2t -uy *rom /ncausticpaints7com"

*o support our retailers !e do not sell directly on our !ebsite. 6ou can ho!e#er locate retail stores that carry our products by using the search pages on our !ebsite. .#er IFA retail stores carry our products% 0e sure to use our !ebsite as an encaustic resource ho!e#er. &e ha#e included information about our products and se#eral educational !ebpages to help you become more familiar !ith the art of encaustic%
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What Do Do % Want a Product )n The We#site -ut +y 3ocal Retailer Doesn2t (a4e t"

All of the retailers listed on this !ebsite ha#e access to our entire product line. If you need a particular product !e manufacture but can"t seem to find it on the shel#es of your local retail store Cust ask% If your local retailer does not ha#e the item in stock they can certainly order it for you =many retailers are more than happy to assist you>. If for some reason ho!e#er your local store does not do special orders please contact us. *o support our retailers !e do not sell direct but !e !ill help you find another store nearby that you can !ork !ith. 'o go ahead bro!se our !ebsite and learn more about the different encaustic products !e offer.
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What % Want To Purchase Re%ills, -ut +y 3ocal Store Doesn2t )%%er Them"
All of our retailers ha#e access to e#ery color !e manufacture and e#ery refill amount !e offer. If you need to purchase refills please Cust ask your local retailer% If your local retailer doesn?t stock refills =!hich is common since that !ould be #ery space-consuming in their store> they can certainly order refills for you. If for some reason your local store does not !ant to special order the colors please contact us to let us kno!. *o support our retailers !e do not sell direct but !e !ill help you find a store nearby that you can !ork !ith for the refill program. ,ltimately !e !ant you to ha#e our products and !e !ill do our best to find a !ay to get our products into your studio.

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!eed -ul, Si0es o% 5our Paints or Sundries, What Do Do"

Most encaustic artists begin !orking on a small scale then before they kno! it they get in#ol#ed in painting murals creating large @ dimensional pieces or get commissions for large encaustic proCects. Purchasing IFml tins of -ot 1akes can get rather e$pensi#e !hen !orking on such a larger scale. *herefore e#ery retailer listed on our !ebsite has access to the products !e manufacture and in all the si3es !e offer. *hat means if you need F lb or DA lbs of a color a do3en D o3 refills for a !orkshop or e#en DA lbs of damar resin for a proCect Cust contact your local retailer. If your local retailer doesn?t stock it they can certainly order it for you. If for some reason your local store does not !ant to special order an item for you please contact us. *o support our retailers !e do not sell direct but !e !ill help you find a store nearby to !ork !ith.
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Can )rder *rom /n,austi,os Directly"

*o support our retailers !e do not sell direct. .#er IFA retail stores do carry the Enkaustikos line

ho!e#er and if you utili3e our search pages you !ill be able to find a location nearest you. If for some reason you cannot locate a dealer Cust let us kno! and !e !ill be able to assist you. If your local store does not carry a particular item you are looking for from our line Cust ask them if they !ill special order it for you. All of our dealers listed on the !ebsite ha#e access to our product line. If they do not take special orders contact us and !e !ill find a retail store that you can !ork !ith to get our products.
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Where Can *ind /n,austi,os 5ouTu#e ;ideos"

.ur 6ou*ube #ideos feature common encaustic techniques and are short clips under DA minutes in length. 6ou can find these #ideos on our !ebsite and 6ou*ube. 1lick here to !atch them indi#idually on our !ebsite or #isit our 6ou*ube channel at !!!.6ou*ube.com4Enkaustikos
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Do 5ou (a4e a !e.sletter" What a#out a +ailing 3ist"

&e send out a monthly e-ne!sletter and occasionally send out snail mail to our mailing list. 6ou can sign up for either or both on this page.
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Do 5ou (a4e a Catalog"

&e do% 6ou can do!nload a P(F #ersion of our latest catalog in English French or /erman on this page. 6ou can also sign up for our mailing lists on the same page to ha#e price lists O brochures mailed to you.
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Where Can Get a Color Chart"

6ou can do!nload different P(F #ersions of our color chart from this page.

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What +a,es )ur Color 3ine Di%%erent"

)ur ngredients7
At Enkaustikos, we are e icate to creatin! professional artist !ra e colors an use only the finest in!re ients, re!ar less of costs" Our paints contain )+ *har$aceutical 4)+*5 3ra e 1eeswax, Da$ar :esin, an Artist 3ra e *i!$ents" )+* 3ra e 1eeswax is a $ore expensive (eeswax than *urifie 1eeswax (ut we use )+* for a very !oo reason" )+* 1eeswax is a natural (eeswax that !oes throu!h a heat filterin! process that re$oves pollen an other natural a ulterants that honey (ees (rin! (ack to the honeyco$(" #his a che$ical8free filterin! process an it pro uces a hi!hly refine (eeswax without the use of (leaches" 1y usin! the )+* 1eeswax in our paints, it eli$inates che$icals an (leaches fro$ the artist;s encaustic palette" )+* 1eeswax is the sa$e type of (eeswax that is use in cos$etics, $e icinal oint$ents an lip (al$s" Another natural in!re ient that we use is Da$ar :esin" #his is actually har ene tree sap" 2e heat filter this to re$ove (ark an other e(ris that $ay have (een trappe insi e the sticky sap" It is i$portant to note that we o not use a$ar varnish (ecause it is $a e with turpentine, which is not only fla$$a(le (ut also har$ful to (reathe" 2e $ake sure to use only the finest Da$ar :esin in our paints an this, in co$(ination with the )+* (eeswax, pro uces our Enkaustikos 2ax Me iu$" #o the 2ax Me iu$, we a the hi!hest 7uality pi!$ents" 2hen it co$es to selectin! pi!$ents, we select pi!$ents after oin! extensive research an testin!" #here are $any ifferent factors that we consi er (efore selectin! a pi!$ent for our color line" Every artist consi ers factors like tintin! stren!th an li!htfastness when selectin! their colors (ut, encaustic artists also have to factor in heat sta(ility" Encaustic colors will (e heate typically in the ran!e of -<. to -=< e!rees &ahrenheit" However, there will (e ti$es when an artist $ay ina vertently overheat an area with a hot air !un which coul cross the >.. e!ree (arrier" Conse7uently, encaustic artists $ust (e concerne with the sta(ility of their pi!$ents un er every possi(le con ition" #herefore, we select pi!$ents (ase on whether they are li!htfast an en!ineere to withstan the heate encaustic process" 2e select only the (est pi!$ents suita(le an this can even $ean that we are (uyin! pi!$ents that cost up to ?-.. per poun @ #hrou!h our research, testin!, an co$$it$ent to 7uality colors we have a e (eautiful colors like 1is$uth ,ellow an avoi e colors like Hansa ,ellow which are not heat sta(le" 9earn $ore"

)ur +illing System7

Our $illin! operation utili'es a vance technolo!y to shear pi!$ent to their ulti$ate particle si'e" Our new e7uip$ent has taken our paint to a whole new level in (oth color an 7uality" 2e are $anufacturin! a paint that is richer, crea$ier, cleaner, an $ore vi(rant than ever (efore possi(le" 2ith our $illin! syste$, we are a(le to (rin! out the true personality of each pi!$ent use "

Co$parin! Han Ma e to *rofessionally Mille *aint #he (est way to explain why our $illin! syste$ is so i$portant is (y showin! a si e8(y8si e co$parison of han $ixe paint to paint $ill on our state8of8the8art e7uip$ent" )ntil the availa(ility of professionally $ille paint, seasone encaustic artists ha to $ake their own" Makin! your own paint is not only ti$e consu$in! (ut results are inconsistent" In a ition, artists are workin! with pow ere pi!$ents so extra health precautions shoul (e exercise " #o ayAs encaustic artists are $ore like acrylic, oil an watercolor artists who prefer to spen their valua(le ti$e paintin! rather than $akin! paint" #he i$a!es (elow offer !oo reasons to use professional 7uality paint, especially if you use your paint for !la'in! techni7ues" Han Ma e *aint Our Mille *aint

#he a(ove i$a!e is a sa$ple of encaustic paint $ixe (y han with pow ere pi!$ents" /otice how you can see !rit in the paint, its actually clu$ps of pi!$ent" 2e selecte Ali'arin Cri$son for this exercise (ecause it is one of the $ost ifficult to $ake an one of our $ost popular colors" #his clu$pin! of pi!$ents often occurs when you $ix your own paint as well (ecause the pi!$ent particles are si$ply not (ein! $ille as finely as they coul (e" ,ou coul stir these for ays an not !et (etter results"

#he a(ove i$a!e shows Ali'arin Cri$son $ille on our e7uip$ent" /otice how finely !roun the paint is $ille , the clu$ps of pi!$ent have (een sheare to tiny particles an evenly isperse in our wax $e iu$" Our paint is s$ooth, clean, an crea$y in co$parison" *lus, the color itself appears $ore vi(rant an rich" Our $ission is to $ake the finest 7uality encaustic paint" 2e want to $ake encaustic paint that is on a par with the finest oil colors $a e (y 2insor B /ewton, 3a$(lin an Ol Hollan &

Why So +any Single Pigment Paints7

Many customers ha#e asked ho! our color line compares to other brands. &e offer more single pigment paints than any other company% Enkaustikos currently mills JF colors GE of !hich are single pigment paints. &e could ha#e easily e$panded our color line by Cust mi$ing together a fe! e$isting colors to offer a larger range but !e feel that artists can easily mi$ their o!n colors if gi#en the best single pigment paints to begin !ith. &hy is a single pigment paint so important+ *he main reason is that !ith a single pigment

paint an artist !ill ha#e the greatest opportunity to create the most intense clean and luminous color mi$es. A good rule to follo! !hen it comes to color mi$ing is to use the least number of pigments to create your custom mi$. *he more pigments you use to make a custom mi$ the more likely you are of making a muddy and dull paint. If you !ant to 7gray do!n7 a paint color your best option is to mi$ compliment single pigment paints together. In this !ay your grays !ill be rich and radiant. ,sing single pigment colors are the key to producing the best mi$es. 5earn more

Our 'i(me$t oad&

2e are e icate to provi in! our custo$ers with the $ost (eautiful, rich, vi(rant encaustic colors availa(le" In or er to o this, we heavily pi!$ent our colors with the finest artist8!ra e pi!$ents" Many custo$ers have aske how our paint;s pi!$ent loa co$pares to other (ran s, therefore, we;ve poste paint swatches for co$parison" 1omparing Pigment 5oads%
*he s!atches belo! feature the color 0urnt 'ienna. *he one on the left is from a competing brand !hile the one on the right is from our line. ,sing a marker !e placed some black stripes on the board and then painted o#er the top !ith the color to help sho! the strength of the pigment load. *he less #isible the black lines are the more pigmented the color is% *he #ery left of each image is 0urnt 'ienna painted in full strength and then progressing to the right of each image the color is e$tended !ith &a$ Medium. *hat means the first s!atch is full strength the second s!atch is FAK paint FAK !a$ medium and then it continues getting mi$ed do!n FAK each s!atch in the line.

A Competitor's Burnt Sienna

Our Enkaustikos' Burnt Sienna

6ou !ill notice the black marker stripes are less #isible under the Enkaustikos color sho!n on the right. *his is because !e hea#ily pigment our colors and run them through our state-of-the-art mill.

http:CCencausticpaints"co$C:esourcesC&re7uentlyAske DuestionsCta(i C<EFCDefault"aspx