What is encaustic wax anyway?
Encaustic wax is a medium that’s been around for a really long time. It was fairly ubiquitous in Greek and Roman painting and sculpture. It wallowed in obscurity until the early 20th century, when it was revived by artists such as Diego Rivera, Robert Delauney, and eventually Jasper Johns. But because it’s a wax-based medium, the artist has always had to contend with the problem of melting it to be able to work with it. It really wasn’t until the advent of portable electric heating devices that it was accepted as a viable artists’ medium. Historically, encaustic wax was a haphazard mix of vegetable, mineral, and even insect waxes, combined with oil or resin and solvents such as turpentine, which often made it unsafe to work with. Modern encaustic wax has eliminated the need for harsh solvents and is comprised of beeswax, Damar resin, and finely-milled pigments. While it’s possible for the artist to make his or her own encaustic paint, the process is laborious and complicated. I leave a
