TECHNIQUES of Encaustic Art    Return to HOME PAGE of www.encaustic,com     Visit one of our sponsor sites   
Iron, Stylus & Hobby Crafts Methods Assemble a mini hotplate using the encaustic painting iron Hotplate Techniques Zone Hot Air Methods Zone Finer Art Approaches for Encaustic work
DEVELOPMENT
IRON & STYLUS
IRON AS
HOTPLATE
HOTPLATE WORK
HOT AIR WORK
ARTISTIC
WORK
ONLINE PROJECTS

Basic abstracts & patterns

Playing with molten wax on the non-absorbent painting card produces surprising results. If you say "..but I can't" just 30 seconds of playing will prove not only that you can, but that "...you are!"

Abstracts are quick but amazing Forms emerge from within the shapes Wax has a flowing nature ...always unique... The colours blend and interact Light behaves in playful ways Colours and forms can be sculptural...

So how do you start??
Well, its easier than you think. Just get some supplies of the Encaustic Wax, a stack of the sealed painting cards and of course, the small iron.
NOTE: the iron we sell is about the best you will find for this work since it has been developed with a polished base, very high quality temperature control and a lightweight design. However, any iron that will hold a low temperature could theoretically be used and many people begin with an old low temperature dry travel iron.

BEWARE - POOR TOOLS MAY BE DANGEROUS SO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION!        Please don't take any risks which might result in a burn.

Play around and watch the effects just appear

  • Lay a card onto a clean work area.
  • Melt some wax onto the iron base.
  • Spread the wax over the card carefully.
  • Try not to over mix the colours.
  • Play around with the colours and just watch the effects appear!
  • Don't over-do it. Colours can overmix quite quickly.
  • Lightly polish the image when cold with soft tissue.
  • Artwork always looks better mounted, matted or framed.
  • Show your masterpieces to everyone!
  • Get your friends and family to have a go too.

 

Starting is really very easy.
Just melt bands of wax across the iron. 
Wipe these carefully along the card. 
Try to keep them clean and seperate.		 Spread wax in clean bands over card
Now place the iron flat on the wax. 
Lift it up and see the effect! 
Repeat....		 Place iron on card, then lift it off
...and continue all over the card. 
Remember,  where the iron touches.. 
...everything changes.		 Do some more...
Here's another, a bit more mixed than the last one. 
Add a border by tapping the iron's tip along each edge. 
Finish by polishing lightly with a soft tissue.		 Make a border & polish to finish.
So abstracts are easy for anyone, no matter what skill level.  They are a great leveller because when you start, your work will be equal to everyone else's.  This is wonderful therapy, enabling unskilled hands to achieve exciting results.  Of course, awareness of colour, harmony, balance and so on will quickly become evident as you progress.

With more careful approaches (even using just the lift-off effect) wonderful patterns and mandalas can be made.

Mandala is structured pattern The pattern is reflected on each side Mandala radiates from the centre

If you want to see how these easily achieved effects can be structured into simple landscape forms


How to create simple landscapes
just click this image...
        GO TO Go to the index for encaustic art products OVERVIEW
Arts Encaustic Ltd, Glogue, Pembrokeshire SA36 0ED UK
  Tel: +44 (0)1239 831401               info@encaustic.com