Encaustic wax coating, swipe technique, drag-through; all are terms describing this wondrous method for creating with molten colours by lightly drifting a card across the molten wax pool to create a surface coating that offers effects unachievable by other approaches.

It looks simple, but requires a light unrushed confidence.

The original drag-thru sky and landscape above has now been taken in the direction of a fantasy work by addition of castle like structures on the horizon, blended into the colours already present in those areas. The light offered by this swift approach is unique!

Be generous with the wax. It must be a fluid puddle of liquid colour, otherwise a coating will not be possible and you will create a very textured result as you attempt your drag-though.

Begin experiments with lightest colours at the bottom, blending harmonious hues in the preceding bands. Remember, no holes and plenty of wax!

The colour is now ready for the card to be embedded into it. Notice that the length of the final banded encaustic wax colours is wider than the card size.

It is vital that the card has plenty of wax to embed into.

When the card is completely interfaced with the molten encaustic wax colour then gently test the ease of movement from side to side. Imagine that you are going to move swiftly to the left or right (depending on which feel more natural to you).

Check for an easy flowing mobility as you begin to move sideways.

You should feel very little resistance. If the card sticks then there is not enough wax between it and the glass hotplate surface.

When you are comfortable that the movement is relaxed and easy then begin your drag-thru or swipe motion. Start off slowly but without any stutter or hesitation else these will show as marks on the final surface.

Finally the entire card's upper surface area has contacted and been dragged through the wax pool, leaving an even blended colour coating of wax across the entire face of the application area.

The card is now traveling vertically and should continue through an arc so that it ends up horizontally held with the waxed surface uppermost.

Allow the wax a few moments to cool before placing onto a flat surface.
Note: a hot air gun can then be used to maintain the molten quality of an area and add blown effects and interest. ALSO, if there are any impurities, like dust or hairs, the very gently puffed hot air can maintain a molten wax area and a cold metal scribing tool or pointed tool can be brought to touch the impurity, which will then adhere by "freezing" the wax back into a solid. The metal tip is then removed, wiped clean and used on any further unwanted dust of hairs.

Now it is time to add the landscape area and foreground. Some of the same wax can be used or new colours added.

The approach is very similar as above for the application of a horizon portion. Simply turn the sky so that your thumbs are touching it, then drag the card through the wax as shown here.

You can always add more colour to the hotplate and you can re-work the card's landscape foreground area as much as you like.

To create the detail of textural foliage like you get by dabbing the iron, just place then lift of upwards without any sliding motion. This creates the suction effect. More wax creates a bigger & heavier effect.

If you decide that the colouration has become too uniform, too brown, too grey or generally overly muddied, then go back into it again.

You can heat and clean off the entire foreground, but it is often better to retain some of the "dirtied" wax as this helps tone down fresh colours enabling a more successful visual blending with the rest of the image.

... then it is done.

The final piece that has been created totally by working on the hotplate surface either by the sliding or dabbing actions.

The quality of light in this image is vibrant and the process is swift once you are familiar with the lightness of the initial drag-thru.
Note: A set of similar skies can be made using the same initial pool of wax, just replenishing when it gets too "dry" and starts sticking the card.
Smaller cards can be used to use up remnants of wax pools, leaving the landscape parts to be "ironed" on at a later time.