Encaustic is a painting method where beeswax and damar resin (from tree sap) are melted, applied to a surface, and reheated to fuse the paint. The encaustic medium can be tinted with pigments to create different paint colors. The surface can be polished to a high gloss, modeled, sculpted, carved, and combined with other materials. The versatility is endless. The word “encaustic” comes from the Greek word, “enkaustikos”, which means “to burn” - referring to the process itself. Encaustic painting was practiced by Greek artists as far back as the 5 th century B.C., but some of the more well-known ancient encaustic come from Egypt in the 1st and 2nd century A.D. Because of the added beeswax, encaustic is impervious to moisture and will not deteriorate over time.
WHAT IS ENCAUSTIC?
Encaustic is a painting method where beeswax and damar resin (from tree sap) are melted, applied to a surface, and reheated to fuse the paint. The encaustic medium can be tinted with pigments to create different paint colors. The surface can be polished to a high gloss, modeled, sculpted, carved, and combined with other materials. The versatility is endless. The word “encaustic” comes from the Greek word, “enkaustikos”, which means “to burn” - referring to the process itself. Encaustic painting was practiced by Greek artists as far back as the 5 th century B.C., but some of the more well-known ancient encaustic come from Egypt in the 1st and 2nd century A.D. Because of the added beeswax, encaustic is impervious to moisture and will not deteriorate over time.