Cold Encaustic

Cold encaustic is one of those oxymoronic words, like cold fusion in physics, or jumbo shrimp and military intelligence.  The word encaustic means, literally, to burn in or heat with an iron, so it does seem contradictory to suggest that one can execute an encaustic painting without applying heat.  But if a painting looks like encaustic, and behaves like encaustic, then is it not encaustic, even without the heat?  One should remember that any oil painting dries by “burning in”, as oils dry by a chemical oxidation.  Fire is simply rapid oxidation accompanied by heat and flame, and anyone who has piled up oily rags until they burst into flame from spontaneous combustion understands that straight oils also dry by burning in. 

Ralph Mayer, in his Artists Handbook, indicates that a cold method of wax painting was also known to the Greeks, and that it was considered superior for fine detail and subtleness.  I think what is important here, to be contrarian, is that the medium is the message.  Wax painting is its own distinct medium, just as is watercolor, or oil or tempera.  Its properties are its translucency, its ability to be incised for sgraffito effects, its satin finish which repels dust, and its ability to be reworked, even long after a stage has been finished.  And as with all mediums, it has its weaknesses.  Its main defect can be discovered by leaving a painting in a car on a hot afternoon - yes, wax melts!

A basic formula for a cold encaustic paint medium is as follows:

Take equal parts linseed oil (Utrecht item 34362) and softened beeswax (Utrecht item 57717, Gamblin Cold Wax Medium) and mix thoroughly into an emulsion.  This should take on the appearance and consistency of mayonnaise.  Add to this mixture approximately 10-20% alkyd resin or damar resin as an hardener and mix in completely.  Store in empty paint tubes or in a container with minimal air exposure at the top.  Add this medium to your oil tube colors - 1 part tube oil paint to 1 or 2 parts medium.  Mix thoroughly and you are ready to paint.  This palette will stay open and workable for about 24 hours.  You can cover your palette with plastic to keep your paints workable for a longer amount of time.  After about 24 hours the paint will be quite heavy and can be used for heavier impasto techniques, or you can add additional medium to reactivate the paint, to a degree.  Keep in mind that some pigments dry faster naturally, and you may find your burnt umber has hardened while your ivory black is still quite fluid.  Finished paintings can be varnished sooner than straight oils, and an additional application of one or two coats of wax is the ideal final coating.  Gloss can be controlled by buffing with a clean, lint free cloth.

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