Fayum portraits on mummy cases were painted in encaustic by Hellenistic artists in Egypt.
The word "encaustic" comes from the Greek word "enkaustikos," meaning "to heat." It refers to a method of painting with melted hot wax colored with pigments. Most classical-period Greek and Roman panel paintings were executed with encaustics. A Greek vase from the 4th century B.C. depicts artists working in encaustics. The technique fell out of favor from the Middle Ages until the 18th century. Modern artists revived the ancient painting method during the 20th century.
Instructions
1. Place a muffin tin, or individual tin containers, one for each color, on a hot plate. If you can afford to use them, melt some premade encaustic cakes at about 200 degrees Faherenheit. Prepare your own encaustics by melting beeswax in a pan. Filter the natural wax with cheesecloth until it's a translucent white color or buy cosmetic-grade beeswax. Add damar resin crystals at a ratio of one part damar to eight parts wax.
2. Pour the liquid wax mixture into the containers. Add pigment to the molten wax or let it harden into cakes for later use. Use artist's oil paints to color the wax. Mix in 15 percent paint to the wax and stir it well. Experiment with different ratios of paint to wax for various tints and saturation of hues.
3. Prepare a support panel of wood or Masonite with encaustic gesso. Brush on several coats of gesso, sanding between layers.
4. Cover your support surface evenly with a thin layer of unpigmented wax, using a large, flat brush. Pass a heat gun back and forth over the wax to fuse it to the support.
5. Draw your composition onto the base layer of hardened wax, using a small bristle brush dipped in pigmented molten wax. Keep your support panel horizontal so the wax won't run. Block in the basic shapes and forms of your design with your larger brushes.
6. Work out a color scheme and establish the tonal structure of your painting with the first layers of encaustic. Have a good idea of what you want to do ahead of time, as the wax cools quickly. Paint swiftly with a sure hand.
7. Bond each layer of encaustic you finish to the previous layer, using the heat gun. Build up your picture with layers of wax for a luminous, jewel-like effect.
8. Create various effects in your picture. Form a textured three-dimensional surface by using encaustic impasto or modeling wax. Create an overall harmony by relating the colors of your picture to one another. Mix colors by glazing patches of pure hues one over another. Take advantage of the wax's textural qualities by painting with thick, heavy strokes. Work the wax around with your brush to get different effects. Add leaves, paper or twigs into thick layers of encaustic to create a collage effect.
9. Use your brightest, most fully saturated colors for the final layer. Finish the picture by adding accented highlights with your smallest brushes.
