Use a small, non-steam travel iron to create simple fantasy encaustic paintings.
Painting with encaustic wax gives hours of creative entertainment to both adults and children. The most basic method of painting on card with molten wax is simple to learn, and more advanced techniques can quickly be learned in order to paint more complex works of art. Modern encaustic painting methods can be used to not only create works of art intended for display on a wall, but also for scrapbook pages, greeting card toppers or bookmarks.
Instructions
1. Set your iron on the low setting and allow it to heat up.
2. Place a painting card on a layer of protective paper, such as a sheet of newspaper or any other waste paper.
3. Melt wax on the plate of the iron. If you're using two or more colors, melt the wax in parallel stripes to cover the base plate of the iron.
4. Smooth the melted wax onto the painting card. Start from one edge of the card and swipe the iron across the surface of the card in one fluid movement. The wax will dry almost immediately and be ready for any further decoration you may wish to add.
5. Make abstract patterns in the wax by dabbing the hot iron on the surface of the waxed painting card. Each time you touch the card with the iron, the wax will melt and leave a different effect.
