encaustic course how to make my own encaustic gesso

by Jamey Kozey Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago 7 min read

Fill the glass jar with lukewarm water (body temperature 37ºC) Add filler, calcium Carbonate or Clay till you get a white liquid similar to skimmed milk Add a levelled tablespoon of hide glue granulate every 150ml liquid (more or less)

… The night before…

Fill the glass jar with lukewarm water (body temperature 37ºC)
Add filler, calcium Carbonate or Clay till you get a white liquid similar to skimmed milk.
Add a levelled tablespoon of hide glue granulate every 150ml liquid (more or less)

Feb 12, 2017

Full Answer

Can you buy R&F encaustic gesso in a tub?

2 ways to tint encaustic gesso. Whether you make your own encaustic gesso, use white chalk/clay-based paint or buy Encaustic Gesso, it is great to be able to mix your own coloured gesso. 1. Tint encaustic gesso with fluid acrylic paints. According to R&F, you can use fluid acrylic paints to tint their encaustic gesso.

What is the best way to make an encaustic medium?

Apr 10, 2021 · Fill the glass jar with lukewarm water (body temperature 37ºC) Add filler, calcium Carbonate or Clay till you get a white liquid similar to skimmed milk. Add a levelled tablespoon of hide glue granulate for every 150ml liquid (more or less) Close it, shake a little and keep it in the fridge overnight. The next day….

Why take a course with encaustic house?

Fill the glass jar with lukewarm water (body temperature 37ºC) Add filler, calcium Carbonate or Clay till you get a white liquid similar to skimmed milk. Add a levelled tablespoon of hide glue granulate every 150ml liquid (more or less) …Close it, shake a …

Can you use flowing wax in encaustic art?

May 21, 2016 · raw materials (damar resin crystals and beeswax) to make your own encaustic medium —then adding oil paint or pigment for colour as you work; Equipment Needed to make Encaustic Medium. In addition to beeswax and damar resin crystals, you will need the following equipment. Work in a well-ventilated studio space. Silicone utensils work best.

What is the difference between gesso and encaustic gesso?

The difference between encaustic and acrylic gesso is in the ratio of acrylic binder to the gesso solids (inert particles like chalk, kaolin, or marble dust + Titanium White). The binder itself is not the issue. No binder -- whether acrylic, vinyl acetate, oil, wax, casein, or gum Arabic -- is absorbent.May 29, 2020

What can I use if I don't have gesso?

To sum it up, acrylic primers and Clear Gesso are the most suitable alternatives for gesso. The surface may also be painted with no primer, or gesso can be made at home using ingredients that one can purchase almost anywhere or, if a cheap alternative to gesso is needed, it may be made without primer.

Can you make gesso with chalk paint?

Yes, you can use Chalk Paint in place of Encaustic Gesso - All Things Encaustic.Aug 3, 2018

Is gesso the same as chalk paint?

Chalk Paint has experienced a popular revival in recent years, especially in Europe. The secret of the finish is that it's actually a traditional gesso coating. Traditional Gesso for furniture is a multi-coat application that produces a lovely, chalk matte appearance with material depth unlike simple white paint.

Can I make my own gesso?

One of my favorite things to make myself is gesso. I've tested quite a few Gesso recipes, but this one has worked the best for me so far. First, mix the cornstarch and baking soda together, breaking up any lumps in the mixture. Then, mix in your glue and acrylic paint.Feb 25, 2020

Is gesso really necessary?

A common question regarding acrylic painting is if you need to use a gesso primer. Technically, you don't. It provides you with a nice, slightly more absorbent surface to work on, especially if your working on board or raw canvas, but for a pre-primed canvas it's unnecessary.

What is homemade gesso?

Gesso is a primer that's used for preparing canvases and other surfaces for painting. It smoothes out the surface and makes it so the paint doesn't soak into the canvas or other substance you're working on.Feb 10, 2015

Can you use acrylic paint with encaustic?

Acrylics are water-based, and cold wax medium contains solvents, so they cannot be used.Dec 4, 2021

How long does encaustic gesso take to dry?

Works well, just takes a few hours to solidly dry before using. I usually prep my 'canvas' the night before, or two nights in a row, depending on the 'canvas'.

What is acrylic gesso made of?

Acrylic gesso is a mixture of white pigment and some kind of filler (chalk, silica, etc.) and acrylic resin dispersed in water. It produces a soft, flexible non-absorbent surface that is technically not gesso (although it is commonly called that by its manufacturers).

How do you mix gesso?

There are a lot of homemade recipes for Gesso. Here's one we found that works very well.
...
In this order, add ingrediants to a mixing bowl and stir until all the lumps are gone:

1 part white glue.
3 parts cornstarch.
3 parts baking soda.

May 31, 2021

What is a gesso finish?

Gesso is very similar to white acrylic paint, only thinner. It dries hard, making the surface more stiff. Gesso prepares (or "primes") the surface for painting, making the surface slightly textured and ready to accept acrylic paint. Without gesso, the paint would soak into the weave of the canvas.

How many layers of liquid ink?

1-2 layers: Apply the liquid (is very liquid) in the same way you would apply an ink wash, from top to bottom in horizontal continuos strokes. Remove exceed at the bottom line with kitchen paper. Move to the next panel and do exactly the same thing. Next layer should be applied before the previous one is completely dry; layers are to be applied alternating directions, this meaning rotating the panel 90º each layer.

How many layers of clay to add to a jar?

5-6 layers: Add more filler, calcium carbonate or clay to the jar and heat it again, stir slowly. The liquid should be now like a milk shake and still with no bubbles. Apply two more layes of the preparation.

Is water glue a problem?

Water-glue proportion is an easy problem to solve. Good quality hide glue absorbs only the right amount, the rest you can throw away.

Does hide glue stink?

Good quality hide glue DOES NOT stink. May be if you keep it on top of your radiator for a week, but 2-3 days in your fridge will stand without problems. It is true, it has a peculiar smell but nothing to worry about. It is not easy to describe a smell in written, but to give you a hint, it is like the smell of a wet dog, it might not be your favourite smell but it is also not to fear.

What is encaustic medium made of?

Encaustic medium is made with filtered beeswax and damar resin crystals. Synthetic waxes are commercially available, but beeswax is the type of wax that is traditionally used for encaustic art.

What is encaustic paint?

ready-to-use encaustic paints (medium is premixed with colour pigment) in tins, blocks or sticks. pre-made plain natural or refined encaustic medium to which you can add oil paint/pigment for colour. raw materials (damar resin crystals and beeswax) to make your own encaustic medium —then adding oil paint or pigment for colour as you work.

Why add damar resin to encaustic painting?

Adding damar resin allows the encaustic painting to be buffed to a higher, more translucent sheen and helps prevent bloom (a white cloud on the surface).

How much beeswax to damar resin?

Many encaustic artists start with a ratio of 8 parts of filtered beeswax to one part damar resin crystals and increase the amount of beeswax from there to find the ratio that they prefer.

How to strain a medium?

If you are going to strain the medium you will need to ladle it through a cloth into a prepared container. You can use elastic bands to hold cheesecloth in place over your container . Once filtered you can ladle the medium into the muffin cups. Allow the medium to cool then pop them out.

Why is beeswax white?

White beeswax has been mechanically processed to filter out the bee pollen and turn it white.

What to use to capture particulate matter?

a tight-weave cloth such as microfiber cloths, cotton muslin or flannel sheets. If using cheesecloth, as in the video below, make sure you use multiple layers thick enough to capture all of the particulate matter. a large container – silicone, metal or plastic. rubber bands to hold the cloth over the top of the container.

How many coats of gesso should I use for a sanding board?

Here are the boards as I had coated them (middle one got a bit of shellac on it). Timothy McDowell suggests 3-7 coats and a gentle sand in between each coat. This is not as hard as it sounds I put them in the sun and they dried really quickly so I was able to redo them quite quickly. I used a fine tooth sandpaper. When you are doing each layer the gesso needs to be warm to activate the gelatin in the previous layer.

How to make whiting white?

Now to make it white you mix 9 parts whiting to one part pigment in a large bowl. Slowly add mixture to one quart warm glue size. Heat in a double boiler, I used this pyrex jug in an old pan (do notuse these for food again!) about 15 mins until creamy, stirring constantly.Use a chopstick to stir the mix and when the stick has a fine milky coating its good to go.Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and use warm on your panels.

Does Tina Elkins use milk paint?

I have also read that artist Tina Elkins uses milk paint as her ground and has had no problems at all.

What is encaustic gesso?

Encaustic gesso, on the other hand, allows oil to seep down into the pores of the gesso. Having less oil on the surface gives the paint film a slight texture. The effect is a matte finish with brighter colors and less depth.

What is the difference between encaustic and acrylic gesso?

The difference between encaustic and acrylic gesso is in the ratio of acrylic binder to the gesso solids (inert particles like chalk, kaolin, or marble dust + Titanium White). The binder itself is not the issue. No binder -- whether acrylic, vinyl acetate, oil, wax, casein, or gum Arabic -- is absorbent.

What is the best ground for oil paint?

The standard white ground for oil paint is either acrylic gesso or titanium or lead white oil primer. These grounds keep the oil sitting on the surface rather than being absorbed in and give oil paint its greatest depth and gloss. Encaustic gesso, on the other hand, allows oil to seep down into the pores of the gesso.

How many layers of gesso to put on a panel?

Preparing the gesso and then laying 10 to 12 layers of it onto the panel is a laborious, finicky, tedious all-day task. It is a process to be loved either by masochists or by those who want to replicate the traditional craftsman-like approach to painting. In my painting days, I was one of the latter (and perhaps a bit of the former).

Can encaustic gesso be used on stretched canvas?

Can encaustic gesso be used on stretched canvas? Generally speaking, no. Because it has so little binder and so much filler, encaustic gesso does not have the elasticity of oil grounds. Since stretched canvas is always responding to changes in humidity and temperature by expanding and shrinking, a lean binder will have the tendency to crack.

Can you use gesso for encaustic painting?

With encaustic gesso, you don't have to turn yourself into a medieval craftsman in order to achieve similar qualities. Two coats right out of the jar (drying in between) are enough to give you a suitable ground for encaustic, egg tempera, and oil painting.

Does the binder matter in Gesso?

It's not the binder but the percentage of binder that matters in this case. And if you want to read more about this, you can download Myths and Realities about Encaustic Gesso.

How many layers can you use in encaustic?

You can use all these encaustic techniques one on top of the other, provided you apply a clear layer of encaustic medium between them. If you execute them properly you can build up to 50? layers, really no limit

How to make a watercolor painting?

Base technique with watercolor paper 1 Choose a wooden panel and clean it of dust and grease 2 Protect edges with painter’s tape that can be removed without residue, even after several weeks 3 Paint the front with white paint of any type and let it dry completely 4 Choose watercolor paper with a wheight of approx 300g / m2 and with little texture since it will absorb less binder. Cut it 1 or 2 cms larger than panel size. 5 Extend vinyl glue (white carpenter’s glue) to the wood over the entire surface and press the paper to put it in place. With a credit card (or similar) press and slide the glue from the center to the edges in all directions. Turn it upside down on a clean surface and put some books on it until it dries completely. Trim the edges of the paper with a cutter.

What is an intarsia?

Intarsia is a technique in which a part of the base wax is extracted, with a linoleum gouge for example, and is filled with encaustic paint of another color. You need to fuse it and then use the triangular scraper to remove the protruding wax.

How to make Indian ink marks?

If you want to make fine lines you can use bamboo pens and lightly press the warm wax

What paper to use to make wax transfer?

To make transfer on wax from an ink jet printer, the best solution is to use satin paper or what is called “contact transfer paper” which is a paper similar to the glossy paper where the self-adhesive labels are attached to.

What can you draw with?

You can draw with crayons, oil pastels and pigment based waterproof felts and by transfer.

How to make sunken marks on wax?

It is possible to make sunken marks on the wax by pressing objects onto warm wax, threads, etc. And proceed in the same way