"Kelp Forest"
Image size 6" x 6"
Encaustic
I've been concentrating on my watercolor paintings for the last couple of months and have missed working with wax so I decided to paint an encaustic this week. Watery subjects are such fun to paint and, of course, watercolors are a great medium to use to achieve that fluid look, but I've found that I can also get an interesting watery effect using encaustics.
Painting the wax onto the surface is only half of the work when using this molten medium. Using the heat gun or blow torch is equally important to the appearance of the finished painting. Manipulating the wax once it is applied to the surface is what gives the finished look. I like to get a lot of movement with the heat gun. Some colors are transparent and some are opaque and the colors react differently to the heat which adds interest to the painting.