Demo Video: Encaustic Collage
Encaustic medium allows you to collage lightweight papers relatively easily. In this demo video, we demonstrate three different ways to do so.
TIP: IF YOU START IN THE CENTER OF YOU PAPER AND BRUSH OUT IN EITHER DIRECTION, YOUR ENCAUSTIC MEDIUM WON’T FORM A RIDGE ALONG ONE SIDE OF YOUR PAPER.
To begin, place your collage material on a warm, recently fused layer of medium. Lay a sheet of wax paper over the surface and burnish. This will help the paper stay in place and eliminate air pockets. Cover with a thin, even layer of encaustic medium and fuse lightly. A tacking iron can also be used to collage paper. The iron will pull wax through the paper and fuse it completely without scorching.
Some papers, when saturated with encaustic medium, become pliable, allowing you to work with them structurally. They can also become translucent, allowing text or images on the backside of the paper to be visible from the front. If you are working with papers that have been dyed, test your paper first on your palette to make sure it doesn’t bleed. This paper can be lifted from the palette and placed on your surface. Give the medium a chance to cool, then burnish lightly using wax paper and your favorite burnishing tool. Fuse lightly.
Should you discover that an pocket of air is trapped between your paper and your surface, make a tiny slit in the center of the air bubble using a razor blade while the wax is still warm. Place wax paper over the surface and burnish the air toward the center of the slit before fusing. The slit will be hardly noticeable.
TIP: BUILD THIN LAYERS BY REMOVING EXCESS ENCAUSTIC MEDIUM FROM YOUR BRUSH. WIPE IT LIGHTLY AGAINST THE SIDES OF YOUR PALETTE CUP, LEAVING JUST ENOUGH TO GLIDE ACROSS THE SURFACE OF YOUR PANEL.
An additional layer of encaustic medium may be necessary to ensure the edges of your paper are secure and don’t separate from your panel. If there is too much encaustic on top of your paper, it may dilute the color, making it appear cloudy. Scrape excess medium off gently using a scraping tool or razor blade and then fuse lightly to eliminate scrape marks.
Sometimes a corner or edge will lift slightly. If this is the case, place a sheet of wax paper on top, burnish lightly, wait a few moments, and give it a quick fuse. Too much heat causes paper to continue lifting away from the panel.
Enjoy. Keep painting.