Encaustic Wax Process - by Patricia Keeler

 
www.patriciakeeler-author-illustrator.com

 ENCAUSTIC WAX PROCESS

©Patricia Keeler 2016/Sky Pony Press

I love texture! I am currently illustrating a book for Sky Pony Press, www.skyponypress.com, called LIZZIE AND LOU SEAL. Lou Seal is a blow-up plastic beach toy. When I saw Denise Fleming's Facebook post on encaustic wax painting, (nobody is better at mixed media than Denise! denisefleming.com) the flat, smooth texture of wax seemed a match for illustrating a plastic blow-up seal.

But to get started, I watched You Tube videos, like "encaustic art lesson 1 - abstract", then went for supplies.




I found case of block wax colors, wax medium (which look like rice) and boards at Blicks in Manhattan. That's when I realized this wasn't going to be an inexpensive process, and buying a lot of boards would mean I'd have to skip buying coffee at Starbucks, so I'm working on 28 lb copy paper.

I made the mistake of buying a steam iron. Then I realized the holes in the bottom of the iron would effect the texture of the wax. So I found a tiny travel iron with a flat bottom. A better suggestion, and a smaller iron, is the Clover Mini Iron. Thanks for the suggestion, Deb!  www.amazon.com/Clover-MCI-900-Mini-Iron/dp/B001CE73F8

Patricia Keeler working with encaustic wax.

I experimented. I began by rubbing the wax block on the iron, then moving the iron across the page. I got flat areas of turquoise wax, although this did make for some interesting background textures. I used this wax image as background in the illustration at top.

But I was trying to develop a representation of a shiny surface, so I began using the clear wax medium.

Top left:  I sprinkled down the clear wax medium.

Top right: I dripped wax onto a sheet of paper. I lightly touched the iron to that sheet to collect the colored wax.

Bottom left: With turquoise wax on the bottom of the iron, I first press down on the dots, then move the iron lightly across the paper.

Bottom right: Wax image of Lou Seal.

I scanned the wax image into Photoshop and worked the other watercolor and photographic images around it.

©Patricia Keeler 2016/Sky Pony Press

Yesterday I tried creating ocean waves using encaustic wax. Love this process!

©Patricia Keeler 2016/Sky Pony Press

My website is:  www.patriciakeeler-author-illustrator.com

Facebook friend me at:  PatriciaKeelerBooks

Follow me on Twitter: @patriciakeeler

represented by Liza Royce Agency www.lizaroyce.com