Wax on, Wax Off: An Encaustic Workshop

An immersive introduction to painting with fire and wax

Encaustic is one of the oldest painting techniques in the world, as well as one of the most luminous. In this hands-on beginner workshop, you’ll learn how to safely melt, layer, fuse, carve, and collage with beeswax and pigment.

This class is designed to give you a strong foundation while leaving room for exploration and discovery. You won’t just watch demonstrations, you will work, experiment, and build your own layered surfaces.

We’ll cover:

• A brief history of encaustic painting
• Studio safety and ventilation
• Understanding encaustic medium and pigments
• Proper fusing techniques
• Making your first marks in wax
• Scraping and surface refinement
• Incising and intaglio techniques
• Accretion
• Incorporating collage into layered wax surfaces

• Two wooden substrates to complete during class
• All encaustic paints and medium for both projects
• Brushes for use during the workshop
• Access to heat guns, irons, and torches to experiment with
• Mark-making tools to borrow and explore
• Guided demonstrations and individualized instruction

• Personal collage materials or photocopies of images you’d like to embed
• Optional mark-making tools (pottery tools, stencils, texture tools, etc.)
• Clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy

• Limited to 8 students to ensure personalized attention
• Registration closes on the March 14th to allow time for studio preparation
• A welcome email with detailed information and waiver will be sent after registration
• A reminder email will be sent just before the event

By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with two completed works and a clear understanding of how encaustic behaves — how it moves, how it layers, how it transforms under heat.

More importantly, you’ll experience the quiet alchemy of heat and pigment; the moment when layers begin to glow and the surface comes alive.

Once you understand the rhythm of melting and fusing, it’s hard not to want to go deeper.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

obrARCHITECTURE, inc., 2419 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, United States

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