The Art of Encaustic Painting

Contemporary Expression in the Ancient Medium of Pigmented Wax
Author: Joanne Mattera
ISBN: 0823002837
Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 2001
Size: 230 x 230 cm (9.25 x 9.25 in.) 144 pages, 175 color illustrations. Bibliography, Glossary, Index, Paperback.

Encaustic is a waxed-based painting medium characterized by luminous color and a lush surface. It's an ancient art, dating as far back as Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, and today is enjoying a revival.

Here is the first comprehensive guide available on mastering this beautiful yet demanding medium. In The Art of Encaustic Painting, readers will learn surefire ways to achieve vibrant color and create surfaces that look as light as a wash or as densely textured as impasto. They will see how to produce effects from abstract to figurative to minimal. Finally, they will discover dozens of clear, step-by-step directions detailing how to use these various encaustic techniques in their own art.

This remarkable reference also includes 200 attractive full-color photographs of the author's own work, as well as stunning examples by such premier encaustic artists as Jasper Johns, Arthur Dove, and Nancy Graves.

Inside, you'll find:

• More than 100 full-color photographs of works by artists who paint in encaustic, illuminating the vast range of images and aesthetics being produced through this medium.
• In-depth information on choosing the tools and materials you need and using them safely, setting up your work area, making your own paints, preparing the surface of your paintings, and applying and controlling the medium to create various effects.
• Conversations with more than 50 contemporary encaustic painters—including Jasper Johns—describing their techniques and creative processes.
• Advice from museum professionals, gallery owners, paint makers, and other industry experts on matters ranging from using encaustic materials to properly preparing and protecting finished works.
• An overview of the history of encaustic.
• A source list of suppliers.