How to faux encaustic with acrylic mediums by kathy adams

I used a book called Surface Treatment Workshop as a guide, which has step by step directions on how to do faux encaustic, among many other interesting mixed media techniques.

To get the encaustic medium that makes the transparent layers, I experimented with varying amounts of two kinds of clear-drying mediums to create a satin finish similar to wax.

Mixing equal parts of gloss and matte mediums gave me that satin finish. Adding a small amount of Vegas Gold Sorbet and Lemon Tart Velvet tinted it enough to make it look more like real wax.

The idea is to create interesting layers, so I started with Tim Holtz pretty tissue paper and adhered it to my canvas using matte medium. It's important to let every layer dry completely.

Mix up a good amount of faux encaustic medium and apply liberally using a palette knife. Don't worry about smoothing it out. The texture makes it more interesting. Don't forget the sides. Let dry.

Apply Tuxedo Velvet through the Art Anthology Blossom stencil and clean up any edges. Clean the stencil off asap. Let dry completely.

Here is how the canvas looks so far.

I added a bit of Pixie Sorbet to the background for contrast and depth. Sorbets have a shimmery finish and will add some pizzaz to my background.

Time for another layer of faux encaustic medium. This time I added less Vegas Gold and no Lemon Tart. Use a palette knife and spread it in a thick layer. It will look opaque, but it drys clear.

Paint the blossoms with a mixture of Coral and Mi Bella Sorbet and Tango Velvet. I used a small brush and spread it thin to see the layers underneath. For deeper color, add a few layers of color.

I decided to dust off one of my hoarded tools called the Hot Boss, which has interchangeable tips including letters, knives, and points that heat up. I used the letters to emboss into the background.

I also used the Hot Boss tool to make marks around the edges. To bring them out, paint Tuxedo Velvet over them and let it sit there for a few minutes before wiping it off with a baby wipe.

It looks bad right now, but don't worry! Art Anthology mediums are great for glazing effects! It gets into all the nooks and crannies and look really cool.

A baby wipe does the job at cleaning up the excess paint. Let everything dry.

I decided to make dots with the Hot Boss randomly around the flowers.

I used another hoarded supply, a black oil pastel, to fill the dots. I also smeared it around for shadows.

Remove any excess pastel with a baby wipe.

Here is the canvas so far. Can you see the different layers? I decided to add dots of Vegas Gold and Lemon Tart to the center of the blossoms before moving on to the next step.

Add another layer of faux encaustic medium and let it dry. It looks scary because it is opaque while wet, but it dries clear. It takes a few hours but overnight is best.

I love that I can see all of the layers.

This project was difficult to photograph but you can really see how bright the colors are in this one.

I added black upholstery tacks to the sides of the canvas.

Be sure to visit the Art Anthology Adventures in Art Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/741057632686564/. You can share your work there, too!

Thank you for viewing my snapguide today! Check out my blog at http://kathyadamsmixedupart.blogspot.com