New in the shop: Encaustic Paints & Pigment Oil Sticks

After many requests, we are happy to tell you that we now have Encaustic Paints and Pigment Oil Sticks in our store!

 

We talked to a few encaustic painters to get their opinions about paints and it became quickly obvious that R&F Handmade Paints is the preferred choice. R&F has built a strong reputation for over twenty years as a quality manufacturer of professional-grade encaustic paints and pigment oil sticks, and distinguishes itself by continuing to craft paint in small, carefully controlled batches. 

 

In our store we have a 40 color display of R&F Encaustic Paints and a 45 color display of R&F Pigment Oil Sticks. 

 

We also have an Encaustic Starter Kit that is great for those just learning about encaustics. 

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So, perhaps you are wondering: What are Encaustic Paints?

Encaustic is a beeswax-based paint (comprised of wax, resin and pigment) which is kept molten on a heated palette. It cools immediately, so there is no drying time, yet it can be reworked at any time. Since beeswax is impervious to moisture, it is extremely durable; therefore, it will not deteriorate, it will not yellow, and it will not darken, and encaustic paintings do not have to be varnished or protected by glass. It is an ancient, beautiful and highly versatile medium which can be polished to a high gloss, carved, scraped, layered, collaged, dipped, cast, modeled, sculpted, textured and combined with oil. Encaustic Paint can be used on almost any porous but dimensionally stable surface that can withstand a moderate amount of heat. A cradled painting panel is ideal.

What are Pigment Oil Sticks?

Pigment Oil Sticks are a high quality oil paint with just enough natural wax added to maintain a solid stick form. They can be thinned with turpentine or mineral spirits. They can be worked with mediums by dipping them into stand oil, linseed oil, alkyd mediums, or resin gels. They can be mixed along tube oils or used to draw over dried oil paints. Blending sticks are colorless Pigment Oil Sticks - essentially a stick without pigment. They can be worked into a color to increase its transparency or to blend two colors together on the painting. Pigment Oil Sticks can be manupilated with a paint knife until the paint is a buttery consistency, so that it can be brushed or knifed onto the surface. This method can be used to mix colors on the palette or in the painting. Pigment Oil Sticks can be used on any support suitable for use with traditional tube oil painting, such as canvas, panel or paper.

Please contact us with any questions about these materials. Also, there's lots of helpful information at R&F's Encaustic Resource Center and Pigment Stick Resource Center on their website.

Check out our blog post Waxing Poetic to view some inspiring works using encaustic paints.