acrylics and encaustic

[Gudrun]

I wanted to show my recent work in encaustic, which is a real mixed media...first I underpainted with wax, than with other colours I overpainted completely with acrylics, than when it was dry I used a hotairgun , with a little excercise you see when the acrylic layer burtsts and with a sponge or a roller you move the acrylic paint carefully where you have to want it...so the darker regions are still acrylics, the lighter are wax...After that I changed it into a collage..that are leaves from a plum tree

Have a nice weekend
Gudrun

[Jakeally]

Just lovely Gudrun. A very effective combination and a super result. Is that gold leaf I see on the plum leaves?

[Mary Woodul]

Gudrun, what a fantastic piece! Your colors are beautiful. Is the part where the acrylic peeled off, those very light areas?

[idylbrush]

This is intriguing for sure.



I will not buy encaustics, I will not buy encaustics, I will not give in to this urge... Gosh I could get caught up in this rapidly.

[Phantelope]

wonderful! I had no idea you can paint acrylics on encaustic, does that hold up well? I would have thought it just peels off.

No encaustic for me either by the way, no siree, no no no, not ever, not even worth looking at, nada, niente, nein. Not ever will I.....

Oh, temptation, I hear the sirens sing~~~~~

I swear your honor, the voices made me buy it!

[Gudrun]

No it isn't gold on the leaves ..it is a very special kinf of plum tree with exatly those leaves but I forgot the name.
And yes..the very light parts are where the acrylics peeled off and its wax...
hcowdrick))))....just a little try?

[Malissa Martin Wilke]

I've repeatedly read that you can't mix encaustic and acrylics, but I have had no problem with it all as long as the wax is on top of the acrylic or I use the acrylic to paint in places I've incised in the wax. I have had more difficulty painting on the wax, but this isn't a problem since I purchased pure pigments to create my color in the wax itself, not on top of it. I haven't had any problem with adhesion at all.

[LazarusCMII]

I would be *very* careful using encaustic over acrylic... the issue is that the wax film is brittle, so if there is not proper adhesion to the substrate it can simply detach - one of the reasons gesso is *not* recommended for priming substrates for encaustic painting. I have literally seen chunks of an encaustic painting actually fall off the board when primed with gesso... The issue is that the acrylic ground is simply not absorbant enough to form a tight bond with the wax... A good way to test substrate adhesion is to make a test piece, prime it with your ground, layer encaustic over it, and put it in the freezer. when it is brittle, try and "flake" off the wax from the surface. If you can flake off pieces, you do *not* have proper adhesion and there is a chance your painting will be damaged down the road...