Encaustic Comprehensive: An Introduction to Working with Wax with Bridget Benton

This class includes two days of instruction and all materials – encaustic medium, professional quality pigments, up to eight panels sized from 2.5”x3.5” to 8”x10”, and a variety of collage papers, as well as use of all the tools, equipment, and materials you will need to complete several small works using a wide variety of techniques! Bridget Benton has been working in encaustic as her primary medium since 2006, and designs her classes so that participants can arrive with nothing more than an attitude of exploration and have a great time!

Learn about tools and materials, safety, and how to set up your own home studio – including money-saving tips and tricks. We’ll focus on archival methods, best practices, and the basics of encaustic – including preparing your panels, priming panels with encaustic medium, and the proper fusing of layers – as well as giving you lots of time to play and experiment.

We’ll cover working additively and subtractively, color mixing, translucent vs. opaque colors, scraping and incising, basic image transfers, collaging and embedding papers, use of stencils and masks, controlled and fluid application of color, and various ways of building texture and creating impressions directly into the encaustic surface. We’ll also look at ways of adding finishing touches to your pieces using pan pastels, oil paints and oil sticks, and even foils and shimmers.

The focus is on experimentation and discovering what’s possible with encaustic! Excellent course for beginners, those looking for a solid skill set from which to launch their own studio exploration, and those with some encaustic experience looking to refine their skills and learn new tips and tricks.