Encaustic Collage

[@rivards1]

I love encaustic collage...I have still never tried it but thanks for great hits!

[@rfpaints]

So glad you enjoyed it.

[@22222murray]

I have a question regarding using the oil sticks on oil paper and if you know if you have to gesso the oil paper before using if you are only using the oil sticks and cold wax? Thank you

[@jojoma714]

I've been having issues with my paper lifting from the surface several months after completing a piece. I use a lot of photocopies and wonder if the paper is just not absorbent enough. I also brush a layer of wax on the back of each collage element to better fuse it to the layer of medium on the board. Is that too much medium? I'd love some advice as to how to prevent papers from lifting from the piece!

[@rfpaints]

Our guess is that the connection between the paper and the medium is not working because either it hasn't been fused enough or the paper is not thoroughly encased in medium. Make sure that the surface of your wax is nice and warm before you apply the paper. Burnish first to remove air bubbles and then apply medium over the entire surface, being careful to coat the edges of the paper. You may need to do more than one coat of medium. Fuse lightly but thoroughly. If you overheat, the paper will want to float up in the wax to the surface. Typically it's the edges that lift - so be sure those are submerged under medium. If you have too much medium on the surface of your paper after you are finished, you can scrap it back a bit but leave the edges underneath the medium. Good luck!

[@victoriafosterharrison4971]

Wonderful! Thank you! For the encaustic monotype, do you do anything additionally to prevent the wax from spreading? Or does the burnishing seem to take care of that?

[@rfpaints]

The first piece of paper I incorporated here was from an encaustic monotype. The burnishing doesn't keep the encaustic paint from spreading. The trick is to fuse lightly so you don't reactivate the paint too much much when incorporating it. Let me know if that answers your question!

[@zsavon]

what medium did you use to create your collage papers?

[@rfpaints]

The first piece of paper I collaged was an encaustic monoprint - made using R&F encaustic paint on the R&F heated palette. The paper was Japanese rice paper. The second piece of paper I used was a basic drawing paper onto which I had used India ink. The additional papers were purchased at an art supply store. All of the papers were non-coated - meaning they were absorbent paper. Hope that is helpful!