Sharp Lines in Encaustic Paintings

I use quite a few different techniques when I paint in encaustics, and have found a unique way to create urban landscapes. I start with beautifully hand made birch panels. And photographs I’ve taken in my travels are my references for drawings. I draw in pencil directly on the birch panels. With these urban landscapes sharp clean lines and accurate perspectives are important and I would lose them if I didn’t have a drawing down first. I then paint on the beeswax and damar resin mixture in thin layers with no added pigment. Typically it’s 6 or 8 layers. I like to work on three pieces at a time so that I’m not waiting around for layers to solidify, ready for the next layer to be added. I use painter’s tape to mask off areas of my underdrawing and then layer on the colour! Usually 12 layers. The wax needs to be not quite set for me to pull up the painter’s tape to reveal the sharp clean edge. Once this is allowed to harden another colour will go beside it. By laying on many layers I get a thickness that can later be carved away to reveal nice sharp lines.