Enkaustikos Wax Medium

Enkaustikos Wax Medium is made from U.S. Pharmaceutical Grade Beeswax and Damar Resin. Wax Medium has many uses when it comes to encaustics. It can be used as a topcoat, a basecoat, or it can be used to create a textured surface. It can even be added to your wax paints to increase transparency for glazing techniques. For those who like custom colors, wax medium is ideal for mixing with your own pigments. Since it is such a versatile medium, Enkaustikos manufacture two types: Enkaustikos Original Wax Medium and Enkaustikos XD Wax Medium which includes extra damar.

*We would like to emphasize that Enkaustikos wax paints and mediums are made with damar resin and not damar varnish. Many encaustic recipes incorrectly suggest that an artist should use damar varnish. This is not a good idea because damar varnish is made with turpentine which is not only flammable but also gives off unhealthy fumes.  Enkaustikos heat filters out the impurities from the damar crystals without the use of solvents. Unlike damar varnish, Enkaustikos Damar Resin is a safe product to work with. 

One way to use wax medium is by applying it as a top coat and fortunately, wax medium will give an ethereal effect without obscuring  artwork underneath. Looking at the images below, the left image shows the original Enkaustikos Wax Medium brushed over a print and the right shows XD over the same print. The XD is slightly more yellow due to the higher load of damar resin, but it is also more clear and will become more level with the use of a heat gun.

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Enkaustikos Wax Medium



 

Our original Wax Medium is truly a versatile product to have on hand.  Many encaustic artists find it essential in their studio. It is an excellent product for basecoats, topcoats, and to be used in glazing techniques.

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Enkaustikos XD Wax Medium

XD Wax Medium gets it's name from the  extra damar we use to make it.  This wax medium has a higher content of damar resin than the original, giving it a thicker consistency when liquefied. It also has a sticky tack while drying for easy texture build up and will stay pliable for a longer time than our original Wax Medium. Once cooled however, it is resistant to surface alterations from scraping or incising and offers a hard film. Like the original, XD can be used as a base coat, wax paint extender for glazing, and especially useful as a topcoat. If you want to achieve a glass like surface with a single topcoat, this is the product for you.

Available in the following sizes:

Metal Hot Cake Tins (1st image) - 1.5 fl oz (45 ml) tin, 6 fl oz (177 ml) tin

Resealable Silver Bags (2nd image) - 8 fl oz (236 ml), 16 fl oz (472 ml)