HEALTH & SAFETY
While Working with Encaustic Paints
Tips to be mindful of while creating with encaustic paints.
Encaustic painting is one of the world's oldest art forms! The earliest applications of encaustic wax paint was done by the artists of Ancient Greece -- hence, where the Greek word "enkaustikos" meaning "to burn in".
As with all art mediums, health and safety concerns must always be addressed. Encaustic painting is solvent-free, eliminating the need for turpentine, mineral spirits, or oily rags in the studio. An encaustic studio should be set up just like an oil or acrylic painting studio with good ventilation and circulation of fresh air. An ideal encaustic studio should have an open window to allow the entry of fresh air and an exhaust fan near or above your hot palette to remove fumes. Of course common sense caution should be exercised when working with any of the heated equipment like the hot palette or heat gun. Our paints are artist quality therefore we do not recommend our paints for children under the age of 12 because our paints are made with artist grade pigment. A good working temperature for the wax paint is between 150-175 degrees Fahrenheit. This working temperature is extremely important when working with encaustic paints as it will allow you to avoid creating fumes and help maintain the paint's integrity. It is a fact that many encaustic artists use blow torches. This is a bad idea and should always be avoided. Torching your art will create unnecessary fumes and accelerates the decomposition of your beeswax.
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