Page 41 - Creating Whimsical Characters Using Simple Wood and Paper Forms, Wire, Paperclay, and Encaustic Medium

When painting a drum, I start with the drum head. I use masking

tape to isolate the drum head and paint it with wax.

Instead of using a torch or heat gun to fuse the wax, I like to use a
heated tool with a regulator to control the temperature of the tip.
My favorite is R&F’s Heated Spatula Handle with the R&F’s Encaustic

Tool Horn Tip and R&F’s Temp Regulator 500 WT.

When using a hot tool, be sure the temperature of the tip isn’t too

hot. You want to be able to smooth and blend the wax without
melting it off.

Once the drum head is painted and fused, I pull off the tape and let
the wax cool. Then I use masking tape to mask off the rim of the

drum and isolate the body of the drum before painting it with wax.

When painting an encaustic relief, paint the background first and

then use masking tape to protect the background while building up
the relief details. Don’t forget to fuse the relief sections with a

heated tool before pulling off the masking tape.

For the last detail, use masking tape to isolate the drum rim and
paint it with wax. Be sure to fuse before pulling off the masking

tape.

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