Encaustic Painting April 28, 2010

Encaustic (painting with pigment suspended in molten beeswax) is one of the world's oldest and most permanent painting mediums. The unique and seductive qualities inherent in encaustic have been rediscovered and employed by contemporary artists such as Jasper Johns, among many others. Encaustic is known for it's extremely rapid drying (by cooling), versatile range of applications, and its characteristic velvety surface and color quality.This class will serve as a thorough introduction to encaustic painting, and will equip participants with all of the knowledge they need to get started in the medium. Topics covered will include: equipment, materials and tools; supports and substrates; how to make encaustic paints and encaustic medium; fusing and painting with heat sources; painting techniques and approaches; incising and inlaying; use of masks and stencils; collage techniques; image transfer techniques; encaustic used with other media; and framing and display options.Instruction will also focus on the larger aesthetic and expressive issues of painting: generating and developing ideas, creative thinking, drawing, design, composition, and the relation of the visual to expression. Special emphasis will be given to color theory, harmony, and color mixing. Instruction will also be buttressed by examples from painting history and from modern and contemporary work. A materials and sources of supply list and bibliography will be distributed at the first class meeting.Instructor: William HarshWednesdays 6:30 - 9:30 pmLimit: Six StudentsLevel: Beginner to Advanced