How to Start Encaustic Art: A Beginner's Guide to Equipment, Safety & Supplies

If you've been curious about encaustic but keep putting it off because it seems complicated or expensive — I promise you, it's neither. I actually work out of my spare bedroom, and I've dedicated my entire practice to this medium. It's that good.

Let me walk you through the basics so you can get started without the overwhelm.

What even is encaustic?

It's a wax-based painting medium made from just two natural ingredients: beeswax and damar resin (which comes from trees). That's it. No harsh chemicals. No toxic fumes. As long as you stay within the safe temperature range — between 180°F and 200°F — you're good. 

The essentials you actually need

You only need a few things to get going. A hot plate (an inexpensive pancake griddle works perfectly), a surface thermometer (the griddle dials get less accurate over time, so this keeps you safe), and a heat gun from any hardware store. That's your starter kit.

Work beside a window for ventilation, and throw some silicone baking mats down to protect your surface and catch any wax drips — they peel right off once cool.

For tins, skip anything non-stick. Plain metal tins or small loaf pans are ideal. Clip a wooden peg to the side so you can move them around without burning yourself.

Brushes and paints   You'll need natural bristle Hake brushes — synthetic ones will melt on the plate. Two or three different widths is plenty to start. The good news? You don't even need to clean them. Just let the wax harden and remelt them next session. For paints, please don't buy every colour. Start with black, white, and the three primaries (red, yellow, blue). You can mix everything else from there. The encaustic medium itself comes in block or pellet form and melts right into your tin or directly onto the hot plate. A little goes a very long way — I have colours I've had for years and barely made a dent in.

What to paint on

Wax needs a rigid surface or it will crack over time. Birch wood panels are a great affordable option. If you want something completely fuss-free, Encaustaboard comes pre-primed and is ready to go right out of the box.

Once you're ready to explore more

A basic pottery tool kit (scraper, loop tool, needle tool) opens up a whole world of texture and mark-making in the wax. Pigment sticks and PanPastels are also beautiful to layer on top once you've got the basics down.

That's truly all you need. Once you start working with wax, you'll understand why I never went back to anything else.

Until next time, stay creative.

xo Jane.