Encaustic Workshop: Artistic Techniques for Working with Wax [Paperback]

Patricia B. Seggebruch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2009

Find out what happens when mixed media meets melted medium

In its purest form, encaustic painting is as simple as applying melted beeswax to an absorbent surface. In Encaustic Workshop, it becomes much more: a dynamic medium where anything goes and the possibilities are endless.

Packed with step-by-step techniques, helpful tips and diverse examples of completed works, Encaustic Workshop brings all the accessibility and excitement of a mixed-media workshop to your own workspace. If you're a beginner, you'll find everything you need to know to get started. If you're a more advanced crafter or fine artist, you'll discover things you never knew you could do with encaustic.

Instructions and photos will guide you as you learn to:

• Apply, layer, color and carve wax to create artwork rich with texture and depth.
• Create collages that combine encaustic with papers, fabric, found objects, image transfers and more.
• Experiment with charcoal, inks, watercolors, pastels and other mediums to create unexpected effects in the wax.

Then, complete step-by-step projects and an extensive inspirational gallery will show you how you can combine the techniques you've learned to create more complex works.

Sign your creativity up for this Encaustic Workshop - then just melt, paint and play!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A graduate of the University of Colorado, Patricia Seggebruch has been painting in water media, oil and encaustic for about twelve years. She has been teaching workshops at retreats (such as the enormously popular Artfest) since 1998, and she conducts demonstrations for Daniel Smith in Seattle/Bellevue, for ArtMedia in Portland, and for Ampersand Art Supply in Austin, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (February 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600611060
• ISBN-13: 978-1600611063
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on Encaustic Techniques, January 30, 2009

By 

Paula M. Scott "Molokai Girl" (Rio Rancho, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Encaustic Workshop: Artistic Techniques for Working with Wax (Paperback)

I'm pretty sure I own every book out there in regards to Encaustic techniques. With each new release of an "encaustic how to book", the level and variety of instruction supersedes the other. I think Patricia has succeeded in raising the bar on instructional art books. Particularly in the encaustic (painting with wax) area.
It is a comprehensive book and includes a variety of techniques. I don't think she left anything out and included inspiration to explore further. I also find the step by step instructions to be complete. Too many art instruction books have lots of pretty pictures and not enough of the "how to" content. This is not the case here; you get both. Lots of pictures, lots of instruction, lots of content.
This is the perfect book for anyone wanting to learn how to work in encaustic and for those who have some experience but want more.
I highly recommend this book.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great "cookbook", February 19, 2009

By 

M. Denis Hill "whidbeypix" (Whidbey Island, Washington USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Encaustic Workshop: Artistic Techniques for Working with Wax (Paperback)

Plenty of examples and step-by-step procedures for different encaustic techniques. This is going to be very valuable and save some experimentation. I'm a beginning encaustic artist but shared it with a friend with more experience who also found much useful info in it. Of the three encaustic books I own, this is the one I'll refer to most often.

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More focused than I expected, but I use it anyway, September 26, 2009

By 

Moorhead (Albuquerque, NM, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Encaustic Workshop: Artistic Techniques for Working with Wax (Paperback)

This book's blurb says (as do breathless Amazon reviewers) that it is "packed with step-by-step techniques" and "diverse examples of completed works," so I was surprised that this book is so limited in scope. The problem with buying books on the internet is that you can't thumb through them. If I had been able to, I would have known in 5 seconds that this was not the book I was looking for. The instruction and photos are clear and precise--if you want to create works similar to the author's. Her works are color and texture washes that may include found objects, craft papers, photos, and scrap-booking doodads embedded in the wax. In fact, most of these pieces rely on commercial, mass-produced items to add "interest" and "meaning," as the author says. Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you want to do. But there is very little here to get you started if that is not what you want to do.

July 2010: I take it back! If you want to do representational or figurative work in encaustic, this book will not overtly help with that part. It really is mostly about texture, color, and collage. However, as the author's ideas "cooked" in my brain, over time, I found I adapted and used some of the techniques presented. As for the author's paintings and the ready-made items in them, I realize that for people who are intimidated about making art, or are insecure about their drawing skills, her book could give them the ideas and confidence to delve in and play, and there's nothing wrong with that.