Encaustics and Photography

Encaustics in Photography Encaustic painting is beeswax-based paint consisting of beeswax, resin, and pigment. It is an incredibly flexible medium that can be combined with any number of other mediums such as collages, oil paints, inks, dry media, and photography. Encaustics are extremely durable and will not deteriorate, yellow, or darken over time. Examples of encaustic paintings, such as the Fayum mummy portraits, have survived from Roman Egypt. The encaustic medium maintains its popularity to this day in contemporary art and creates a luminous, ethereal image. In this lecture, we will cover the historical background of encaustics up to contemporary use in photography as well as how to create a simple encaustic studio to get started.