When artists start out with encaustic, the first comment is “How many colors do I buy and the paint is so costly?” What everyone fails to remember is that color theory and mixing still applies. When the wax medium is melted it is in a liquid form. Just like any other painting medium. In watercolor you have pigment that mixes with water, acrylic mixes with matte/gloss gel medium, oil paints with linseed oil or liquin and encaustic mixes with encaustic medium or beeswax. You just have to stop thinking in wet and dry, to solid and melted. Once the colors are melted and liquid you can mix your colors. Remember encaustic pigments are made from the same pigments as oil paints, just instead of being in oil, the pigment is in encaustic medium.

For this exercise you will need Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Phthalo Blue and Alizarin Crimson. I have been told that this is an exotic palette, so I blame that on living in South Florida. You will also need a matte board, brushes and a heated palette.

So gather your paints and follow along.

Here is the videos from YouTube to follow along