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Cold Wax Painting Medium
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Zest-it Cold Wax Painting Medium.
What is it and how do you use it?
 


 Cold Wax Painting Medium is non-toxic and non-flammable.

The one and only non-toxic, non-flammable Cold Wax Painting Medium, first produced in 2010.

(It is not a hazardous product therefore an (M)SDS is not required.)


Cold Wax Painting Medium
 

The Zest-it Cold Wax Painting Medium is a wax based paste for mixing with oil paint to give texture and substance to the painting.

It is a mixture of genuine Beeswax, Linseed Oil and Damar resin. It is smooth, thick and firm. When mixed with oil paint, the resultant Cold Wax/oil paint mixture dries faster than oil paint would by itself.
It is easy to use using a painting knife, scrapers or brushed and can be mixed with pigments, powdered metals, marble and other fine art materials.

Damar and Beeswax have a synergy together. The Damar increases the melting point of the Beeswax and strengthens it. The Beeswax protects the Damar from oxidisation and gives it flexibility. Quite a magical relationship.
This means the Cold Wax Painting Medium is more stable and has a higher melting point than Beeswax alone.


A independent Professional Artist review of the Zest-it Cold Wax Painting Medium


How to use Cold Wax


A' knife full' of Cold Wax spread onto some primed paper,  to give a good indication of the thickness and consistency of the un-mixed wax.
It can be used in this state to seal and protect items, as a wax varnish for a painting, as a 'polish' for picture frames and the like.

Add pigments, embellishments and metallic powder to the wax before applying to a painting or surface. Also Pastels, powders, mica flakes, glitter, graphite and 'acquired' additions.

It is not recommended to add any water based products, it may 'seem to work' but over time there will probably be oil/wax/water movement and disintegration of the damaged elements.

Use oil paint, oil pastel, dry pigment, but, not water mixable oils or acrylics. Water mixable and acrylic need water to work - wax does not!
Adding water via the paint medium will cause a weakening of the painting structure, besides the cracks and potholes/marks in the finish appearance.


A 'knife full' of Cold Wax

ArtywaxShop Cold Wax Painting Medium

We also now have our new product
Cold Wax Paint

spread of oil paint and cold wax
spread of wax and oil paint


Cold Wax with Oil Paint.


When mixing Cold Wax Painting Medium with oil paint, mix them together, a little or a lot whatever is appropriate.
The image left is an example of a single spread of lightly-mixed wax and oil paint.

Some suggest specific ratio, or proportions of 'this and that', or 'don't use more than 50%' etc. Adhering to defined ratio's does not guarantee 'success'.
Wax and Oil have been used together for many thousands of years without issue that we know of, it often depends on the quality of the products as to its longevity!

Mixing the wax and oil paint together before applying is the optimum way.
However, the oil paint and Cold Wax Painting Medium can have more mixing, moving and manipulating on the surface.

 Heating wax mixed with oil paint is heating the 'unknown', not a recommended practice. Furthermore, for those wanting to use heat with wax, then it would be better to use 'Encaustic' supplies.  Even though it was heat tested as described in the tests, it is not designed for use with heat.

Wax and Pigment

The Top image is dry pigment placed on the wax before mixing together with a knife.
The dry pigment will have a drying/shortening effect on the wax, which makes the wax feel more firm, drier and less creamy.
Adding 1 (one) drop of Zest-it Cold Pressed Linseed Oil or Zest-it Clear Painting Medium will rectify the mixture, or of course you can use it 'as is'.

The Bottom image shows the dry pigment mixed into the wax.
This mixing has little effect on the colour, integrity and intensity of the pigment when comparing the mixture with the original pigment.

If you prefer not to add CPLOil to the mixture, then add just one drop of  Wax Solvent to the pigment. This will 'wet' the pigment before mixing together with the wax, makes incorporating the pigment much smoother.

wax and green pigment



mixed wax and green  pigment
pigment and wax

limestone with blue oil paint and cold wax
How to use the Cold Wax Additions

To give more body to the wax, which in turn, give texture and impasto possibilities to the wax, before adding to the painting or mixed media work.

A Firm favourite it Marble Dust, this gives a grittiness to the mixture. The image left is Limestone Dust which gives a smoother, softer texture to the mixture.
We also have Fine Sand which again gives grittiness; Slate Dust a softer grey colouration to the mix; Graphite for a smooth blackness, this mix works well for a more vigorous Dry-brush Oil technique.

All of these can be found in the Artywax Shop under Additions.
 

 


Testing the Cold Wax Painting Medium     |    Thinning the Cold Wax Painting Medium     |     Techniques
 

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