Cold Wax Part II Tools and Applications

Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.~Frank Borman

This is part two of my Cold Wax post covering tools and applications. Please read part one before continuing if you haven’t done so.  We’ve talked about the supports and types of wax in my previous post.  Essentially, it is best to use a harder support if you want to use thicker layers of wax. Below are the lists of tools and mediums used with CWM.  

Tools for applying the wax:  Brayers (2″,4″ & 6″ Speedball and Inovart ), brushes (all sizes, all types), Princeton Catalyst Blades, pallet knives,  Princeton Catalyst Silicone Wedge, Dough Scraper by Wilton 

Tools for drawing:  Charcoal, Graphite stick (preferably soft), oil sticks, oil bars, bamboo skewer, stencils, doily, Q-tips, oil pastels, beeswax crayons, knitting needles, pottery scraper, pottery carving tool, oil pen, stamps, the above Princeton Catalyst Blades and Wedges can also be used for marking.

Tools for creating texture:  Rubber basting brush, steel wool, yarn or string, plastic combs, pattern tracers, plastic wrap, bubble wrap, whisk broom, muslin, florist mesh, cheese cloth

Mediums: Following to thicken CW-Marble dust, lime, coffee, dirt, graphite powder, Gilder paste, sand; Citra Solve and Gamsol to remove layers of wax, Gamblin Solvent free Gel, Solvent free fluid and Liquin to thin mixture or glaze.

Application: Prior to putting down the first layer of CWM, prime your support with a solid color of oil paint of your choice.  Let the it dry throughly before laying down layers of CWM.  Take a large sheet of Reynolds Freezer Paper, tape it to a flat surface.  This will be your pallet.  Lay out your pallet of oil paint, take a dollop of oil paint and mix with pallet knife 30 to 50% of CWM.  Then take your brayer and roll into mixture on Freezer Paper. Roll the mixture on primed support.  Take another color and do the same, etc.  You can lay wet into wet if you have a light touch.  You can dry in between layers. 

It is advised that you work on more than one painting at a time to allow for drying time. You will have different drying times for different colors of oil paint. 

You can then build up by layering with larger amounts by applying it with pallet knife, squeegee, wedge etc. As the wax dries, you can start to scrape, revealing the layers below, or you can use any of your drawing tools. Drawing is much easier if the layers are somewhat dry.  It is easier to mark when it is tacky and not completely dry.  

There isn’t one way to use CWM.  I noticed through my research that each artist creates their own style.  Some artist may create abstracts, while other may create landscapes, still life or figures. Some artists may prefer the squeegee, wedge, scraper or pallet knife to apply the cold wax and oil paint mixture rather than the roller or a combination of both.  

Experiment and have fun, discover your own way with CWM.

Below are a couple of videos using Cold Wax Medium.