When mixed with solvent, beeswax becomes soft enough to paint with, without the need for the application of heat. By adding a resin for strength you create a cold wax painting medium. Cold wax medium has such distinct characteristics when mixed with oil paint that this type of painting has its own name: Cold Wax Painting. The paint and medium mixture is often applied by spreading with a knife or scraper. Cold wax medium thickens oil paint so it allows for carved-in marks and creating this texture in the surface is an important part of the painting process for many cold wax painters. Collage can also be incorporated for mixed-media painting. As soon as the solvent evaporates the mixture begins to harden or dry, this speeded up drying allows fast painting in layers.
Sally Hirst is a professional artist who has used cold wax for many years in her work. Sally holds a postgraduate teaching certificate from Cambridge University and is a certified educator for Golden Artists Colors. She has been teaching a range of painting and printmaking workshops for many years in both the UK and Spain, including the use of cold wax. Because she has so much experience we thought she’d be a good person to explain the different characteristics of the many brands of cold wax medium. Sally compares the cold wax mediums side by side in various situations as well as completing six small paintings, each using one of the six mediums. Along the way, she demonstrates the many ways to make marks and create layers when painting with cold wax medium.
Comparing Cold Wax Mediums
by Sally Hirst
I create paintings and monoprints, both media inform the other and are often combined in a single piece. I begin each painting by building texture and colours with acrylics before adding many layers of oil, pigments and cold wax medium. Through a process of scraping and re-working, I achieve a highly textural surface and reveal the underlying colours. After many layers, I tame the chaos by redefining the design with strong shapes, lines and structure.
I have been using Cold Wax Medium (CWM) with oil paint in my work for a while and I really enjoy how it allows me to make marks, build texture and scrape back; concealing and revealing. It can also be used as a ‘glue’ to attach collage elements, and as a finishing wax as an alternative to varnish on acrylic, oil and watercolour paintings and photographs. As a printmaker I love how CWM can be used with many of my printmaking tools: rollers, spreaders and engraving tools; even tools from the kitchen find their way into my studio: basting brushes, skewers and whisks to name a few. The medium changes the consistency of the oil paint by making it thicker, the dry paint has a nearly matt sheen, and the drying time is accelerated. As an added bonus the rules of “fat over lean” no longer apply as the oil is suspended in the wax medium.
The two brands of Cold Wax Medium I have used before are Gamblin and Zest-it, and I now make my own recipe for my own work and my workshops, that I call SalCera (a combination of Sally and Cera, which is Spanish for wax). But I am often asked by participants on my workshops about the differences and similarities between the brands available, in particular their texture, drying times, sheen, flexibility and smell. So when Jackson’s asked me to do a product comparison I was more than happy to do so. Whilst I am a self-confessed materials geek I’m not a scientist, so the results of my “experiments” should be taken in the spirit they are intended – to share knowledge and experience, but not used as definitive answers.
What is Cold Wax Medium?
CWM is a wax-based medium that you mix with oil paint. Most consist of beeswax, a resin and a solvent. Most brands use either damar or alkyd as resins. Both resins help to cure the beeswax, make it durable and less sensitive to heat. Without the addition of a resin, the wax would remain fairly soft. It has been a popular medium in the USA for decades but is relatively new in Europe. It is not the same as encaustic painting which involves heating wax until it melts, adding resin and pigment and applying it to a surface whilst in its molten state. By contrast, CWM has a short, buttery consistency; it also cannot be heated or mixed with water-based media. Whilst its soft edges and rich texture appeal to landscape and abstract painters, any genre of painting is possible as illustrated in the excellent book by Rebecca Crowell and Jerry Mclaughlin Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations.
The six products I tested are made by Gamblin, Dorland’s, Zest-it, Michael Harding, Wallace Seymour, and my own recipe SalCera. In addition, I tested a few solvents, mediums and additives to see how the wax mediums can be extended and altered. Links to all products are below. Not all of the information on all of the products that I tested is available but most companies provide information on their websites on what their products contain and how to use them, as well as safety data sheets.
This chart shows the ingredients used in each product and the manufacturer’s recommended percentage of the medium when mixed with oil paint.
| Brand | Wax | Solvent | Resin | Oil | % of Medium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamblin | Beeswax | Gamsol (OMS) | Galkyd | 33-50%* | ||
| Dorland’s | Beeswax, Paraffin, Microcrystalline | Odourless Mineral Spirits | Dammar | 33-50%* | ||
| Zest-it | Beeswax | Citrus-based turpentine substitute | Dammar | Linseed | 50%* | |
| SalCera | Beeswax | Gamsol (OMS) | Galkyd | 50%* | ||
| Michael Harding | Beeswax | Distilled turpentine | Dammar | Linseed | 20% | |
| Wallace Seymour | Beeswax | Co-Co Bello Diluent | Dammar | Linseed | 20% |
As with most products of this nature some contain ingredients that can cause irritation. I would always recommend using them in a well-ventilated studio, wearing gloves to prevent skin absorption and taking note of any symptoms. If you do have a reaction it is more than likely to be a solvent, but as Julie Caves points out in her excellent Jackson’s blog post on solvents (thanks, Sally) it is very much an individual response, what suits one person may not suit another.
The oil paints I used are from Jackson’s Professional range and Williamsburg but any good quality oil paint is fine to use with cold wax medium. I would recommend using those that are stiffer. A loose oil paint with lots of oil will affect both the viscosity of your medium and the drying times. I used the same colours on each panel for consistency as different colours have their own inherent drying times. Pigments like umbers dry at rates much faster than modern organic pigments. An excellent chart on oil paint drying times and opacity can be downloaded here.
Strength of Solvent Odour in Each Medium
The first thing one notices when opening each jar or tin is the smell. How does one describe a smell? What smells strongly for one person does not for another and vice versa. For this test I lined the jars up in front of my husband as I had prior knowledge of the ingredients that might sway my opinion. I asked him to give each jar a rating from 1-10, 1 being no smell and 10 being strong smelling. These are the results of our smell test and his descriptions:
1 Dorlands “a delicate wax smell like lemony polish”
2 Gamblin “a soft smell, similar to putty”
2 SalCera “smells like the putty one”
3 Wallace Seymour “reminds me of my grandmother’s furniture polish”
5 Zest-It “a chemical orange smell like kid’s sweets”
9 Michael Harding “smells strongly of turpentine”
The differences in smell lie mainly in the amount and type of solvents used. Dorlands, Gamblin and SalCera are mixed with good quality odourless mineral spirits, which along with the Zest-It citrus-based turpentine substitute, are not as strong smelling as turpentine. The Wallace Seymour appears to be mostly beeswax suspended in linseed oil and does not smell of solvent, however, according to the company the wax is dissolved in a “natural plant-based diluent” called Co-Co Bello. The Michael Harding clearly states their wax medium contains distilled turpentine, which is a much stronger smelling solvent than either odourless mineral spirits or Zest-it diluent.
Textures of the Cold Wax Mediums
The next aspect I explored was their texture. I was surprised by how different they all were. I filmed a series of short videos to enable you to see the differences in texture and viscosity. Whilst they vary in colour I found that once mixed with paint and dry, the colour of the wax is not evident. The thickest is the Zest–It, it is slightly ‘gritty’, so thick you can cut it with your palette knife. Gamblin and SalCera were both similar to the Zest-It but slightly smoother and whiter. The Wallace Seymour is yellow, thick and chunky, it clearly contains a lot of linseed oil so has a very rich consistency. The Dorlands is white, smooth and creamy, probably due to its slightly higher ratio of solvent, and the use of both paraffin and microcrystelline waxes, which are inherently smooth and clear. The thinnest was Michael Harding, it was even thinner than the oil paint I used, and when worked with the knife became even looser.
Adding Solvent, Oil or Powders
There are times when you may want to adjust the viscosity of the medium to make them flow for brush work. Used sparingly Linseed Stand Oil can be added but this will slow drying time. If mixed with an equal amount of solvent you can create a traditional slow-drying, low-viscosity painting medium to add to your oil and CWM mix. However, if you want to maintain the drying time then there are other mediums available. Zest-it Clear Painting Medium which is a blend of their Zest-it solvent and linseed oil, and Chelsea Classical Studio’s Clarified Lean Medium that is a mixture of cold-pressed linseed oil and lavender spike oil essence will both decrease drying time and thin the paint.
Both Zest-It and Gamblin make additional gel-like products that can be added to cold wax mediums. I had read that the two resins used in wax mediums, damar and alkyd, are not compatible so it is worth keeping to one brand. With that in mind, I experimented thinning the damar resin-based mediums: Dorland’s, Zest-it and Michael Harding with Zest-it LiquiBlend Wax. I thinned the alkyd-based mediums (Gamblin and SalCera) with Gamblin Galkyd Gel. Both of these products reduced the viscosity of the mediums to allow for smooth brushwork. As the Michael Harding is quite thin to start with, adding the Zest-it LiquiBlend created a very fluid paint. Conversely, it is possible to thicken the mediums by adding absorbent powders such as marble dust and limestone dust, but this will affect the opacity and tint the colour. Zest-It produce a range of additives including limestone dust, which made the Michael Harding much thicker and tinted the medium a soft brown, this is less evident when mixed with paint but a factor worth considering if you like using transparent layers.
Comparing the Cold Wax Mediums
Having explored the ingredients and viscosity of each medium I set about some trials. Three questions that I am always being asked are about the ratios of medium to paint, drying times and the flexibility of dried paint. For some artists being able to roll a painting for shipping or transportation is an important factor. I devised a test that would answer all of these questions by creating a chart on canvas that once fully dry I could roll and crease to see which medium stands up to rough handling! On my test chart I tested them all to a range of ratios. Finally, I added Galkyd to each of the 50:50 mixes to see how flexible it would make the paint.
Proportions
As wax is essentially a brittle substance it is recommended that rigid supports are used. However, that very much depends on the ratios of oil to CWM and whether additional resins such as alkyd mediums are used to add flexibility. Gamblin and Dorland’s recommend using a ratio of 1:2 oil paint to medium, but if using a rigid surface or adding additional resins the ratio of wax to paint can go higher and most artists use a 1:1 mix as a baseline. Zest-it advises not more than 50% wax should be used. Michael Harding and Wallace Seymour advise not more than 20% wax. In my own work, I tend to use a 50% wax mix, but I add additional alkyd mediums to increase flexibility if I’m working on paper or canvas instead of a rigid surface.
Drying Time
On my test chart the neat Gamblin, Zest-it, Dorland’s and SalCera were all touch dry within 24hrs, the Michael Harding took 72 hours and the Wallace Seymour is still wet at the time of writing three weeks later. However, when mixed with paint to their recommended ratio of 20% the Michael Harding was touch dry in two days and the Wallace Seymour touch dry after four days. There was surprisingly little difference in drying times between the ratios for Gamblin, Dorland’s, Zest it and SalCera. As it was the only one of the four to contain Linseed oil the Zest-it took a slightly longer time to dry. Drying times vary enormously depending on the thickness of paint, the pigment used and the ambient temperature, so any figures are only a guide.
Layering
Finally, I felt I could start painting! I used a 20cm square plywood panel to make a painting with each brand of CWM. The first layer on all the panels was Cerulean Blue using a silicone spreader. After the initial process of laying down one colour, it soon became apparent that this was going to be a layering test for those mediums which are touch dry within a reasonable time, enabling a second coat to be applied without disturbing the first.
The weather was warm and sunny and as expected the Gamblin, Dorland’s, Zest-it and SalCera were dry enough in a few hours to add a second layer using a roller. This was an opaque layer of Titanium White with Prussian Blue. It was interesting to see how each medium rolled on, clearly, the stiff Zest-it allowed for a greater degree of texture.
Once applied, I used both a wooden kebab stick and the edge of my silicone scraper to score into the surface revealing the Cerulean blue underneath.
Wiping with Solvent
A favourite Cold Wax technique is using solvents to remove a layer of paint.
I used Gamsol with both a needle applicator and a brush to each of the panels. After a few minutes, I used my silicone scraper to wipe away, revealing the layer underneath.
In the Gamsol wipe test the “cleanest” wipe was achieved with the Dorland’s medium (shown on the left) as it went on much smoother than the others. The action of dragging down over the thick Zest-it (shown in the centre) resulted in a blurred edge. I left the Michael Harding panel to get touch dry before adding the Titanium White and Prussian Blue layer, leaving it for another two days before doing the wipe which left a smudgy, atmospheric result (shown on the right).
In addition to noting how each wax reacted differently to solvent, I was interested to see how the different solvents would perform for ‘wiping’. I painted a spare panel with a layer of a mixture of opaque paint and cold wax medium and once touch-dry tested the following by dribbling down a teaspoonful of each, waiting a few minutes before wiping downwards with my silicone scraper. In order of strength: the English Distilled Turpentine cut into the paint with the most vigour, next was the Zest-it Solvent, and then the Shellsol T and Gamsol which both dissolved an equal amount of paint. I hadn’t used the Chelsea Classical Studio Lean Medium before and presumed that as it smelt so strongly, in a pleasant way, it would behave with ‘strength’ but of course, although it contains a solvent it is an oil medium so it didn’t dissolve the paint at all! Proof that smell is not an indicator of strength, and reading the label always helps!
Solvent strength of dissolving the wax, from strongest to weakest:
- English Distilled Turpentine
- Zest-It Wax Solvent
- ShellSol T Odourless Solvent
- Gamsol Odourless Mineral Spirits
- Chelsea Classical Studio Lean Medium (with spike lavender oil solvent)
Solvent test to remove wax, left to right:
English Distilled Turpentine, Chelsea Classical Lean Medium (notice that it didn’t remove any wax at all), ShellSol T, Zest-It Wax Solvent, Gamsol
Glazing
As I like to work with both opaque and transparent layers I returned to the six touch-dry panels to lay down a thin glaze of Indian Yellow mixed with CWM once the second layer was touch dry. To the Gamblin and SalCera I added a little Galkyd and Gamsol to make it a little more fluid, to the Zest-it and Michael Harding I added some Zest-it Clear Painting Medium, and to the Dorland’s I added Chelsea Classical Studio Lean Medium. I used the silicone spreader to apply the glaze. Each glaze behaved differently, the Gamsol/Galkyd glaze spread over evenly, as did the Zest-it but the stronger solvent in the Zest-it Clear Painting Medium began to “wake up” the opaque layer underneath, muddying the glaze. The most successful glaze was the one diluted with the Chelsea Classical Studio Lean medium. The Dorland’s is smoother to start with, and the Lean is a medium, not just a solvent, so it did not affect the opaque layer, giving me more time to spread the glaze evenly. I could have used Linseed oil to create the glaze but that would have meant a longer drying time before adding the fourth layer.
To provide more texture I used a Princeton silicone brush to some areas.
The fourth layer was one I made with Titanium White tinted with Yellow Ochre.
With one panel I masked off areas with blue masking tape before adding the white layer with a roller.
When applying the tinted white Dorlands with the scraper I noticed that as it was smoother it settled nicely into the texture left by the silicon brush.
With the stiffer mediums, I left texture in the paint with the silicone scraper and kitchen whisk.
Finally, on all panels I removed areas of paint using a pottery loop tool, revealing the layers underneath. This was less successful with the Michael Harding panel, but the results were soft and impressionistic.
Once this white layer had dried I laid on another glaze of Williamsburg Green Gold mixed as before but with this layer, I tried more techniques.
I blotted off areas of glaze with newsprint that had been screwed up and spread out again. I laid it on and using a clean roller to press it into the paint. I sprayed solvent on from a spray bottle wiping away the dissolved areas. Both of these techniques remove the glaze but leave a texture. (Editor’s note: If spraying oil paint solvents ensure you have adequate ventilation, wear a mask, and remember that spraying any flammable product should be done with extreme caution. The same applies when using products like spray varnish, fixative, spray paint and some spray adhesives.)
What all of these techniques allow is for the artist to explore in ways that are only possible with cold wax medium.
The sixth and final layer that all the panels had in common was a transparent glaze layer of Prussian Blue. For this I cut shapes from copy paper to mask off areas, providing bold shapes to contrast with the textures.
After this layer, while keeping to the palette I was using, I treated each panel individually to finish them. I added more opaque and transparent layers and scored into them with tools. Mixing the Michael Harding with Titanium White and the Zest-It Limestone Dust provided a lovely grey that was touch dry in 24 hours.
Blending with the Michael Harding and Wallace Seymour Mediums
Having finished the panels that dried faster, I returned to the slower-drying Michael Harding and Wallace Seymour mediums. The Michael Harding panel was dry enough to work on after two days, and allowed a greater ratio of wax to paint but it was a much slower process to work with layers, and the texture was too smooth to build impasto. The Wallace Seymour medium could be used with layers as I had with the others, if I had kept to the recommended 20% ratio, but again it would still be a much slower process. These were clearly mediums that had different properties, and consequently different uses to those that I would define as true Cold Wax Mediums. Both would be excellent to use for Alla Prima painting and creating a piece in one session.
With this in mind, I decided to test their blending qualities. I mixed each with paint to a 20:80 ratio, and alongside I did a control test with plain paint. The Michael Harding allowed for a greater degree of blending that the plain paint, it was soft and creamy to work and dried with a matte finish after 48 hours. The Wallace Seymour allowed for more impasto texture but still blended well although it had a longer drying time than the plain paint.
I could alter the viscosity of both by either adding Zest-It LiquiBlend to loosen them or by adding marble or limestone dust to thicken them which would also decrease their drying time. I particularly liked how both dried with a matt finish.
Cracking Test
Finally, it was back to my canvas test panel, how would it cope being rolled and folded? I had left it for four weeks and all the sections were dry, except the Wallace Seymour sections which were mixed with a higher ratio of wax than recommended. The section of Wallace Seymour where I had added Galkyd to a 50/50 mix had dried after a few days indicating that either low wax ratio and/or some resin is required to enable it to dry.
I rolled and folded the canvas and then set about creasing it along each section. I was rough with it!
Interestingly the only sections that showed any sign of splitting were the plain, unmixed sections, except those with linseed oil. Although in theory alkyd resin gives both strength and flexibility to paint layers, whilst dammar would impart its inherent brittleness to paint layers, in my test they were equally flexible. The fact that none of the painted sections cracked, indicating that even a little linseed oil present in the oil paint has a protective quality.
Will it Melt?
The final question I am always asked when I say I use wax medium is “Will it melt?” This summer I drove from Southern Spain to the UK with a number of paintings in my car. The days were warm and the car developed a lovely waxy smell. I was relieved to find when unpacking them that nothing had “shifted” on the journey. However, to fully test this I put a piece of canvas with plain dried paint, and a piece with a 50-50 paint and cold wax medium mix in the sunshine on a sunny day for an afternoon and neither sample went even slightly soft. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend any painting is put in direct sunlight or left in a hot car, but I would argue that paintings made with oil and wax medium are as stable as oil paintings without wax medium.
The Finished Paintings
Finished painting on panel using Dorland’s cold wax – Sally Hirst
Finished painting on panel using Zest-it cold wax – Sally Hirst
Finished painting on panel using Gamblin cold wax – Sally Hirst
Finished painting on panel using Salcera cold wax – Sally Hirst
Finished painting on panel using Michael Harding Beeswax Paste – Sally Hirst
About Sally Hirst
Sally Hirst’s work is about journeys; those that she takes and the journey that the artwork has been on in her studio. The textures, colours and structures of each environment dictate the development of her artwork which whilst predominately abstract is based on fleeting images, imagination and experiences. She invites you to pause a while, to take your own journey through the narratives she creates.
Sally says: “As I walk I collect discarded objects; pieces of wood, rusty metal, interesting plant forms. In addition to photographing and drawing them, many become the tools that I draw with; I also use them to apply the pastes and mediums that create the texture, lines and shapes. As a result, my work is imbued with layers of information and meaning. The work is complete when it stops asking for more!”
Originally from South London, Sally completed a BA(hons) in Cambridge and a post-graduate degree at Cambridge University. After many years teaching Art and Design she is now a full-time artist and is currently studying for an MA in Fine Art. In 2017 and 2018 she took the intensive programme offered by artist Nicholas Wilton, his approach enabled her to develop her individual way of working.
Sally runs workshops in painting and printmaking from her studio in the centre of Norwich, details can be found on her website www.sallyhirst.co.uk
Tools and Materials Used
Cold Wax Mediums:
The Cold Wax Department at Jackson’s
Zest-It Cold Wax Painting Medium
Sally’s SalCera cold wax medium – uses beeswax pellets, Gamsol and Galkyd – the recipe can be downloaded here
Wallace Seymour Beeswax Impasto Paste
Solvents and other mediums:
Gamsol Odourless Mineral Spirit
Clarified Lean Medium by Chelsea Classical Studios
Oil colours:
Jackson’s Professional Cerulean Blue
Jackson’s Professional Prussian Blue with Jackson’s Professional Titanium White
Jackson’s Professional White and Jackson’s Professional Yellow Ochre
Jackson’s Professional Oil Colours
Tools:
Messermiester Silicone Bowl Scraper is the tool that Sally uses – or we have an alternative available at Jackson’s – the Catalyst Wedges
Princeton Catalyst painting tool
Kitchen whisk
Book:
Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations by Rebecca Crowell And Jerry Mclaughlin
Further Reading
Fine Art Restoration With James Bloomfield
Make Your Own Watercolour Medium From Foraged Tree Gums
Mediums Are the Key to Water-mixable Oil Paints
Shop Cold Wax Mediums on jacksonsart.com
A really informative and interesting read,
beautifully enhanced with intriguing images,
thank you
Hi Vicky
I’m glad that you found it useful!
What a super helpful post. Thank you!
Thanks Jan, glad you found it useful!
Very useful information, particularly for someone who is new to cold wax. Thank you!
Glad that you found it useful, Carol!
Fabulous piece of research and images
clearly demonstrating differences. Very
useful and inspiring. Thank you.
Thanks Colleen. Sarah did a thorough job, didn’t she! Glad you found it useful.
Thanks very much, that was fascinating
and so incredibly helpful.xx
Glad you found it useful, David!
Thank you for such an interesting blog
post, it has opened my eyes to an
exciting new way of painting.
Hi Sara
It’s good to hear it was inspiring!
Never seen or heard of this technique before,
fascinating, thank you. Quick query – would
it work with water-based oil paints?
Hi Linda
It is an interesting technique, isn’t it!
Unfortunately, water-soluble oils are compatible with cold wax but only if you use them like traditional oils.
Since water-soluble oils are not water-based they are entirely compatible with cold wax medium. They are oil and pigment just like traditional oil paints, only the oil has been modified to enable it to be thinned with water. But they can only be used with cold wax medium if you don’t add water because the cold wax medium does not dissolve with water and still requires a solvent. So there is no advantage to using them over traditional oils, as you still have the solvent contained in the cold wax medium, you would still need solvent to do the removal techniques, and you can’t just use water for cleanup.
Water-soluble wax crayons exist, so now we just need someone to invent a water-soluble wax medium!
Hi Julie, for a water-soluble wax
medium all that is needed is pure
beeswax, water and an alkali such as
household ammonia. Melt wax in the
water, add small quantity of alkali,
remove from heat and keep stirring
until the milky white paste is cold –
this, essentially, is wax emulsion. It’s
been around for perhaps a thousand
years, and there are many variations
on the recipe.
Really interesting.
One query. As I share my art space with
domestic space I use water mixable oils
which I am told can be used with
traditional oils. Would CWM work with
these oil paints – especially the least
‘smelly’?
Hi Penny
Unfortunately, water-soluble oils are compatible with cold wax but only if you use them like traditional oils, without water.
Since water-soluble oils are not water-based they are entirely compatible with cold wax medium. They are oil and pigment just like traditional oil paints, only the oil has been modified to enable it to be thinned with water. But they can only be used with cold wax medium if you don’t add water because the cold wax medium does not dissolve with water and still requires a solvent. So there is no advantage to using them over traditional oils, as you still have the solvent contained in the cold wax medium, you would still need solvent to do the removal techniques, and you can’t just use water for cleanup.
Thanks Jan..so glad you found it useful, I learnt a lot doing
it!
Sally
Glad everyone is finding it useful, I learnt a lot doing it!
Fantastic article – thank you very much
Glad you found it useful, Sara!
Great article! The only question I’m
really left with is how should a wooden
support be primed? Is acrylic gesso
enough or should it be properly sealed
and oil primed as if I was going to paint
with oils normally?
Hi Wilma
The rigid support should be treated as you normally would for oil painting. Most painters are happy with three coats of acrylic primer, starting with the first coat a little thinned with water. But if you prefer sealing the wood and using oil primer when you make an oil painting, that would work very well.
wow, Awesome article as always. i like it.
Glad you liked it, Thanks!
TThank you so much for this very interesting
informative article. I am tempted to try some wax
medium. Love the finished works too.
Glad it was inspiring, Rita!
Hi there, I was wondering if you can use oil
pastels with cold wax medium instead of
with oil paint?
Hi Liz
Oil paint is more fluid than oil pastels, so it will mix in with the medium, whereas oil pastels are more solid.
They are also made of wax that never dries, whereas oil paint has linseed oil in it and so will help the wax medium dry harder.
Cold wax medium can be used as a varnish, if you buff it onto a painting, so it could probably be added in a very thin layer on top of oil pastel drawings, but I would test it out. It should dry in a few days so you can see if it works.
Hi, I have used oil pastels to add marks to a
painting and then sealed with CWM. They are
a bit too hard to add to the CWM, try Oilbars
or R&F Pigment sticks instead
Intrigued by this article and cant wait to
have a go . . . Just love the texture, colours
and layering you achieve. Could one use
gold leaf as a top layer?
Hi Anna
I will ask Sally to come have a look at your comment.
From everything I have read you will need a solvent-based glue (an oil size) and you will need to wait many months for the oil paint to finish drying. But I’m not sure about the glue adhering to the wax.
Hi Apologies for the delay! I have been
making a few YouTube lessons on oil and
cold wax !
Yes, you can add gold leaf. You will need
to apply some CWM, let it dry off for a
couple of hours and then apply the leaf. It
will need sealing in with another layer of
CWM which does dull the shine slightly.
I’d like to try sealing watercolors with cold wax. Which brand would be best for a simple sealing coat?
Hi Norma.
This was a test I was going to do before isolation and may go ahead with when we are back.
For now, I can say that I have seen Gamblin Cold Wax used successfully with no soaking through of solvents into the paper.
Some of the others may also do well, but I haven’t seen examples of them.
To use cold wax as a varnish for watercolour you simply rub on a thin coat with your finger and let it dry for a matt finish similar to the matt finish of paper or you can buff it the next day with a lint-free cloth if you want a more glossy finish.
Hi Norma, They are all fine but the Dorlands
is the softest and whitest, so maybe go for
that one?
I love this article! and I am very glad that I
can use the wax with water-soluble paints
even if they will require normal solvents. I
will have access to a professional studio
from August so cannot wait to try cold wax!
Hi Marta!
I’m glad you found it useful.
The studio sounds exciting!
I hope you enjoy the cold wax.
Thanks for sharing. As a Chinese artist, I
can only buy Williamsburg wax media or
pure saponified wax in my city. Could
you give me some advice on their use? I
hope to get the effect of multi-layer
quick drying, thank you very much.
Hi Lianggong
If you are looking for a fast-drying wax emulsion to mix with oils, neither of these you mention is going to work for you like a cold wax would.
Saponified wax, made with beeswax and either ammonia or potassium soap, is a water-soluble wax. Depending on what was used to make the wax into an emulsion it may remain water-soluble after it dries unless you fuse it with heat. Some, when mixed with lots of water, resemble gouache or watercolour.
The Williamsburg wax medium is not fast-drying, I think you need an alkyd resin in the cold wax to accomplish that. You can read more about the Williamsburg Wax Medium on Just Paint. You could add an alkyd medium to the Williamsburg wax medium to make it faster drying. Williamsburg make a pure alkyd resin, but it is slow-drying so wouldn’t be suitable for this purpose.
If you do not have access to a cold wax medium you can easily make your own.
Sally has a simple recipe that requires: 1. beeswax pellets, 2. Gamsol or another odourless mineral spirits and 3. Galkyd resin or another alkyd medium.
These are fairly common ingredients: beeswax, solvent and an alkyd painting medium like Liquin would work.
A link to her recipe is in the article, but here it is again Making Salcera.
Of course, we ship to China and we have a good selection of Cold Waxes at Jackson’s. I think shipping times are getting back to normal now, so ordering from us might be a good choice. International shipping isn’t too expensive – you can read about it here Jackson’s International Shipping.
I hope that helps!
HI, I recently tested the Williamsburg and
it behaves just like the Michael Harding so
not suitable for building layers etc. My
recipe is very easy and you should be able
to get beeswax pellets, search for make-
up supplies, or leg wax supplies.
Thank you very much! I bought her book a month ago. Now I am trying to make the cold wax according to Sally’s recipe, I hope it goes well.
Great! Please let us know how you get on.
Thank you very much for your very
comprehensive and very interesting article
for any beginner or even seasoned artist.
You have really answered all the questions
that we can ask ourselves.
I live in France and now I subscribe to
your instagram.
Thanks again.
Jane montgomery
https://www.instagram.com/montgomery_
msp/
thanks Jane. I’m glad you found it useful.
Thanks you for all this exploration!
Since i read that Cold Wax is not good with water-soluble paints – how about mixing it with acrylics?
Hi Nina
Acrylic is a water-soluble paint. It is also a fast-drying plastic that it will coat the wax and not let it or the the oil dry as they need oxygen to harden. The oil and wax will not let the acrylic adhere because they act as a resist. They are not compatible.
If you would like the look of cold wax but with acrylic you might wish to try the heavy acrylic gels especially in the matt sheen.
You will find a book like Acrylic Revolution really helpful for exploring the effects of the gels.
Can I use cold hard wax as an initial
transparent layer. Let it dry and then paint
ontop of it with oil paint to create a relife /
elevated area? Many thanks for such an
informative post
Cold wax is very sculptural so great for creating elevated
areas. Using paint on top may cause adhesion issues due to
differing drying times. It is recommended to add some wax
to each layer even if only a small amount
Hi! Great article. Would this type of
technique work when painting directly onto
candles?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Mol
I don’t think it would be compatible as it contains solvents that are combustible.
Hi, this was very interesting, thankyou. I
am hoping to find someone who has
experience with the Zest-it Brushable Wax
Resist and Watercolours. I’m wondering if
the consistency is very different to the
Cold Wax Medium and if there’s some
ingredient magic that I need to understand
, or if it’s just marketing and thinner? Any
experts using it out there? Can I make my
own with Dammar (prefer not to use
Alkyd).
Hi Amanda
None of us here have used it.
Let’s put it out there to our readers.
Can anyone help Amanda?
I’m so eager to have a go at cold wax
painting and didn’t know where to start. I
ffound here all the information I need .
Thanks so much. Sadly your out of stock of
Gamblin
Hi Lynn
Glad you found it helpful! Sally did a tremendous job, really thorough.
Good news, our buyer says the Cold Wax will be back in stock next week.
Julie – These product comparisons and
reviews are so helpful. Thank you for
publishing.
Thanks Richard, I’m glad that you find them helpful!
Thanks for a really informative article.
I would like to know if it is possible to
use cold wax to varnish and seal the
surface of paper collage? If it was used,
would the paper degenerate over time?
Hi Ruth
Yes, you can.
I tried two beeswax products – the Roberson Beeswax varnish and Gamblin Cold Wax medium – on paper for my article WATERCOLOUR VARNISH: CAN YOU MAKE WATERCOLOUR WATERPROOF?. Neither manufacturer specifically mentions that you can use it on paper. But artists have been using these waxes and similar wax mediums to seal watercolours for at least the last eight years with no noticeable problems and it has become very popular in the last few years. Beeswax has been used as a painting medium and preservative for thousands of years. It is a stable and long-lasting finish on wood, canvas, paint and paper. The other ingredients in the varnish/medium are resin and solvent. The solvent evaporates and the resin is the same used in traditional varnishes that can be used on paper.
Super article, thanks!
Glad you liked it Andy!
Thanks Andy!
Hi Julie. Ruth’s question made me wonder if
using cold wax to seal a watercolor painting
on Arches paper would be possible. Would it
lift or smear the colors? I would love to be
able to seal and protect some of my
watercolors without having to do the usual
thing and frame them under glass. Thank
you so much for this excellent article.
Hi Rhoda
Yes you can. I recently wrote an article about this that explains more.
WATERCOLOUR VARNISH: CAN YOU MAKE WATERCOLOUR WATERPROOF?
Hi Rhoda, Its fine, I do it with my
collagraph prints which have watercolour
added… you may need to warm it a little
by putting some in cup place in a bowl of
hot water to make it looser and more
spreadable? I then mount them onto
panels (there’s a blog post on my website
on how to do that)