TEMPERING:
The pure medium is first thoroushly mixed and blended with each individual color (tube oil colors or
pure pigments). Mix with a painting knife or spatula. This is known as tempering. After the virgin colors are tempered
by the medium, they may then be intermixed and used in any fashion that the artist dictates. The proportions of
medium to pigment depend largely on the characteristics of the pigment and the desires of the artist.
OIL PAINTING:
Mix 10%-25% wax medium to 90%-75% color.
COLD WAX PAINTING:
Mix 1/3 to 1/2 wax medium by volume with oil colors, dry colors, or desired colors.
Apply at room temperature. It is fine for brush painting and excellent for knife techniques. The translucent wax
allows light to penetrate into the paint body giving richness and vibrancy of tone. Cold wax paintings dry and
cure faster than pure oil paintings, usually in one to three months. They may be polished when dry if desired.
For a final varnish, use wax varnish only. (Wax medium thinned to liquid, see HOT WAX COATING PAINTINGS.)
HOT WAX PAINTING:
Mix 50% to 90% wax medium by volume with oil colors, dry colors, or desired colors. Panels
are usually preferred to canvas. Paint the picture cold in knife technique and then heat it to melt and fuse the wax colors.
To heat, lay the painting level and suspend one or more heat lamps above it. Adjust the distance to keep the wax colors
melted but not hot enough to boil or bubble. Additions and changes can be made during heating. One to six hours
heating is sufficient to cure most hot wax paintings. Always guard against fire and fumes in heating wax or paints.
MIXED MEDIA:
Wax is unlimited in this technique. Thinned washes or thick translucent impastos of Dorland's Wax
Medium may be applied over drawn or painted artwork, or combined with a wide variety of media; dry or dispersed
pigments, metallic powders, tempera powders, wood, etc. A Masonite panel with a painting gesso ground makes an
excellent support. Canvas, wood, aluminum panels and masonary can be used. One rule is, wax will lie over other
materials but other materials will not usually lie over wax. Use the wax for overpainting, glazing, finishing, as a "resist,"
etc. Some artists use egg yolk and wax medium mixed 50/50 as a variant in standard egg tempera formulas.
THINNING:
Use only turpentine and/or poppy seed oil for thinning to desired consistency.
Adding damar or other good quality artist's varnish will increase gloss and improve brushability.
GLAZING:
Thin the tempered color with turpentine to glazing consistency.
Additional amounts of the pure thinned medium produce increased depth and luminosity.
Other uses for Dorland's Wax Medium:
Dorland's Wax Medium is a museum-quality protective coating. Unexcelled for cleaning and preserving
antiques, woodcarvings, bronze, plastics, and other items worth protecting.
WAX COATING PAINTINGS FRAME FINISHING WAX COATING
FINAL PICTURE FINISH PHOTO SEALING WAX POLISHING CLEANING WAX PAINTINGS BASIC CLEANING FORMULA WAX STABILIZING
