Encaustic painting, also known as wax painting, is a visual art medium that uses heated beeswax and colored oil pigments.

 

Melted wax is applied in thin layers onto a wooden surface. Each layer is reheated using a heat gun to smooth the wax and fuse it to the layer underneath. As the layers build, pigments can be added to give the wax color, while tools such as brushes, knives, and scrapers can be used to carve into and shape the wax. Each painting can contain up to 30 layers of wax.