Burnishing

18 x 24 image transfered onto wood board, next step is painting with colored wax on top of the image transfer

Image transfered onto the board, original photo for reference is next to it

2 layers of wax medium painted on the board, 1 more layer to go!

I sure will have my work cut out for me with this new encaustic. I spent today preparing the 18 x 24 panel first with wax medium, then with the xerox image transfer. I definitely need to get more of the medium because if I am going to be working larger one block of wax doesn't last long. After the 3 layers of wax were fused, I was able to transfer the image however I had a problem and have more "empty spots" than I wanted (where I rubbed too hard and the image rubbed off).

I think it's hard to know what you are looking at in this stage. I plan on adding colored wax next and will paint in the details that will pull everything together. I need lots of foreground greens, and I will need it to blend toward the back where the big tree trunks are. Not sure what else I will paint until I start doing it.

It took a few hours to burnish the paper into the wax, and then rub off the excess paper. I need to be more delicate with my rubbing but I know how to fix this so all is well, for now.