---
# System prepended metadata

title: How to Paint with Cold Wax Mediums

---

# How to Paint with Cold Wax Mediums
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Cold wax</strong></p>
<p>Cold wax is a decorative media. It is not, as the name implies, cold; rather, it is room temperature, comes in a can, and resembles white butter. However, it is flexible and malleable because to the solvent that is blended with the wax.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.artandsuccess.com/resources"><strong>cold wax painting Acrylic</strong></a> online art professor told me that abstract painters favor cold wax because the material lends itself to a process-driven approach to painting. Artists have mastered the use of cold wax to create stunning abstract works that rely exclusively on texture, tone, color, and composition.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to a friend who works at a leading retailer of cold wax painting supplies near me, experimentation and spontaneity play a key role in learning the endless possibilities of what cold wax mediums can do, and there is definitely something to not being too attached to where the surface leads you that is unique to cold wax mediums.</p>
<p>&nbsp;<img src="http://justpaste.me/upload/20221220/592f-b89116b35ed33871f39640a693e9/qnFR22SPS7qea4twZAJz_footer-2.jpg" alt="" width="345" height="194" /></p>
<p><strong>What are </strong><strong>cold wax mediums?</strong></p>
<p>Cold wax mediums are oil painting mediums made primarily of beeswax with a tiny amount of solvent to soften it and other additives to aid in drying time. Unlike encaustic work, which employs heat to melt and fuse the wax, the mediums do not require heat. When the medium is exposed to air, however, it begins to harden and stiffen over the course of a few hours.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>At room temperature, the media have a soft, paste-like consistency and dry to a matte surface. Waxes, solvents, and powders are examples of materials that can be used to add texture to artwork.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Painting with </strong><strong>cold wax mediums</strong></p>
<p>Cold wax materials can be used in a variety of ways, such as cold wax acrylic painting, cold wax oil painting, and cold wax encaustic. The first step, though, is to understand how to mix your paints with the medium.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Some of the best works in cold wax painting with acrylics have come from previous failures beneath and then boldly just covering it all up with successive layers because cold wax has excellent translucent qualities that allow light to pass through to previous layers, so adding more layers has a distinct benefit.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Furthermore, using cold wax and acrylic paint allows you to distribute the paint quickly. All of these aspects combine to create a rich sense in the artwork, and while it may be unsettling at first, especially if you're coming from a traditional methodology, it soon becomes second nature because nothing is wasted with cold wax mediums.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Steps to help you starting painting with cold mediums</strong></p>
<p>Here are the steps you can follow to paint with cold wax mediums:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ol>
<li>Apply two layers of acrylic gesso to your surface</li>
</ol>
<p>To begin painting with <a href="https://www.artandsuccess.com/resources"><strong>cold wax and acrylic paint</strong></a>, cover your surface with two layers of acrylic gesso, which can be a cradle panel, a panel, or oilpaper. When the gesso is completely dry, apply the initial coat of oil paint and cold wax medium, alternating 50% paint and 50% cold wax media. Use a stencil, stamps, a silicon brush, or a skewer for this, and be creative in your use of whatever you have on hand.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ol start="2">
<li>Allow for drying</li>
</ol>
<p>Allow the coating to dry. This could take till the next day, depending on the paint you use and the weather where you are. Experiment with contrasting layers to bring interest to the painting. Although much of the process is covered up, some colors will show through. When selecting your palette, it is recommended that you use a color wheel.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ol start="3">
<li>Add another layer</li>
</ol>
<p>When the previous layer is dry to the touch, add another layer. Use warm hues in the next layer. Try utilizing simply two or three colors in your artwork to create amazing color combinations. However, you can keep designing textures, adding pigments, sprinkling on pastel, and simply having fun with your artwork!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ol start="4">
<li>Transferring a drawing to the substrate</li>
</ol>
<p>When painting figures, make sure your layers are completely dry before transferring the drawing to the substrate. After you've transferred your sketch, begin slowly building up your figure while keeping the lights and darks in the reference image in mind. If the mixture is too thick to do detailed faces, use less cold wax or a solvent gel to thin it out.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Learn more about cold wax acrylic painting in online art classes</strong></p>
<p>Enroll at a reputed online art school to learn more about painting in cold wax mediums, including painting with cold wax and acrylic paint. Determine which online art schools feature practicing artists as course instructors so that you can benefit from their extensive experience while learning.</p>
