Exploring the Joy of Cold Wax Painting
After a couple of years of quiet experimentation, cold wax has finally found its way into the heart of my practice—and I’m loving it. There’s something deeply satisfying about the way this medium transforms the painting process, inviting texture, depth, and a sense of history into every surface.
Cold wax painting blends oil paint with a soft, buttery wax medium made from beeswax, solvent, and resin. Unlike encaustic, there’s no heat involved. Everything happens at room temperature, allowing for a sculptural, layered approach that feels both intuitive and adventurous.
What Makes Cold Wax So Special
Texture Cold wax encourages thick, tactile surfaces. You can carve, scrape, press, and build—each layer holding the memory of what came before.
Depth & Translucency Wax naturally diffuses light, creating luminous veils of colour that reveal glimpses of earlier marks.
Versatility Whether using palette knives, brayers, stencils, or unconventional tools like bubble wrap, cold wax cries out for experimentation.
No Heat Required All the sculptural qualities of wax, none of the fuss of encaustic.
How To Work With It
Mixing Oil paint and cold wax medium blend beautifully—I use a 50:50 ratio and my wax of choice is currently Gamblin. Zest It is also very good but I’m not a fan of it’s orangey smell.
Application Rigid supports like wood panels are my go-to surface of choice - they take a lot of rough treatment and are ideal for building up substantial layers.
Manipulation Scraping back, incising lines, pressing textures, and revealing hidden colours become part of the creative rhythm.
Drying It dries faster than traditional oil paint, though full curing still takes time. I have discovered that a fan works wonders to speed up the process due to it bringing more oxygen to the drying surface.
Finishing Surfaces can remain matte or be buffed to a gentle sheen. cold wax can be used as a final varnish I haven’t explored this yet].
Why I Love It
Cold wax speeds up drying, adds body to the paint, and encourages a more intuitive, exploratory approach. Each layer becomes part of a visual archaeology—marks buried, revealed, and transformed. It’s a medium that embraces happy accidents and rewards curiosity. I am so obsessed with it that I am offering an introductory workshop in October this year!