What follows is a brief introduction to painting with CWM, as we use it in our own work and as we teach it in our workshops. Much more detailed information about CWM, tools, materials, and techniques is available to our CWA Members, our Cold Wax Medium Book, and our Video Workshops. We hope you enjoy working with this medium as much as we do.
– Cold Wax Academy Founders // Rebecca Crowell & Jerry McLaughlin
— adobe y negro (v), Jerry McLaughlin. Cold wax, oil, and ash on panel, 18×18 in, 2018
Another option is some type of paper made for use with oils. When we use a cradled panel, we tape the wood sides with painter’s tape to keep them clean.
The number of layers in the finished painting varies, and there is no set amount of drying time between paint applications. Feel free to work wet-in-wet, which requires a rather light touch to avoid mud.
When applied in fairly thin layers, the wax and oil mixture will start to set up after a few hours or overnight (faster than oils alone).
The initial layers create a foundation of color and texture, and since they will eventually be covered over, they can be rather randomly and quickly applied with squeegees and palette knives. (Brayers, which need to have a firmer layer underneath, are not very useful when working with wet layers.)
As the painting develops you might consider dissolving back with solvents or scraping away. Take advantage of the history you have created in your layers.
The way we paint is intuitive. At some point we start to see a direction for the painting that we begin to develop, though we never hesitate to paint over the whole thing or wash out areas with solvent if things are not going well. Although the ideas and direction for our paintings certainly shift and change as we work, they are not random, but always related to our intentions and vision for a particular body of work.
The basic ratio is 50:50, and there are no rules for thin wax layers over thick or the opposite. Powdered pigments or marble dust can be incorporated to create your own color or to thicken the wax and paint mixture, if desired.
As an aside, once the paint is mixed with cold wax medium, there is no need to worry about traditional rules of fat over lean in oil painting.
The fun is in getting started…
Always look for new objects to use as tools, new ways to create textures, and new mixed media techniques to bring out your ideas with more richness and impact. Cold wax medium provides a great freedom of expression and potential for discovery.
– Rebecca Crowell & Jerry McLaughlin
And we’ll send you a special 10% off your first order!
*new customers only – does not apply to memberships*
Everything for a successful Cold Wax Medium artist.
Cold Wax Academy was started to help artists discover and explore the incredible qualities cold wax has to offer.
Rebecca Crowell is an American abstract artist known for rich, complex surfaces created with cold wax medium and oil paint. Her work is included in hundreds of art collections–private, public, and corporate–and she exhibits regularly in fine art galleries across the country.
Jerry McLaughlin is an abstract artist best known for his minimalist, textured, geometric paintings. His work considers the interplay between beauty and darkness while simultaneously exploring the materiality of cold wax medium. He initially trained as a Pediatric Critical Care physician, an influence still palpable. He lives and paints in Mexico.
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