Oil painting holds a venerable position in the art world, known for its rich colours, blending capabilities, and luminous depth. Yet, even this traditional medium isn’t static. Artists continually seek new ways to express themselves, leading to the exploration and revival of various mediums and techniques. One such additive enjoying a significant resurgence today is Cold Wax Medium (CWM). Far from being just a simple additive, CWM transforms the handling properties, texture, and final appearance of oil paints, opening doors to exciting expressive possibilities, particularly favored by abstract and landscape artists, but finding its way into many genres.
Understanding Cold Wax Medium
So, what exactly is this intriguing substance? Cold Wax Medium is essentially a paste made primarily from beeswax, a small amount of resin (like Damar), and a solvent (usually an odourless mineral spirit like Gamsol). The solvent is key; it keeps the wax soft and malleable at room temperature, differentiating it entirely from encaustic painting, which involves melting wax with heat. CWM has a consistency similar to shortening or soft butter, making it easy to scoop and mix directly with oil paints on the palette.
Its purpose isn’t just to be a filler; it fundamentally changes the paint. When mixed with oils, CWM increases the paint’s body, imparts a translucent quality (depending on the ratio), speeds up the initial drying or setting time, and produces a distinctive matte or satin finish, quite different from the inherent gloss of many oil paints or traditional oil mediums like linseed oil.
Why Embrace Cold Wax? The Appeal for Modern Painters
The current fascination with CWM stems from several compelling advantages it offers:
- Texture and Body: This is perhaps the most celebrated quality. CWM allows artists to build substantial physical texture and impasto layers without the risk of cracking associated with thick applications of oil paint alone. The wax provides structure and stability.
- Layering Potential: Because layers set up relatively quickly, artists can build complex surfaces by applying fresh layers over semi-dry ones. This facilitates techniques like scraping back, revealing underlying colours and textures, creating a sense of history and depth within the artwork.
- Unique Matte Finish: In a world often dominated by glossy finishes, the velvety, matte surface achieved with CWM offers a different aesthetic. It absorbs light rather than reflecting it, giving colours a unique resonance and depth.
- Tool Versatility: While brushes can be used, CWM truly shines when applied with palette knives, scrapers, brayers, squeegees, and even unconventional tools. This encourages a more physical, gestural approach to painting. Marks can be incised, impressed, and manipulated in ways straight oil paint cannot easily replicate.
- Transparency Effects: Mixing CWM with oil paint can increase its transparency without making it overly fluid, perfect for subtle glazing or scumbling effects where texture is still desired.
Getting Your Hands Waxy: Materials and Mixing
Starting with cold wax is relatively straightforward. You don’t need a massive overhaul of your oil painting supplies, but a few specific items are helpful.
Essential Gear
- Cold Wax Medium: Several reputable brands offer CWM (e.g., Gamblin, Dorland’s). Quality matters for consistency and archival properties.
- Oil Paints: Your existing tube oils work perfectly well. Both traditional and water-mixable oils can be used, though CWM itself is not water-mixable.
- Rigid Supports: This is crucial. Because CWM layers can become thick and relatively inflexible once fully cured, painting on stretched canvas is generally discouraged as the flexing can lead to cracking. Opt for wood panels, cradled boards, Ampersand Gessobord, or similar rigid surfaces. Prepare them with gesso as you would for traditional oil painting.
- Palette Knives and Scrapers: Essential for mixing and applying the paint/wax mixture. A variety of shapes and sizes is beneficial. Old credit cards, silicone tools, and bowl scrapers also work well.
- Palette: A large, flat surface is ideal – glass, a large wooden palette, or even freezer paper taped to a board.
- Solvent: Odourless mineral spirits (OMS) like Gamsol are needed for thinning the mixture slightly (if desired) and for cleanup. Also used for reductive techniques.
Optional but Useful Additions
- Brayers: Rubber rollers are excellent for applying thin, even layers or creating specific textures.
- Mark-Making Tools: Anything that can scratch or impress into the surface – skewers, styluses, textured fabrics, stencils.
- Dry Pigments or Powders: Can be mixed into the CWM or sprinkled onto layers for textural and colour effects (use archival pigments).
Mixing CWM and Oil Paint
There’s no single magic ratio, as it depends on the desired effect. A common starting point is around 30-50% CWM to 70-50% oil paint by volume. It’s generally advised not to exceed roughly 50% CWM, as too much wax can potentially lead to an underbound paint film that isn’t as durable.
Scoop the desired amount of CWM onto your palette. Add your oil paint colour next to it. Using a palette knife, thoroughly mix the two together until you achieve a smooth, consistent paste. Ensure there are no streaks of pure paint or pure wax remaining. The goal is a homogenous mixture, like frosting. You can then apply this directly to your support.
Ventilation is key when working with Cold Wax Medium. Although many solvents used are odourless, they still release volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Always work in a well-ventilated studio or space to avoid inhaling fumes. This is crucial for maintaining a safe working environment during longer painting sessions.
Techniques to Explore with Cold Wax
The real fun begins when you start applying the mixture. CWM encourages experimentation and process-driven work.
Building Layers
Apply layers of your wax/paint mixture using knives, brayers, or other tools. Let each layer set up slightly (it will lose its initial wet sheen) before applying the next. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours depending on thickness and conditions. Subsequent layers can partially obscure or blend with the one beneath, or you can wait longer for distinct separation.
Creating Texture
This is where CWM excels. Use your tools to create peaks and valleys. Press objects into the surface to leave impressions. Drag tools through the wet paint to create grooves. Apply the mixture thickly in some areas and thinly in others. Consider incorporating materials like sand, marble dust, or collage paper (embedded securely within the wax/paint layers) for added textural interest, always considering archival soundness.
Subtractive Techniques
Once you have several layers down, you can work subtractively. Use palette knives or scrapers to gently scratch or scrape away parts of the top layer(s), revealing the colours and textures underneath. This creates fascinating depth and a sense of history. You can also use a cloth lightly dampened with OMS to selectively dissolve or soften areas, blending edges or revealing ghosts of previous layers.
Mark Making
Draw directly into the wet or semi-set wax/paint mixture using sharp tools like skewers, needles, or the end of a brush handle. These incised lines become part of the painting’s structure. You can fill these lines with another colour or leave them as textural elements.
Using Solvents
Beyond cleanup and minor thinning, OMS can be used creatively. Flicking or dripping solvent onto a semi-set layer can create interesting pockmarks or diffused effects as it dissolves the wax and pigment locally. Use sparingly and with good ventilation.
Supports, Drying, and Finishing Touches
As mentioned, rigid supports are highly recommended. Prepare your panels with a few coats of acrylic gesso, lightly sanding between coats for a smooth start if desired, or leaving some texture. Some artists even apply a textured ground before starting with the CWM layers.
Drying and Curing
While CWM speeds up the initial ‘setting’ time, allowing for faster layering compared to traditional oils, the mixture still contains oil paint. This means it needs to cure fully through oxidation, just like regular oils. A thin layer might feel dry to the touch within a day or two, but thicker applications will take much longer – weeks, months, or even over a year for very heavy impasto – to cure completely through. Be patient before considering final finishing.
To Varnish or Not?
This is a common question. CWM creates a naturally durable, water-resistant surface with a characteristic matte or satin sheen. Many artists consider the work finished once cured and simply buff the surface gently with a soft, lint-free cloth after several months (6 months is a safe bet). This brings up a subtle lustre without adding gloss.
If you desire a glossier finish or feel extra protection is needed, varnishing is possible, but requires caution. Ensure the painting is thoroughly cured (minimum 6 months, longer for thicker work). Use a varnish suitable for oil paintings. Gamvar by Gamblin is often recommended as it can be applied sooner than traditional varnishes and remains removable. Apply thinly and evenly. Test on a sample piece first if unsure. Some artists feel varnishing detracts from the unique matte quality of CWM, so it’s a matter of personal preference.
Using rigid supports like wood panels or cradled boards is strongly advised when working with Cold Wax Medium. The relative inflexibility of cured wax layers makes them prone to cracking on flexible surfaces like stretched canvas. Proper support ensures the longevity and structural integrity of your textured artwork.
Cold Wax Medium in Contemporary Art
Today, CWM is embraced by artists seeking an alternative to traditional oil techniques. Its process-oriented nature appeals to those who enjoy discovery during creation. Abstract painters leverage its texturing and layering capabilities to build rich, evocative surfaces. Landscape artists use it to capture the raw textures of nature – rock faces, bark, grasses. Figurative artists might use it more selectively for textural passages or unique skin tones. It fosters intuition and allows for a more physical interaction between the artist, the paint, and the support. It’s less about meticulous rendering and more about exploring surface, depth, and material presence.
Final Thoughts: Embracing the Process
Working with Cold Wax Medium is an adventure. It encourages letting go of precise control and embracing the unexpected interactions between layers, tools, and materials. It pushes oil paint into a more sculptural realm, inviting touch and rewarding close looking. While there are guidelines regarding mixing ratios and supports, the best way to learn is through direct experimentation. Mix colours, try different tools, build layers, scrape them back, add textures, and see what emerges. Cold Wax Medium offers contemporary oil painters a versatile, expressive partner for creating artworks with unique depth, tactile appeal, and a beautifully distinct matte finish.
