Inner Visions

Inner Visions

Monday, June 2, 2014

Enjoying Linda Robertson's Encaustikos Kit and its collaboration with StencilGirl Products

I was recently invited to experiment with Encaustikos' newest encaustic kit put together by Linda Robertson.  I am so impressed with this high quality kit!  It includes a cradled wood panel to paint on, encaustic paints, encaustic medium, carving tools, paint brushes, a cake of Pan Pastel, a StencilGirl stencil and more.  Whether you're just getting started with encaustics or want to add to your existing encaustic supplies, this very generous kit has just about everything you need.  (Heat gun/torch and griddle/hot palette are sold separately.)

 So here is my demo:


Before I prime my panel, I cover the edges with painter's tape.  When my piece is finished, I peel off the paint to reveal a nice clean edge.


I prime my panel with 3 layers of encaustic medium, fusing with a torch between each layer.   (A heat gun could be used instead of a torch.)

I paint a background layer using Ultramarine Blue + Zinc White with some medium as a thinner.

After fusing, I place painter's tape right over the waxed panel as shown.

I'm using StencilGirl's Eucalyptus stencil designed by Jane LaFazio here.

I paint right over the stencil with Pyrole Red and Cadmium Yellow Medium encaustic paint.

Slowly remove the stencil and voila! 
Now, before I fuse, I paint over my stenciled design with Ultramarine Blue...

...and remove the tape.  Then I fuse.

Did I mention that this scraper tool comes with the kit?   Love it!  Now I carefully scrape away the blue wax to reveal my stenciled design.

So now I see I need to jazz up the outer edges that were covered up with tape.

I'm once again protecting my existing design with the tape.

I will repeat the same process as before but this time I'll paint blue through the stencil, remove the stencil...

 ...and paint over my design with the red/yellow combination.  

 I decide to paint over the entire center section with Zinc White and try another technique.  I love lots of layers!  So here I am carving the outlines of Mary Beth Shaw's Retro Comets stencil from StencilGirl Products.

Filling the channels with Ultramarine Blue...

...and scraping the excess blue encaustic wax away before fusing once again.

I've decided to add Zinc White as shown.
Then, using this tool from the kit...

I carve some lines into the wax..

...sponge on some Pan Pastel, and fuse.

Same thing on this side:  Carve into wax with tool, add Pan Pastel, fuse.

You can transfer toner copies to wax by burnishing them face-down and removing the excess paper with water.




Here is the finished piece.
  • Please note that this is a progressive hop meaning that you can hop from blog to blog all in one day. For example, I am Julie Snidle and you can click on any of the names below to take you to other blogs.
Blog Hop Order





  • StencilGirl Talk is hosting a giveaway. All comments on the hop are eligible for the giveaway. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win. Giveaway will close on Sunday, June 8th at 11:59PM Central Time. Good luck! Enjoy!

Giveaway includes:
(4) 9" x 12" Stencils from StencilGirl Products Retail Value $56
(3) Online Lessons from Linda Robertson (RobertsonWorkshops.com) Valued at $45
(1) Collection of Wax Snaps and Hot Sticks from Enkaustikos Valued at $75
All to ONE lucky winner!!



95 comments:

  1. Julie--this is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I loved seeing the project come alive through your tutorial!

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  2. Loved your tutorial, Julie! This is gorgeous!

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  3. Thank you for this wonderful tutorial, the outcome is amazing and stunning...this is for sure something I would love to try!!!

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  4. Amazingly creative women! Today I will work inspired

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  5. It looks as though this stuff could be addicting!

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  6. This is really an amazing piece Julie, great tutorial.

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  7. simply stunning! loved this piece and am always amazed seeing how totally different the art work looks after each layer! It has been fun going through the process of looking at each artist's layers to get to the end result! Really loved the colors you chose! thanks so much for sharing and participating in the hop!

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  8. Loved your finished piece; there is such depth. Thanks for the chance to win this great kit.

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  9. I've been fortunate enough to take a class with Linda Robertson here in Portland. She's a wonderful teacher. The kit looks fantastic.

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  10. Great post. Great kit. Love your tips and techniques. Having fun on the blog hop, wish I could play here all day, but alas I have to get some work done.

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  11. Loved seeing how you did all the layers, I think I always stop to soon.

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  12. your finished piece is gorgeous! Thank you for showing the steps and especially the trick you did to scrape back the blue off the raised stenciled design.

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  13. Fab giveaway - I have sort of tried it in a fashion using a travel iron and wax crayons and that's because to buy all the 'proper' bits, it worked out really expensive so I'd love to have a chance to win this fantastic array of prizes, esp the lessons to get an idea of how to tackle it best.

    Thank you xxx

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  14. You really layered that wax! Great job! Thanks for sharing.

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  15. WOW ~ so many different layers to this piece...I love the way it turned out!

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  16. All of the layers are just fabulous! Your piece turned out looking just wonderful and what an amazing giveaway!

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  17. Awesome! I love your retro-modern painting using the kit!

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  18. Fabulous - thank you for explaining your process!
    I'd love to try!

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  19. Wow....you sure packed a lot of technique into this piece. It turned out great. I look forward to playing with encaustics.

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  20. Beautiful Julie. Thanks for showing your process.

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  21. That's SO clever....and the result is a complex and lustrous image. Thanks for all the info.

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  22. Julie, what cool textures! I enjoy seeing the process you go through...I am such a visual learner!! TFS!

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  23. Just beautiful Julie! You have used so many beautiful layers and textures in this piece. Thank you for sharing.

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  24. Love it! So cool to see it transform like that.

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  25. Your tut was awesome. Like the colors, layers, textures etc. A kit? That would make finally getting started much more friendly and not so itimidating.

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  26. Your color choices are stunning -- I love them and the way you've put everything together!

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  27. This is so cool! I love all the layers and using stencils. Beautiful!

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  28. it's funny how each part of your process can be "weird" and then at the end it gives an AMAZING result !! I love love love love how it turned and I can't wait to have my hand on some of these tools !! I bought a pancake griddle few weeks ago... well it seams now you gave me inspiration <3 thanks so much ! and thanks also for the chance to win !!

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  29. I love the layers of your piece. I have learned so much from this hop. I am definitely going to learn about this art form.

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  30. I love all your layers and the masking technique you used. I hope I win this giveaway.... it is just what I need to get back into encaustics. **fingers crossed**

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  31. Love seeing the transformation between all those gorgeous layers and you use of the masking tape. Would love to give this a go.

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  32. A couple of times the process shots had me wondering what on earth you were doing ... but the results are amazing. What a fun way to work.

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  33. Thanks this is really a great job.

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  34. Great use of texture and color. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  35. Love how your "painting" came out! I'd love to win the giveaway so I can play with wax too! LOL Thanks for sharing your project:)

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  36. Your post includes so many creative tips and techniques which I really appreciate, and your ending result is beautiful art!

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  37. Your piece is gorgeous I would love to try this medium. Thanks for giving us a chance to win a kit.

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  38. Beautiful layering of colors!! Love working with encaustics...and this would be a wonderful way to add to my meager supplies!

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  39. Wow, your piece has so much depth it almost looks like enamel. I really want to try some of these techniques. Maybe I will win the kit.:-)

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  40. some really great techniques here - cant wait to try some! thanks for sharing!!

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  41. I have always wanted to try encaustics, but the cost was more than I could afford. I love what you have made, from the beginning step of masking off the sides, to the end, where you show all the steps you took to mask and use that tool. You have so many techniques with this tutorial, I love every step and was reading with anticipation all the way to the end.

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  42. If I was wavering on trying another medium, this blog hop has pushed encaustics to the front of the list. Wow! What wonderful, beautiful, and interesting results each member created. I am in love. :) Thanks for the opportunity to add my name to the hopper.

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  43. I love the effect you created by carving away some of the wax, it looks amazing!

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  44. This is fantastic! Looks like so much fun!

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  45. I'm loving this blog hop so much, now I want to create something this awesome! Thanks for the pic by pics steps of your project!!

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  46. Fantastic layering! And like your masking tape :-)

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  47. Amazing! the first time I ever saw encaustics demonstrated I was smitten - now with the indulgence on StencilGirl, I'm afraid I'm sunk! I know I'll have to give this a try one of these days - and sooner than later I'm sure!

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  48. Julie- WOW WOW WOW! I love your design and your layers! When I was reading and saw that you were going to add another layer, I thought- no- it looks perfect now! But to see your finished piece! Absolutely Stunning! So glad you did! ") Thanks so much for sharing!

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  49. So many techniques, so much fun. I've got to try this. I just love the layering and playful composition.

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  50. Wow, jaw dropping, What an amazing creation. I love the technique and want to try this!!! very neat!

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  51. is a fantastic and beautiful piece!

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  52. I've never been good at layering, this kit would maybe teach me the right way to achieve what I want to do...

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  53. It all come together so beautifully. Must say, I wasn't sure for awhile. Just gotta have faith and confidence.

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  54. Awesome piece - nice surprise effects too. I admire your courage to layer over something, with the confidence to know it will be great in the end!

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  55. Love the process of encaustic and how it transforms. Thanks for the great blog hop!

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  56. Love your art. Great job you made it look so easy. I would love to give it a try. Thanks for a chance to win .

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  57. love how you showed the progress of the piece! I think I would have been too cowardly to keep going, but seeing this grow gives me courage!

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  58. You ladies made this all look so easy, would love to give it a try, not sure I need a new addiction but just can't resist the idea of a new challenge :) Thanks for sharing

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  59. Looks great! I'd love to try this.

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  60. Just love seeing all these projects! Would love to try it!

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  61. Wonderful tutorial - thanks for the great pics and explanation of your process! Your finished piece is beautiful!

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  62. That's amazing! I'd love to give that a try.

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  63. Fabulous work! I would love to learn how to work with this technique and include it in my mixed media pieces!

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  64. Oh my goodness, each blog added to the desire to try this art form. It looks so versatile and amazing. Thanks for the opportunity in the drawing!

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  65. Gorgeous piece! I love the colors and how the layers really shine through. Very nicely done!

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  66. It's so cool seeing how the layering affects the outcome as you add and reduce to create texture and patterns. I actually have only had one small beginning experience with encaustic and am really hoping to get into it more fully after seeing everyone's work on this blog hop. What an amazing medium. I don't think I have ever seen a medium with more possibilities.
    Thank you for being a part of the hop too. The giveaway package is amazingly generous! Good luck to all!

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  67. I'm enjoying this blog hop and too bad, you are the last one. I've gathered a lot of inspiration from the blogs. I particularly like how you scraped the edges and colored with pan pastel, then fused. It turned out awesome! Thanks for sharing!

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  68. Oh my goodness. Loving all the layers. Nice rich colors. What fun!

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  69. Thanks for sharing your process! Really love the results of the many layers you have placed on your piece. Great tip regarding taping off the outer edge of the panel to keep a clean look to your finished piece.

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  70. I would love to try encaustics. Thanks for the info and opportunity

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  71. Wow! It was. Fun to see how everyone approached this so differently. Thanks for sharing the step by step processes

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  72. Thanks for the great tips! I am new to the medium and still setting up my workspace. I don't have any stencils to try yet, but it looks like they have wonderful possibilities.

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  73. Who can resist a medium that allows you to use a torch as part of the process!?
    Awesome demonstration, and thanks for the opportunity to win!

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  74. Love what you did with your kit, Julie, especially the masking part. Good job!

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  75. Wow! So much detail and love the tip about taping the edges.

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  76. Julie, I love the way you demonstrate the value of many layers and multiple stencils and techniques with the added subtle transfer at the end on the lower right side. This is "primo encaustic!"

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  77. After seeing your beautiful work, I am dying to try this out!

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  78. Great Work! I am so tempted to try this encaustic painting!

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  79. Love the finished work! I have not tried stencils or carving yet.. but you've inspired me! thank you.

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  80. Love the layers and how you used the painters tape to section your piece. The text transfer links two of the sections nicely and adds to the sense of depth.

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  81. Wow, this is beautiful! I love how you show the different layers you added, so many different looks you can achieve! I love the scrapped white section. Awesome work. Thanks for sharing.

    Katie B.

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  82. Wow - the painters tape trick is very nice. I like the 3 part color scheme.

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  83. I said in the last blog that I liked the geometric patterns with the wax. Now I am loving more organic shapes! I LOVE the textures you can get with this medium. Thanks for the chance at the giveaway. And love your work! :D

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  84. The artwork shown is inspiring, no matter in which medium you work.

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  85. It was fun to see all the layers you create. Great giveaway!

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  86. Thanks so much for the tutorial; also love the way you used the painters tape. All the layers really make this piece a feast for the eyes. :)

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  87. So many new techniques! I would love to try the encaustics!

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  88. Really excited about learning this process. What a great kit!

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  89. Very interesting post having many of new techniques. Great Job!

    marine glass coating perth

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