Things to do · Arts and crafts
Try encaustic painting
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Encaustic means painting with pigment mixed into molten beeswax, the method behind most of the mummy portraits painted in Roman Egypt between the first and third centuries AD, says the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You build up layers of coloured wax, scratch into them, embed paper and fuse it all with heat.
Gentle£100 to £500 / $130 to $650An afternoonIndoorsWith othersUK and US
What a first workshop involves
Beeswax is mixed with pigment, then melted on a hotplate and brushed onto a wooden panel. Each layer is fused to the one below with a heat gun. Beginners' days cover layering and fusing, mark-making and incising into the wax, and embedding paper and collage.
There is a gentler hobby version too. At one Gloucestershire class you sweep a heated craft iron over wax blocks on card to make patterns and landscapes, and add detail with a heated stylus.
Heat is the hazard. R&F Handmade Paints, a US maker of encaustic paint, recommends keeping wax between 180 and 200°F (about 82 to 93°C) with a thermometer, and says an acrid smell or smoke means it is too hot. It advises cross-ventilation, such as a window exhaust fan with fresh air coming in elsewhere, as wax fumes can cause headaches and coughing. It also says to avoid solvents with encaustic, and not to eat or drink near your work.
Ways in and what they cost
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Exeter Phoenix, Exeter | One-day beginners' workshop, 10.30am to 4pm, all materials included (the last listed date has passed) | £90 plus a £1.50 booking fee |
| Lyn Kirkland, Portland, Dorset (via CraftCourses) | One day, one or two students; panel, encaustic paints, heat tools and hotplate included | £175 per person |
| Jane Foot, May Hill, Gloucestershire (via CraftCourses) | Two-hour class painting with an encaustic iron on card | £80 for two people |
| Woodstock School of Art, New York | Introduction to Encaustic: a weekend, 9am to 4pm both days, ages 16 and over | $330 ($270 tuition plus a $60 lab fee) |
The Woodstock school also charges first-time students a non-refundable registration fee, and its November 2026 introduction was listed as full. Lunch is not provided at Woodstock or in Portland.
How to start
- Book a one-day beginners' workshop, which lends you the hotplate, heat tools and wax paints, before buying any kit.
- Decide which kind you want; fine-art encaustic uses a hotplate and wooden panels, while the hobby version sweeps a small craft iron over wax blocks on card.
- Wear an apron, and bring lunch if the listing says it is not included.
Where to go
- Exeter Phoenix: Encaustic Painting and Mixed Media for Beginners, one-day workshop UK
- CraftCourses: Contemporary encaustic wax introductory workshop with Lyn Kirkland (Portland, Dorset) UK
- Woodstock School of Art: encaustic courses (Woodstock, New York) US
We opened these links on 14 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
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Plan it with dates
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
What is encaustic painting?
Painting with pigment mixed into beeswax. The Metropolitan Museum of Art says the word is Greek for "burnt in" and covers any painting method in which pigment is mixed with beeswax.
Is encaustic painting safe?
With care. R&F Handmade Paints recommends working between 180 and 200°F (about 82 to 93°C), good cross-ventilation, an apron and cool water nearby in case of burns.
Do I need experience to try encaustic?
No. Exeter Phoenix's workshop was for complete beginners, and the Woodstock School of Art's introduction says no experience is necessary.
What is the difference between encaustic art with an iron and encaustic painting?
The iron method sweeps a small heated craft iron over wax blocks on card. Fine-art encaustic melts wax paint on a hotplate, brushes it onto wooden panels and fuses each layer with heat.
Where this comes from: Exeter Phoenix, Encaustic Painting; CraftCourses, Bespoke Contemporary Fine Art Encaustic Wax Workshop; CraftCourses, 'My Kind of Ironing' - Encaustic Art for 2+; Woodstock School of Art, Encaustic Archives; Woodstock School of Art, Introduction to Encaustic; R&F Handmade Paints, Encaustic Safety; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ancient Faces: Mummy Portraits from Roman Egypt. Opened 14 November 2026.
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