Techniques – Stamping

Rubber Stamping is an easy way to add images to a picture. The range of Rubber Stamps we carry are silhouette stamps especially designed to combine well with encaustic.

The stamps can be used with inks (these should be a Dye or Solvent Ink, NOT a Pigment Ink)and then “overpainted” with encaustic wax paints, or alternatively the stamps can be imprinted using the encaustic wax paints.

Stamping with Inks:

Remember to use Dye or Solvent Inks not Pigment Inks. Firstly stamp an image onto some painting card & make sure it dries completely (to be sure, put some tissue over the top and run the hot iron over the top) before trying to over paint with wax.

The wax going over the stamped area must be translucent colours, not opaque (experiment with a bit of white and you will see the stamp disappears) and it is necessary to first put some clear wax on your iron first, then the colour you wish to use onto the clear, before painting over the stamped area. This helps to weaken the colour a little.

The two pictures at the top of the above image have had the left hand side Nativity Scene & Trees and the right hand side with Penguins.

Stamping with Wax:

It is also possible to use the stamps with the encaustic waxes. Firstly turn your iron into a mini hotplate (see Techniques – Iron), then place a piece of clean card on the hotplate, melt sufficient wax paint on the surface of the card for the stamp you are using. While this is still molten on the hotplate, press the Rubber Stamp firmly into the wax and remove.

Next place a new piece of card on the hotplate and then press the stamp with the wax on firmly onto the card, taking care not to slide it around or you will end up with a blurred image, then lift carefully away from the card and you will have the image stamped in wax.

If you think about what colours you would like and where on your stamp, with practice, you will find you can put different colours in place to get a more effective image. The green & brown Poplar Tree at the front right above has been done with wax in this manner.