Using Stencils with Encaustics Along with Jane Monteith

Jane Monteith here. I wanted to share a few tips using stencils with surface inks and reducing the amount of bleed from under them.

I recently tried using Jacquard's brand new alcohol ink formula. As you may know, I've been a fan of their products for many years, including the Pinata Rich Gold. 

They've now created a smoother, finer type formula which has been renamed to Gold Leaf. There are other colors too, as you can see here.

They work great on the the surface of encaustic because it's non-porous, and alcohol ink is designed for these types of surfaces.

To hold stencils in place, we generally use a temporary tack spray. But with wax we can't really do that because it leaves a residue on the surface.

So, here's the tip.

Start by warming your surface with a heat gun. While your wax is still warm, sit your stencil on top, and using a brayer, roll over the stencil a few times to set it in place. 

This will prevent it from moving and embeds it slightly into the surface.

 

You can now begin painting over it.

Keep in mind you'll see all brush marks, dents and pinholes in your encaustic because of the light reflecting off the metallic ink. 

I used the gold leaf formula with an old paint brush. Probably should have used a better brush. So don't be me. Use a foam brush or a nice soft bristle one. 

Once the surface is painted, leave it to dry and then simply peel back the stencil.

I ended up with a big pinhole in mine because I over heated (wasn't wearing my glasses to see what I was doing). 

But, we can fix that with the ink!

We can also fix any areas that did bleed. There were a few on the outer edges and a little bit in the middle. 

I suggest using a micro-makeup applicator for getting rid of excess ink. I use them ALL the time for things like this. 

I also use Jacquard's Claro-Extender (aka blending solution) because this isn't as harsh as rubbing alcohol. 

It's also great for cleaning the ink off your stencils. 

Once you've removed the unwanted ink, you can go back in with more ink on a fresh applicator and cover areas with more gold. 

You can also fill in any small holes, like the pin hole I created :)

You may decide to scrape away areas, too. I wasn't very happy with the overall look so I created a few guidelines guidelines with my ruler and removed the unwanted sections. 

I ended up with a more interesting pattern. 

To finish, lightly fuse with your heat gun to set it in place. Don't over fuse or the alcohol ink with burn and separate. Just a light touch is all you need :)

Whether you use stencils to create inlays or for surface patterns using inks, they're a great way to add interest to your encaustic work. 

The stencil I have used is called Linework.  It and all of my stencils are on sale until May 28th.  Use code ENCAUSTIC to get 20% off. 

Stay creative.

xo Jane.