Rating: 
Summary: very dissapointing
Review: After studying the art of encaustic painting, a technique started by Ancient Egyptians, Roman, and Greeks I searched for a book that would explain the process. This book has deeply dissapointed me. One is taught to produce work that is of very childish quality. End results are far from realistic. Besides, since when did the Ancient Greeks use an electric iron to burn-in their wax?
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book!
Review: I am a beginner to encaustic art and found this book both very informative and inspiring. The landscapes and the fantasy scenes are also gorgeous to look at. There are instructions for how to do this art with lots of helpful pictures and captions. This book was easy to follow and helpful to learn basic skills. I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to this medium
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book!
Review: I am a beginner to encaustic art and found this book both very informative and inspiring. The landscapes and the fantasy scenes are also gorgeous to look at. There are instructions for how to do this art with lots of helpful pictures and captions. This book was easy to follow and helpful to learn basic skills. I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to this medium
Rating:
Summary: very dissapointing
Review: I own both this book and another book on encaustic painting techniques plus a video and in no way found this book to be unsatisfactory. If you are a beginner with encaustic then this book should do just fine. Each technique is explained in detail with photos showing how the results are produced. Most of the demonstration paintings are of a fantasy-type landscape but there are a few of flowers or birds. There is even a chapter on wax transfer techniques for fabric, greeting cards, etc which produce a much softer and more textural appearance than straight encaustic painting. I suspect that people who do not like fantasy art landscapes would not enjoy the paintings in the book. It doesn't invalidate the wealth of information itself. These techniques can be used to create any kind of art from the most abstract to the most representational. The iron shown in the book can be ordered from art supply mail order catalogs at a reasonable price. Another good source for encaustic supplies is Enkaustikos. You can also find both of them on the Web. I have used these techniques in my own paintings which look nothing like the ones produced in this book. My only wish for this book is that a chapter showing many artists' encaustic work would have been included. It would show all the possibilites of a painting medium of the ancients that is still vibrant and easier than ever today.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Introduction to Painting with Wax
Review: I own both this book and another book on encaustic painting techniques plus a video and in no way found this book to be unsatisfactory. If you are a beginner with encaustic then this book should do just fine. Each technique is explained in detail with photos showing how the results are produced. Most of the demonstration paintings are of a fantasy-type landscape but there are a few of flowers or birds. There is even a chapter on wax transfer techniques for fabric, greeting cards, etc which produce a much softer and more textural appearance than straight encaustic painting. I suspect that people who do not like fantasy art landscapes would not enjoy the paintings in the book. It doesn't invalidate the wealth of information itself. These techniques can be used to create any kind of art from the most abstract to the most representational. The iron shown in the book can be ordered from art supply mail order catalogs at a reasonable price. Another good source for encaustic supplies is Enkaustikos. You can also find both of them on the Web. I have used these techniques in my own paintings which look nothing like the ones produced in this book. My only wish for this book is that a chapter showing many artists' encaustic work would have been included. It would show all the possibilites of a painting medium of the ancients that is still vibrant and easier than ever today.
Rating:
Summary: a good start for novice encaustic painters
Review: If you are looking for ancient encaustic techniques or instruction on becoming a Museum caliber encaustic artist, this is not your book. But, if you want to learn wax painting for pure fun and enjoyment, you are Michael Bossom's target. The instructions will get you started, and from there it's up to your imagination. I have no artistic background, had never heard the word "encaustic", and have never had a lesson in my 65 years. But following the book and video got me on my way to recently receiving a Fine Art Show First Place. Use the book as it's written, have fun, and good luck.
Rating:
Summary: a good start for novice encaustic painters
Review: If you are looking for ancient encaustic techniques or instruction on becoming a Museum caliber encaustic artist, this is not your book. But, if you want to learn wax painting for pure fun and enjoyment, you are Michael Bossom's target. The instructions will get you started, and from there it's up to your imagination. I have no artistic background, had never heard the word "encaustic", and have never had a lesson in my 65 years. But following the book and video got me on my way to recently receiving a Fine Art Show First Place. Use the book as it's written, have fun, and good luck.
Rating: 
Summary: Melt wax on an iron and make creative artwork instantly.
Review: Melting wax on an iron and spreading it onto a sealed card surface produces a prolific collection of effects. No former skills are necessary. It is a rewarding and absorbing activity which produces artwork - creative artwork. Whether that would ever be described as Fine Art might depend on the observer. The point is that everone is artistic to some degree and this activity enables non-painters (unskilled hands) to produce artwork and enjoy the process of artistic involvement. It is extremely therapeutic and constantly enthused about by many thousands of people enjoying the fascination it brings to them. This book is here to enable a complete beginner to understand the very basic approaches and help successful initial experiments. "Fine Artist's" will already know their own direction and are likely to find this book too simplistic and over-conceived. However, beginners in craft and hobbyart will be helped by it since it offers the best information available at this time. Encaustic is very old and involves the use of wax (traditionally beeswax) as a medium for pigments. The Ancient's painted portraits over 2,000 years ago which are still wonderful to behold today. This book is not about any of that work. Michael Bossom has introduced modern encaustic art as a creative wax art process in the hope of inspiring a greater interest in the use of wax as a medium. The commercial aspects led to this book. As more and more people realise the potentials and possibilities wax offers it is hoped that more information and diversification of avenues will occur.
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS THE WORST BOOK ON ENCAUSTICS I HAVE EVER SEEN.
Review: THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE ART OF ENCAUSTICS, IT IS ABOUT CHEESE. THE TECHNIQUES ARE NOTHING MORE THAN GLORIFIED SPRAYPAINT ART. THIS BOOK IS AWFUL, SO MUCH SO THAT I HAD TO RETURN IT IMMEDIATELY. SOMEONE TELL ME IF THERE IS A QUALITY BOOK ON THIS SUBJECT.
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS THE WORST BOOK ON ENCAUSTICS I HAVE EVER SEEN.
Review: THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE ART OF ENCAUSTICS, IT IS ABOUT CHEESE. THE TECHNIQUES ARE NOTHING MORE THAN GLORIFIED SPRAYPAINT ART. THIS BOOK IS AWFUL, SO MUCH SO THAT I HAD TO RETURN IT IMMEDIATELY. SOMEONE TELL ME IF THERE IS A QUALITY BOOK ON THIS SUBJECT.
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