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Wax Resists and Rubbings

© Peggy Skycraft. ---- Do not copy or republish this document in any form except by written permission

What are rubbings? Texture patterns created by placing a raised texture under paper, then rubbing wax crayons or blocks on the dry paper to capture the patterns.

For good rubbings, the paper should be smooth, light to medium weight (70 lb text) and should have a strong consistency. Many of the new recycled or ph neutral papers are quite weak, and don't hold up well to the handling and wetting that these techniques require. Butcher type paper is excellent as is "school" roll colored paper at your craft supply store.

What paints? Water based colors in plain water to start with. Later special effects are possible with water based colors in thin methyl cellulose. Use thinned gouache, watercolor, colored inks, dry pigments but do not use acrylics because they do not roll off of the wax well.

What are wax resists? This takes in anything that is wax, from canner's paraffin, to the dense hard blocks sold for making rubbings from memorial stones. (Daniel Smith mail order). In between are plain crayons, oil pastels, and even wax creams. This is experimental work, and anything goes. Try out things you find. Just keep in mind that waxes with solvents in them need to be used with the usual caution.

How to make wax blocks. Buy bags of crayons from the thrift store or garage sales. Soak them in warm soapy water, strip off the paper and sort by color. Put dry color groups in lightly oiled paper coffee cups and place on a cookie sheet. Heat your oven to not more than 200 degrees f. Crayons and paraffin melt at very low temperature (about 160), as you will have noticed if a child ever left crayons in your car. Check the temperature in the oven with a cooking thermometer. Put the tray of cups in the oven and set the timer for five minutes. Check them in five minutes, and if they need more melting give them a few more minutes. Pay attention and be careful! Wax is very flammable. Remove the tray, cool for a while, then gently run a knife tip around the top edge of the block to allow it to release from the paper cup. When cool, remove the top part of the paper, leaving enough to use to hold onto. If you want the wax to release from the cup, lightly brush it with vegetable oil before you start. You now have neat. palm sized wax blocks for making rubbings.

Metallic pigment can be added to melted paraffin. About one teaspoon per ounce of wax, stir well with a wooden stick. The pigment settles very easily, so have the wax barely hot enough to melt, so the block will cool quickly. Jacquard powdered pearlescent (Pearlex) are good for this. Crayolas are colored with special dyes, most of which are quite transparent. These colors can be enhanced with metallics too and are very good on colored papers.

Try pouring metallic wax into a cup with broken multicolor crayons. Makes a fun mosaic block.

Using the wax blocks: Select some simple textures such as: ribbed vinyl floor mats, bamboo place mats, plastic doilies, lace, dried leaves and ferns, nettings, strings, or dried ferns glued to a board. Thrift stores are an unending source of interesting things for making rubbings.

Place a paper over the texture, and rub gently with your wax blocks. Try different colors. Switch textures and do some more. When you like it set aside and make some more of these papers. You can add lines or motifs with crayons or oil pastels. Metallics look great.

Painting the papers: Plan to use plain watercolors or drawing ink at first. They will run off of the wax and leave a nice texture effect. Painting works best if papers are dampened first. Sponge them lightly or soak in a tray of water to let paper expand. Smooth the paper on a board and remove excess water by blotting or with a soft squeegee.

Paints should be diluted to a watery consistency. Apply paint with sponge brushes. Use as many colors as you like. Let them blend and merge.You can even sprinkle the surface of the wet paper for more effects. Try adding a drop of detergent to the sprinkling paint. It will make the spots spread out. Try sprinkling thinned metallic acrylic paints over the paper. A fan brush knocked on a stick makes small dots. Tiny atomizers such as for nasal spray, can spray diluted inks, dye, or very thin paints.

Acrylic paints have a lot of surfactants in them which makes them tend to not roll off of the wax easily. I use them for special effects after the papers are painted with very neutral watery paints.

Dry the papers, and press under a heavy boarf to flatten them. Later buff the surface with a paper towel to bring up the pattern.

Use these papers in making books, greeting cards, small gifts and picture frames. They are pretty and fun in gift wrapping.

Have Fun!

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Skycraft Designs, 26395 S. Morgan Rd., Estacada, OR 97023 USA

Call to arrange reproduction, printing, use as computer or video backgrounds, or in printed materials. We do custom art for designers.

We are an Angel Company - artists may use our original handmade papers in their artwork, but any reproduction of art incorporating our papers requires formal name credit printed where the image appears or in the sources credits section. Such reproduced images made for resale must have Skycraft permission.