It’s not often a brand-new fine art medium comes along. Ceracolors is a new artist-grade paint made from quality pigments in a water-miscible wax binder. Although made from wax, Ceracolors do not require heat or solvents.
Ceracolors can be used like encaustic. Fuse layers with a hair dryer. Sculpt Ceracolors with hot tools. The possibilities are endless.
Ceracolors share properties with traditional media making them instantly familiar to painters, but they also have unique characteristics and advantages of their own. When thinned with water, Ceracolors easily disperse to produce vibrant watercolor effects. They can be applied in opaque layers much like acrylic or gouache. Ceracolors dry quickly, so you can build transparent glazes without long waiting times between layers. In a finished painting, the colors have a rich, matte appearance and a durable finish.
Ceracolors is waterborne beeswax paint for professional artists providing a wide range of painting techniques from acrylic and gouache-like layers to thin watercolor-like washes. They are fast-drying colors suitable for all supports used for encaustic painting. They do not require any special tools and heated instruments. Use any brush suitable for water-based paint. Once dry Ceracolors can be used in encaustic technique, allowing sculpting and manipulation of the paint. The ingredients in Ceracolors are found in food and cosmetics so they are not considered to be toxic.
The current range of Ceracolors is available in 50 ml tubes and mediums are available in 8 fluid ounce bottles and jars.
See the entire range of colors: Ceracolors Waterborne Paint
See mediums and additives: Ceracolors Mediums and Additives
Drying
Ceracolors dry in two stages. First, the paint dries rapidly due to the evaporation of water, so it is touch dry within a short time. After this initial period, the paint can be reopened with a wet brush. During the second stage, wax crystals coalesce as the paint cures. This can take from one to several days for thicker applications of paint.
Water Solubility
Ceracolors are thinned with water. The paint comes out of the tube as a paste and can be diluted to the consistency of watercolors. The water solubility of Ceracolors allows easy handling and cleaning.
Color and Appearance
Ceracolors are available in a wide range of colors that are used by artists in other professional-quality mediums. Ceracolors are formulated for high tinting strength and the optical qualities of wax provide outstanding chroma.
Heat Setting
Uncured paint has limited wet scrub resistance, especially in thick layers. This resistance increases when the paint is set by heat. Moderate heat can be applied by a heat gun or hair dryer.
Toxicity
Ceracolors are composed of ingredients that are not considered toxic—ingredients that are often found in food and cosmetics. There are no hazardous solvents or additives and it does not require heating that can release potentially toxic fumes.
Material Safety Data Sheet: Ceracolors
Supports
Rigid supports, such as wood, are best for wax painting technique, but flexible supports, such as canvas and paper can also be used. Ceracolors can be applied onto other materials, such as ceramics, glass, metal or plastic.
Hardness
Ceracolors are made with a blend of waxes microemulsified in water. Wax is soft with low scratch resistance so works require care when handling and storing.
Durability
Water-soluble wax paint is durable, as attested by the present state of preservation of Roman and Roman-Egyptian paintings of the first century in many museums throughout the world.
Clean Up
Cleaning brushes and equipment is easy with soap and water. Cured Ceracolors paint can be removed with ammonia water.