What is encaustic? Encaustic is a Greek word meaning “to heat or burn in” (enkaustikos).  Encaustic is melted beeswax and damar resin, which results in a medium of unsurpassed clarity and luminosity.  Pigment may be added to the medium to create opaque paints or glazes. It is applied in a molten state and each new layer must be reheated with a torch or heat gun to fuse the medium to the previous layer.  The tools used are natural bristle brushes, styluses, scrapers, and other shapers – not that different from the tools the first encaustic painters used 2000 years ago. The finished painting, buffed to a high shine, could last that long. The medium is ancient, but it has only re-emerged in this generation, completely fresh and re-imagined. (excerpt from sierra wax.com)