Is there a Golden Artist Color product that is acceptable for use as an Encaustic Ground?

Typically we suggest consulting with an Encaustic paint manufacturer for their best recommendations, as they probably have the most experience concerning the adhesion of encaustics on to various grounds. In some of our own initial investigations, however, the following products were shown to provide good adhesion in a standard test where the encaustic application is frozen then subjected to a sudden blow: GOLDEN Coarse Pumice Gel, Extra Coarse Pumice Gel, and Coarse Alumina.

Since all of these products are rough in texture, artists who want a smoother surface might want to start by applying a layer of white encaustic to create a smooth ground to work from. Alternatively, they could experiment with Absorbent Ground or Fiber Paste. Both of these showed moderate adhesion under similar freeze/shock testing and some artist's have reported positive results when using the Absorbent Ground.

At this time Golden has not conducted long-term adhesion or testing of other conservation concerns.

While not all GAC products have been tested for encaustic adhesion the following would not be recommended as a ground for encaustics: GOLDEN Heavy Body, Fluid, and other acrylic colors, GOLDEN Gesso, Coarse Molding Paste, Fine Pumice Gel, and Light Molding Paste. In the freeze / shock test all these products failed to provide adequate adhesion.

Lastly, as encaustics are prone to embrittlement at lower temperatures, it is always suggested to use a ridged support for any artwork that includes encaustic products.