ENCAUSTIC PASTE (Pr., Colle encaustique Ger., Enkaustische Kleister) Known also as cerate paste ; a mixture for rubbing on to the surface of prints in order to give them a gloss, deepen the shadows, and brighten them up generally. The gloss obtain able is very pleasing, but not so high as that obtained by burnishing or enamelling. It is particularly suitable for matt bromide and platinotype prints, and at one time was widely used for prints on albumen paper. In its sim plest form it consists of t part (by weight) of ordinary beeswax reduced to a paste with four parts of turpentine, the smell of which can be masked by substituting I part of oil of lavender for I part of turpentine. The wax is soaked in the solvent and then melted gently by heat. Another simple paste is that made according to Dr. Eder's formula :— White wax . . I oz. 500 ccs.
Dammar varnish . zoo mins. 209 „ Oil of turpentine . I oz. ,, Dissolve by heat and mix well. A more elabor ate mixture, and one widely used, is that made according to the Adam Salomon formula :— Pure virgin wax . 500 grs. 50o g.
Gum elemi . . to „ 10 „ Benzole . . . Oz. 240 CCS.
Oil of lavender. „ 360 Oil of spike . . I drm. 6o , Melt in a hot-water bath, mix thoroughly, and strain through muslin ; or the gum may be dissolved in the solvents and the melted wax added after filtration. A small quantity of any of the above mixtures is applied to the print by means of a small piece of flannel or linen, and is then worked into the print by continuous rubbing, a polish being obtained finally by rub bing with a clean piece of flannel or a pad of clean linen.
The following mixture was at one time largely used for painting with a brush over the shadows of a print in order to deepen them ; it is not encaustic paste proper, but can be used when it is not desired to cover the whole of the print : Gum arabic . . oz. 16.5 g.
Water . 3 „ too ccs.
Rock candy . . I drm. 4 ), Acetic acid . . to drops •7 „ Alcohol . . . to „ •