Preparing Substrates for Photo Encaustic

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The substrate debate.

For beginners, substrates can be one of the most confusing parts of photo encaustic art. With so many options and conflicting advice, it’s easy to feel unsure about where to start.

The most important thing to remember: Choose a porous substrate—typically a wood panel.

Many artists use manufactured boards, either flat or cradled. The style doesn’t matter, but be aware that hardboard panels (made from compressed wood fibers) retain heat longer, which may slightly slow your process.

If you want to skip the guesswork, Encausticbord is a reliable, ready-to-use option—slightly more expensive, but worth it when you’re learning.

Where things often become confusing is in the conversation about gesso.

Traditional gessos are grounds, not sealers. For encaustic work, we want porous surfaces, not sealed ones. Encaustic gesso (different from acrylic gesso) offers reflectivity between the substrate and the wax, but if you don’t need that reflective quality, you can skip it entirely.

As photo encaustic artists, we typically prepare substrates in two main ways:

1. Paper Ground Method

This involves applying a paper layer—often an image you’ve printed. Because paper can become semi-transparent under wax, the wood grain or color may show through, altering your image. You can embrace this effect, or you can block it by adding a thin undercoat of white tempera before gluing your paper down. The paper is your actual ground; the tempera simply prevents the wood tone from influencing your image.

2. Wax-Prepared Substrate

Used for embedding nontraditional papers or photo transfers.
In this method, you start by applying layers of wax directly onto the bare substrate—no paper ground and no tempera needed.

Wax layers may create bubbles or pinholes as air rises through the warmed substrate. Higher-quality materials reduce this, but many artists embrace these tiny imperfections as visual texture. If you prefer a smoother surface, experiment with different panels or switch to the paper ground method.

In the end, every substrate behaves differently. Experimentation is essential. Try different surfaces, observe how they respond, and choose what best supports your artistic style.

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Choosing the right substrate is one of the most important steps in creating successful photo encaustic art—but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Whether you’re deciding between Encausticbord, paper grounds, wax-prepared panels, or figuring out whether you need encaustic gesso, the key is understanding how each surface affects your final piece.

If you want to learn the full workflow—from substrates to image prep, layering, embedding, and finishing—start here at the Artistic Image (a 6-week beginners online course).

 

 

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I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. What substrate is your favorite and how do you prepare it?

Be well….be creative,