Cold wax medium is a paste-like medium made from beeswax, solvent, and resin that you mix with oil paints to create rich textures, matte surfaces, and beautiful layers. Unlike encaustic (hot wax), cold wax medium is used at room temperature — no heat gun needed. Gamblin cold wax medium is the most popular brand. You simply mix it with your oil paints and apply it with palette knives and scrapers to build up stunning textured layers.

Absolutely! This class is specifically designed as a complete introduction to cold wax medium painting. I start from the very beginning — which tools to use, how to prepare your surface, how to mix cold wax with oils, and all the basic techniques. Even if you’ve never touched cold wax medium before, you’ll be creating beautiful textured paintings by the end of Module 2.

I use and recommend Gamblin cold wax medium — it’s excellent quality and widely available. Zest-it cold wax is another great option, especially if you prefer a low-odour solvent. In Module 1, I go over all the supply recommendations in detail so you know exactly what to buy.

This class is designed for oil paints with cold wax medium (Gamblin or Zest-it). Traditional cold wax medium is oil-based and not compatible with acrylics. If you prefer working with acrylics, check out my Cold Wax & Acrylics class where I teach similar techniques using Powerwax — a water-based cold wax alternative that works beautifully with acrylics!

You’ll need cold wax medium (Gamblin or Zest-it), oil paints, palette knives, a bowl scraper, a brayer, and rigid panels or cradled boards to paint on. The fun thing about cold wax painting is that we don’t use brushes! I give you a complete supply list with exact recommendations in Module 1.

Cold wax medium dries faster than oil paint alone — usually touch-dry within a day or two depending on the thickness of your layers. Understanding the different stages of dryness is actually a key part of the class, because certain cold wax techniques work best at specific drying stages. I cover all of this in detail!

Not at all! While cold wax medium is fantastic for abstract painting, it’s equally beautiful for figurative work, landscapes, florals, and portraits. In this class you’ll paint abstracts, a landscape, and florals — so you’ll see how versatile cold wax techniques truly are. Many of my students combine abstract backgrounds with figurative elements for stunning results.

Forever! Once you enroll, the lessons are yours for life. There’s no rush — work through the modules at your own pace, and come back whenever you need a refresher. Many students rewatch the technique demonstrations every time they start a new cold wax painting.