What is damar resin used for?
Damar Resin is used for hardening beeswax and raising its melting temperature when used in encaustic applications.
Is damar resin toxic?
On its own, Damar Resin is not toxic. Damar varnish, which is Damar mixed with mineral spirits is toxic and should not be used without ventilation. Encaustic medium, which is a mixture of beeswax and damar resin is not dangerous as long as it is not heated higher than 200 degrees F.
How do you use damar resin crystals?
A common mix is 5-8 parts beeswax to 1 part Damar; experiment a little because every artist has their preference. Then this medium can be mixed with dry pigments to make your own Encaustic paints or used to thin ready made Encaustic wax paints. Heat below smoking temperature. Use in well ventilated area.
How do you dissolve Damar?
To make Damar Varnish, the crystals are dissolved in a solvent, such as pure gum spirits of turpentine. The turpentine that you use should be clear versus yellowish. While other solvents, such as xylene, will also dissolve the crystals, turpentine does the best job.
Is damar resin the same as pine resin?
Dammar Resin/Damar Gum Our wraps are 100% Pine Resin FREE. Pine Resin also goes by the names; Rosin, Colophony or Pine Gum. Dammar Resin is derived from 2 types of trees known scientifically as Shorea Dipterocarpaceae and Shorea Javanica. Pine Rosin is derived from any number of trees from the Pinus genus of trees.
What temperature does damar resin melt at?
212-302°F
To make your own encaustic medium: because the damar is in its raw state (it comes from the tree), it must be melted with the beeswax and strained to remove impurities. Use in a well-ventilated area. Melting point: 212-302°F/100-150°C.
How do you crush damar resin?
Crush the crystals On a worktop place the damar crystals between several sheets of newsprint. Wearing glasses and half mask gently tap the top layer of newspaper sheets. You don’t need any violence, it is like breaking candy.
What is damar resin varnish?
Damar is a resin-based varnish that, when mixed with oil paint mediums, thins the paint, increases its transparency, and speeds drying time. Used alone as a top coat, it seals paintings and adds a glossy finish. Be sure, though, that your painting is thoroughly dry before applying it as a final varnish.
Where does damar resin come from?
dammar, also spelled damar, or dammer, any of a variety of hard varnish resins obtained from coniferous and hardwood trees characteristic of Southeast and East Asia. These include the conifer genus Agathis (family Araucariaceae), such flowering plants as Shorea (especially S.
Is damar resin sustainable?
Damar Resin is eatable and non- hazardous. The other big reason is that almost all Damar trees are grown sustainable in Indonesia and help in the fight against deforestation in Indonesia because they give the farmers sustainable income.
What is encaustic painting technique?
encaustic painting, painting technique in which pigments are mixed with hot liquid wax. Artists can change the paint’s consistency by adding resin or oil (the latter for use on canvas) to the wax. This “burning in” of the colours is an essential element of the true encaustic technique.
What temperature does damar resin melt?
How did the resin dammar get its name?
Dammar resin takes its name from the remote Indonesian island of Damar, and is produced by tapping and bleeding coniferous trees. The resin oozes out and sets as it runs down the trunk of the tree, where it is then collected.
Why is dammar used as an artists varnish?
Dammar has been used as an artists varnish since the 1800’s. It is still valued by today’s artists because of its relatively slow yellowing characteristics and versatile nature.
What do you use to make Dammar crystals?
Cut out a square of fabric, buttered (soft) muslin, cheese cloth or other suitable material eg. a pair of tights (student style). Place the dammar crystals in the centre of the layed-out fabric and bring the corners of the fabric together to form a bag. Tie the corners together, either with a piece of string or by knotting the corners together.
What kind of oil is used to make dammar?
Linseed oil or stand oil are commonly used to change the characteristics of a dammar medium, but this is a whole other subject and something l can discuss in a future post. Dammar resin takes its name from the remote Indonesian island of Damar, and is produced by tapping and bleeding coniferous trees.