Encaustic Paint
Encaustic paint suspends pigment in a wax-based medium that is melted for application and fused with heat. Beeswax is the main component of many traditional encaustic systems.
Painter
Tony Scherman
Tony Scherman is a Canadian painter known for figurative and historical paintings made with encaustic, along with documented work in oil and acrylic.
Tony Scherman quick facts
Review key details about Tony Scherman's career, figurative and historical painting, and the encaustic materials, layering methods, and wax surfaces shaping his work.
| Born | 1950 · Toronto, Canada |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Paint media | Encaustic · Oil paint · Acrylic paint |
| Common supports | Canvas · Paper · Fabric |
| Documented example | Abstract (about 1974), acrylic on fabric |
| Common subjects | Portraits, historical figures, power, memory, film imagery, and art history |
| Known for | Working extensively in encaustic while using photographic and cinematic imagery as sources for large figurative paintings. |
Sources: Tony Scherman biography, Art Museum at the University of Toronto: Chasing Napoleon, Art Museum at the University of Toronto: Tony Scherman: Works On Paper, Winnipeg Art Gallery, and Contemporary Art Society: Abstract.
Paint types used
See the paint types documented in Scherman's work, with links to PaintZeal references explaining each medium's properties, uses, and working characteristics.
Oil Paint
Oil paint is a slow-drying paint made with pigment and a drying oil binder. It is widely used for artwork because it blends smoothly and develops rich color.
Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paint is a fast-drying, water-based paint made with pigment and an acrylic polymer binder. It is widely used in art and decorative projects because it is versatile and durable.
Surface types used
See the surface types documented in Scherman's work, with links to PaintZeal references explaining how each support behaves and is prepared for painting.
Canvas
Canvas is a woven fabric support used for paintings, banners, bags, décor, and other projects. Artist canvas may be raw, sized, acrylic-primed, oil-primed, or factory-coated, and each condition changes how paint absorbs and bonds.
Paper
Paper is an absorbent sheet material made from pressed fibers. Its weight, sizing, and surface texture determine how much moisture it can handle and how paint spreads.
Fabric
Fabric is a flexible material made by weaving, knitting, or bonding fibers. Its fiber content, texture, stretch, and washability affect how paint bonds and wears.
Painters similar to Tony Scherman
Explore painters similar to Tony Scherman through encaustic technique, layered wax surfaces, unusual material handling, and sustained experiments with wax-based paint.
Martin Kline
Martin Kline is an American painter known for abstract works built from encaustic and pigmented wax on rigid wood panels, often creating pronounced layered relief.
Betsy Eby
Betsy Eby is an American painter and musician known for abstract encaustic paintings that connect layered wax, gestural line, color, rhythm, and musical structure.
Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns is an American artist known for paintings and objects based on familiar symbols such as flags, targets, numbers, and maps, often using encaustic and collage.