R & F Handmade Paints
Damar Resin Crystals

Damar is a hard natural resin that comes from a family of deciduous trees that grow in the East Indies. In encaustic paint damar resin is the most common ingredient for hardening the beeswax and raising its melting temperature. Damar allows the wax to be buffed to a higher, more translucent surface and helps prevent blooming in the wax. To use the damar in making your own encaustic medium, it must be melted in the beeswax and strained. You can make Damar varnish by dissolving the resin in turpentine.