meltdrawing

Meltdrawing is a term used in contemporary art discourse to describe a drawing technique in which heat is applied to drawing media, causing pigments or waxes to melt and flow across a surface. The method emphasizes process and material behavior, producing marks that are fluid, organic, and often unpredictable. It sits between drawing and painting in its aesthetic outcomes, while maintaining the intention of a drawn line or plane.

Techniques commonly employed include using wax-based media such as crayons, colored pencils with wax content, or encaustic wax on paper or panels. Heat sources like a heat gun, hot plate, or flame are used to melt the media, after which the artist may tilt, rotate, or manipulate the support to guide drifting color and create gradients, pools, or veils. Layering melted media can build complex textures, and artists sometimes combine melted elements with traditional drawing tools for contrast.

The term meltdrawing is not uniformly defined in formal reference works; it appears in critical writing and artist statements as a descriptive label for this experimental approach. It is associated with process-oriented and experimental practices, and is often explored in relation to encaustic painting, melted crayon works, and other media that foreground material behavior. The technique is valued for its spontaneity and the way heat reveals inherent properties of the media.

Safety and handling are important, given the use of hot tools and heated media. Adequate ventilation and protective measures are recommended during creation.