Use of wax in fine arts

In this master’s thesis, the first part of the research presents the history of the meaning of wax as an art material, its role in ceremonial events in the past, the characteristics of wax as a sculptural material and its possibilities of being included in high school art classes. The use of wax in sculpture is chronologically presented through the works of Italian and Slovenian sculptors. The basic design techniques, use of wax in the field of sculpture, the preparation of different types of wax that can be used for modelling, additional finishing, etc., and how and why a particular wax mixture is used, are explained in this work. Practical examples show the work of the author with art analysis (i.e., analyses of his artworks) and some works by other artists in the laboratory for casting techniques using pouring (Fonderia). The second part of the thesis presents practical examples in the atelier intended for high school students, along with the processes of using and treating wax as a sculptural material, casting techniques, creating wax portraits and understanding the terms positive and negative in artwork. The practical implementation is based on the related teaching preparation, which clearly sets goals, artworks, carefully selected tools and prepared workspaces, precisely described procedures for making artworks, and analysis and evaluation of the work that is done