The main characteristic of encaustic is:

• A. Mixing colored pigments with wax and applying it to a surface.
• B. Using watercolors on paper.
• C. Carving into stone to create relief.
• D. Applying tempera to panels.

Answer: (A)

Encaustic is a painting technique where pigments are suspended in hot wax (often beeswax mixed with resin) and applied to a surface, typically a wooden panel. The heat keeps the wax fluid, allowing the artist to build up and fuse thin layers for a luminous, durable finish. This combination of pigment with a wax binder and the use of heat to fuse layers is what sets encaustic apart.

The other descriptions point to different media: watercolors on paper use water-soluble pigments with a gum binder, not wax; carving into stone to create relief is sculpture, not painting; tempera on panels uses an egg-yolk binder, not wax.