Polishing is slightly unique to encaustic painting; a high sheen can change the entire look of the work, for better or worse.
Polishing an encaustic piece is in no way permanent; it can loose the sheen over a length of time due to environmental effects or reversed by an artist hand. It can also be changed very easily back to a semi-matte finish if desired.
The best results will come from patience; wait a few days for the wax to completely harden, more time should be given if carbon black or other long drying/cooling color is used. After a significant time lapse- use a lint-free cloth, or the palm of your hand to buff the surface; it won't take long before you notice a change.
Be patient, you are creating friction as you polish and as a result heating the surface. Over polishing will soften the surface and result in the original dull state, or worse; pieces of lint in the surface. This problem can be solved by simply waiting a day between polishing. The more patience you have the more polished your piece will become.
