Final answer:
Encaustic can lend itself to a textured surface because it can be layered and sculpted due to the properties of beeswax, which hardens quickly to create a durable skin but can be reheated for further manipulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Encaustic painting is a technique that involves using heated beeswax combined with dry pigments which gives it characteristics conducive to creating textured surfaces. The beeswax in encaustic paint allows for layering and sculpting because of its malleable nature when heated and its ability to form a hard skin upon cooling. When encaustic paint is applied to a support surface and cools, it solidifies quickly, enabling artists to build upon it with additional layers, thus creating texture. The paint can also be reheated and manipulated after it has cooled, giving even more opportunity for creating a textured effect.
Historically, encaustic painting required a rigid support, like wooden panels, to prevent the wax from cracking. This is evidenced in ancient funerary mummy portraits from Fayum in Egypt. In contemporary art, some artists have experimented with more flexible supports with varying outcomes, but durability and the ability to create resonant colors remain standout qualities of encaustic paintings.