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What about Technique?
Egg tempera underpainting for current project, Spinolarei II
Egg Tempera:
There are numerous books and websites with lots of
information out there. If you are serious, buy at least
Ralf Mayer's, "The Artist's Handbook of Materials and
Techniques". On the internet, I highly reccommend the
the Society of Tempera Painters for it's useful discussion
database.
http://www.eggtempera.com Below here is what I know
and how I use the medium. Pigments:
Be
sure to supply yourself with a good collection of dry pigments.
See my lists on the pallette
link.
Online suppliers like Kraemer Pigmente or Windsor Newton are
very helpful if you do not live in a big city with a big art
supply store. If you can afford it, get a thick piece of
frosted plate glass and a glass muller. Otherwise a
pallette knife and wooden painter's pallette can suffice. Grind up
a small amount of each pigment you want to use in
distilled water, making a smooth paste. The pastes can be stored in plastic
film containers for short periods without drying out.
The Egg:
Locate as fresh an organic an egg as you can. Break the
shell carefully without breaking the yolk. Carefully move
the yolk between shell halves to isolate the yolk from the white
(all the while protecting the egg yolk membrane from puncture). Let the white albumen drip away. Pass the
yolk back and forth between the palms of the hands in order to
dry it off. Roll it across a piece of absorbent paper towel
for further drying. Eventually you should be able to pick
up the yolk by it's sac. Hold it over a small clean jar (empty
jelly jars from hotels are great for this) and pinch the bottom.
The pure yolk will drip out. Add about a teaspoon of
distillled water, cap, and shake it.
Making the Paint:
Add equal amounts of pigment paste and yolk to a
pallete board. Mix until smooth. Some pigments will
require more yolk, others less. Experience will guide you.
The paint is thick; too think for painting, but the right
mixture of pigment/yolk will allow for thinning with distilled
water until a paintable consistency is found. Sable
brushes dipped in water and paint are still too saturated for
painting. Using the thumb and forefinger press the excess
liquid out until the brush renders a clean full stroke without
leaving behind a blob of paint at the end of the motion.
Painting:
Egg tempera does well with light thin strokes. Do not
immediately rebrush a stroke. Let it dry, then add another
level, if desired. In this way soft transitions can be
achieved. Egg tempera is great for creating an
underpainting for oils. Evidence of the painting
techniques of the early oil masters of the 15th century determines
a strong use of egg tempera for underpainting. It also is very beautiful on
it's own. Each artist decides how to use it for his/her
own ends.
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A
work in progress
The technique in which employ egg tempera to paint landscapes in oils.
The
Ground
How to choose and prepare a panel for painting.
Egg
tempera
Some basics on painting with eggs.
Mixed technique
from the Ecole des Beaux Art, Paris.
Fresco
Some basics of painting fresco and fresco secco.
Encaustic
Some new expereince with an old technique.
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