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Resources and Recommended Books
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Class Syllabus
Safety Concerns for Pregnant Painters
Artist's Resumé
Why and Why Not to Use Egg Tempera
Panel Prep, Part 1:Rabbitskin Glue
How to Make Chalk Gesso
Panel Prep, Part 2: Gesso Priming
How to Make Egg Medium
Preparing Pigments and Making Paint
Tips for Painting
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PREPARING PIGMENTS AND MAKING EGG TEMPERA PAINT
One of the beauties of egg tempera is that you choose whatever colors you want. Any pigment can be used. You are not restricted to what any paint manufacturer chooses to make available.
Cennnino Cennini (the author of one of the first how-to treatises) says to grind the pigments and store them under water. This is the method I use, and it has served me well.
Please note, however, that there are those who prefer to store their pigments dry and only grind them as they need them. Things can go wrong with water-stored paints: Certain pigments (most notably Ultramarine Blue) can settle into a hard, impacted layer under the water (I just use a strong knife to remove what I need). Certain pigments may grow mold, especially if impurities are present ( I did have this problem with some natural Yellow Ochres). And if the water evaporates and the pigments are allowed to dry out, they may become brick-hard and very difficult to re-grind.
That said, I feel that leaving one's pigments dry adds a lot of unnecessary work and risk of dust inhalation to each painting project. I prefer to grind all my pigments in water and keep an eye on them.
You will need:
- A frosted glass or stone slab (Porphyry is good; marble is really too soft) and a glass muller (a sort of flat-bottomed grinding-stone with a hande) OR a mortar and pestle (adequate, but it is harder to get all of the pigment cleanly out)
- A scraper or spatula (I use a baker's slice)
- Dry powdered pigment
- Distilled water
- A small clean, sterile jar with a tight lid
- A seriously good respirator (or at the VERY least a dust mask), protective gloves and maybe also an apron
1. Put on your respirator/dust mask! Even non-toxic pigments can cause damage if inhaled. I always wear gloves and an apron, too.
2. Carefully measure out your pigment onto the grinding surface or into the mortar. You don't want to raise too much dust.
3. Push a small dent in your pile of pigment, then spoon water into the dent.
4. Begin to grind, gently. If the pigment is too stiff, add more water. Ideally you want a not-too-thick paste. Too much water can make the pigment harder to grind, and it may run off the slab.
NOTE: It may be that certain pigments just will not wet. I find that adding a drop or two of ethyl alcohol to the pigment will help the water moisten it; I did this with Alizarin Crimson pigment ten years ago, and it does not seem to have adversely affected it.
5. Grind round in small circles, and every now and then scrape the pigment back together.
6. When the pigment is smooth, scrape it up and place it in your jar.
7. Cover the pigment with more distilled water (I would err on the side of too much water, rather than too little), and close the jar tightly.
TO MIX EGG TEMPERA PAINT
You will need:
- Your jar of water-ground pigment (see immediately above)
- Your jar of egg medium (see the how to make egg medium page)
- A palette with small cups; I like the little Japanese ceramic ones shaped like flowers, sold for watercolor
- Distilled water
- Palette knives and brushes
1. Take a little of the wet pigment out of the jar with a palette knife. Since this paint does not last long, you won't want to mix too much at any one time. I find an amount the size of the tip of my finger works well for me -- except for white; I always mix as much white as my palette cup will hold.
2. Very carefully, using a brush to carry the egg medium (you could use an eyedropper, but if you don't wash it perfectly clean every time it will quickly get revolting), place the medium drop by drop into the palette cup with the pigment. As a general rule of thumb you want about as much medium as pigment (more on that below).
3. Using a stiff brush (badger or bristle), blend the pigment and medium until it is absolutely smooth, with no lumps. It should have a texture like whipping (heavy) cream. Test it by painting a stroke on a piece of glass or aluminum foil: it should not bead up, should dry to the touch within a few minutes, and should not be shiny, nor should it rub off in a powder onto your finger. Your paint is now ready to use.
4. For a thinner, more watercolor-like paint for washes, you can take some of your mixed paint and add it to another palette cup with some water in it. I usually also add a drop or two or three of egg medium, just to make sure the paint doesn't lose its cohesion. Be sure to save your original, thick mixed paint, in case you need to make adjustments.
NOTES: You will eventually work out how much egg medium each color needs to suit your taste. The minimum requirement is enough to adhere the pigment to the ground while revealing its beauty. If you use too little medium the paint will powder off the surface. If you use too much it will crack, especially if you paint thickly. However, I have found that it takes a remarkable lot of medium to get that disastrous a result. Not enough medium is a worse evil, and a slightly generous hand with the medium does no harm.
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