A Simple Egg Tempera Recipe



Egg tempera is a traditional painting medium that has been used for centuries. It is made from egg yolks, water, and pigment. Here's how you can make and use egg tempera:

Ingredients:

• Fresh egg yolks
• Water
• Pigment (any water-soluble pigment, such as natural earth pigments, modern watercolor pigments, or gouache)

Instructions:

1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and place the yolks in a bowl.
2. Beat the egg yolks with a fork until they are smooth and well blended.
3. Mix a small amount of water (about one teaspoon) into the egg yolks to thin them out.
4. Slowly add the pigment to the egg yolk mixture, a little at a time, until you get the desired color intensity. You can use a palette knife or a brush to mix the pigment into the egg yolk mixture.
5. Stir the mixture until the pigment is thoroughly blended into the egg yolk.
6. The egg tempera is now ready to use. You can paint with it immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days.

When painting with egg tempera, it's important to work in thin layers. It dries quickly, so you can add more layers once the previous one is dry. You can also mix the pigments with different amounts of water to get different consistencies, such as thicker paint for more texture or thinner paint for smoother coverage.

Egg tempera has a distinctive, luminous quality that makes it well suited for creating glowing, radiant paintings. It is a traditional medium used by many artists throughout history, and it's still used today by contemporary painters who appreciate its unique qualities.