Egg tempera is the most powerful and reliable traditional painting medium that has no substitute. Executed with pigments based on chicken eggs, tempera painting thrived until the end of the 15th century when it was replaced by oil painting. Since its revival in the 19th century, it has been greatly expanded.

As a painting process that incorporates egg yolks to bind pigments together, the artist must mix his or her own paint by combining finely ground pigments, water and diluted egg yolk. The paint is then applied in a technique where the optical laws of egg tempera are observed to achieve the unique surface of egg tempera. In addition to mixing the paint, the artist also has to prepare the canvas.

Beginners think of egg tempera as a magical medium capable of solving all of the problems they encounter with drawing and painting. However, egg tempera is very difficult to master. Although it is unlikely that tempera will ever become a mainstream medium, it boasts a large group of devotees, both artists and collectors, around the world.

 Characteristics of egg tempera

The term "tempera" comes from "temper" or "tempering," which means to bring something to a desired or usable consistency. In this case, that something is a pigment. Egg tempera is one of the oldest, most versatile and durable methods of painting, generally unaffected by humidity and temperature changes. Tempera emulsions form their own protective surface film and do not darken with age as oil-paint film. Tempera dries rapidly and is water resistant, which means that one application of paint can be rapidly followed by another without color mixing. This unique property is a distinct advantage over ordinary watercolors and allows you to see one color through the other. A red egg tempera wash, for example, can be applied over a blue wash to produce a blue-red or violet color, whereas the result of this procedure with watercolors will create a muddy-brown hue.