EGG TEMPERA
as a painting medium

Egg Tempera is a paint medium made with earth and mineral pigments, hand ground into water, and then mixed with chicken egg yolk. The paint is translucent and dries quickly. By slowly applying hundreds of thin layers of paint, the paintings become luminous. Egg tempera was traditionally painted on poplar panels, although untempered Masonite is the most common panel used today. The panels must be gessoed with traditional gesso, which is high grade hide glue, heated and mixed with whiting or marble dust. The panels are then coated, sanded, coated, sanded for as many as 7 layers to get a beautiful porcelain surface. Egg tempera painting is a slow, persnickety medium that lends itself to the kind of detailed work that Miranda loves to create.

Andrew Wyeth - Her Room

Fayum - Mummy Portrait c.100-120

Botticelli - Birth of Venus

Egg tempera is a very old medium. It was used in ancient Egyptian grave paintings. Russian Icons are painted primarily with egg tempera, although some contemporary examples are painted in acrylic. Possibly the largest egg tempera painting ever created was “the Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli in 1485. It is approximately 6’ by 9’. Andrew Wyeth and his family brought the medium into public awareness in the 20th century.