Leo Martínez
Tempera is an artistic medium that involves mixing pigments with a water-soluble emulsion, typically made of water and egg yolk. It is a time-consuming and painstaking process that demands a high level of skill from the artist. The quick-drying nature of tempera makes it challenging to work with, as it cannot be reworked or blended smoothly after application. To create depth and
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Technique | Mixing egg yolk with ground colour pigments to form an emulsion that can be thinned with water and applied with a brush |
| Finish | Dries to a hard matt finish |
| Colours | Graceful lines, gentle tones and a limited palette of delicate colours |
| Luminosity | Greater luminosity and depth of tone than fresco but less radiance and intensity than oil painting |
| Durability | Egg tempera is the most durable form of the medium, being generally unaffected by humidity and temperature |
| Surfaces | Smooth surfaces, such as planed wood, fine set plaster, stone, paper, vellum, canvas, and modern composition boards of compressed wood or paper |
| Base | Gesso, a mixture of plaster of Paris (or gypsum) with size, is the traditional ground |
| Layering | Colours are layered to create depth and luminosity |
| Tone | Cangiantismo is a technique for changing the tones of pigments in tempera without losing the saturation of their colours |
| Revival | Tempera experienced a revival in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in Britain |
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What You'll Learn
The use of egg yolk as a binding agent
One of the key advantages of using egg yolk as a binder is its ability to create a luminous and vibrant effect in tempera paintings. The egg yolk contributes to the subtle glow and unique depth of colour characteristic of tempera. This luminosity is further enhanced when tempera is applied to a white base, such as gesso, which allows the white to shine through the layers of paint, adding to the luminous quality of the artwork.
The use of egg yolk also offers durability to the paint. Tempera paintings are known for their longevity, with the colours remaining vibrant for centuries. Egg yolk acts as a strong binding agent, ensuring that the paint adheres well to the support without flaking. Additionally, the quick-drying property of egg yolk helps prevent bacterial decomposition and odour issues.
Artists have experimented with different variations of the egg yolk mixture to achieve their desired effects. Some artists substitute egg yolk with gum arabic or use other emulsions such as casein glue with linseed oil. Leonardo da Vinci, for instance, combined egg yolk with linseed oil in his "tempera grassa" technique to increase the intensity of his colours and lengthen drying time, allowing him to create dramatic chiaroscuro and subtle sfumato tones.
The use of egg yolk in tempera painting not only provides a practical advantage in terms of durability and adhesion but also contributes to the aesthetic qualities of the artwork, creating a subtle luminosity and depth of colour that is unique to this ancient medium.
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The layering of colours
Tempera is a time-consuming and painstaking process that requires a high level of skill from the artist. The paint dries very quickly, meaning that it cannot be reworked or altered after application, nor can it be mixed or diluted with other colours. This quick-drying property, however, also prevents bacterial decomposition and the resulting odour.
To create depth and luminosity, artists layer colours in fine brushstrokes to give the illusion of a smooth transition. The layering of colours is a key technique in tempera painting, and it is this process that gives tempera paintings their unique depth and intensity of colour.
In Botticelli's paintings, for example, the image is built up in layers, with the flat golden colour of the subject's hair shaded and tinted with light and dark rhythmic lines to suggest the texture of flowing locks. The graduated tone and form of the flesh are established by underpainting any shaded areas with terre verte, an earthy green colour, and then delicately stippling over the surface with thin layers of white, yellow, pink and brown to form the perfect complexion.
Another example of the layering of colours in tempera painting can be seen in Michelangelo's use of the 'cangiantismo' technique. To create a lighter or darker tone, Michelangelo would use the pure form of a different colour whose natural hue matched the required tone. For example, in Saint Joseph's brilliant yellow garment, Michelangelo uses a pure yellow for the lightest tones, changing to a vibrant orange for the mid-tones, and then descending to a burnt sienna and burnt umber for the darker and darkest tones respectively. This technique creates a more vibrant range of tones, where the colours retain their vitality and successfully define the form.
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The use of a gesso base
Tempera painting is an ancient technique that involves mixing pigments with a water-miscible medium, usually a solution of egg yolk and an agent such as water, vinegar, or wine. This mixture is then applied in thin layers to a smooth surface, such as wood, plaster, or canvas, and dries to a hard matte finish. The use of a gesso base, a traditional ground made of plaster or chalk and glue, is an important aspect of tempera painting that contributes to its unique luminosity and depth of colour.
Gesso, specifically, is a mixture of plaster of Paris (or gypsum) with size, a glue-like adhesive. The first layer applied to the support is called gesso grosso, a mixture of coarse unslaked plaster and size, which creates a rough absorbent surface. This is followed by 10 or more thin coats of gesso sottile, a smooth mixture of size and fine plaster previously slaked in water to slow down the drying process. The result is an opaque, brilliant white, light-reflecting surface similar in texture to hard flat icing sugar. This luminous white base shines through the layers of tempera, lending the artwork a radiant quality.
The preparation of the gesso surface is a meticulous process that requires multiple coats to achieve perfection. Artists would check the surface during coating by rubbing it with ground charcoal, revealing any imperfections, which could then be dusted away with feathers before applying additional coats. The gesso base also serves as an ideal surface for the application of gold leaf, a common feature in medieval and early Renaissance tempera paintings used to denote religious importance or to increase reflectivity and sparkle in low-light situations.
The luminous gesso base, combined with the semi-transparent nature of tempera paints, creates a unique depth and intensity of colour. The quick-drying nature of tempera, however, presents challenges in achieving subtle tonal gradations and smooth transitions between colours. Artists have employed techniques such as crosshatching and fine brushstrokes to create illusions of light and shade, requiring a high level of skill and a time-consuming process.
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The application of fine brushstrokes
Tempera is a time-consuming and painstaking process that requires a high level of skill from the artist. The paint dries very quickly, which means that it cannot be reworked or altered after application. This also makes it difficult to smoothly blend and gradate tones, as one can with oil paints. To create the illusion of smooth transitions between light and dark, artists must place different tones in fine brushstrokes next to each other. This technique is called "cangiantismo", and it involves using the pure form of a different colour to create a lighter or darker tone, rather than simply adding white or brown/black to the original colour. This method of changing tones in tempera painting without losing the saturation of colours allows for a more vibrant range of tones and helps to define the form.
In Botticelli's paintings, for example, the hair of his subjects is shaded and tinted with light and dark rhythmic lines to suggest the texture of hair. The graduated tone and form of the flesh are established by underpainting any shaded areas with terre verte, an earthy green colour, and then delicately stippling over the surface with thin layers of white, yellow, pink and brown to form the perfect complexion. The greenish underpainting shines through the translucent skin in a way that gives it a luminous quality.
The quick-drying property of tempera is due to the egg yolk, which also gives the paint its traditional glow. The paint starts to set as soon as it meets the surface, and artists must work quickly and in small areas of the composition at a time. The more layers of paint that are applied, the richer the surface becomes. The luminosity of tempera paintings is also due to the traditional white gesso base, which shines through the layers of semi-transparent paint, lending the artwork a unique depth and intensity of colour.
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The use of a limited palette of colours
Tempera painting is a traditional artistic medium that involves mixing pigments with a water-soluble emulsion, typically made of water and egg yolk. The technique of tempera painting results in graceful lines, gentle tones, and a limited palette of delicate colours. The limited range of colour pigments available for tempera paintings is one of the factors that contributes to the subtle luminosity that this medium is known for.
The limited palette of colours in tempera paintings is also influenced by the traditional approach to lightening and darkening tones. In tempera, artists typically lighten a tone by adding white and darken it by adding brown or black. However, this method tends to reduce the luminosity and vibrancy of the colours. To maintain the luminosity, artists may employ techniques such as "cangiantismo", where they use the pure form of a different colour with a matching natural hue to create lighter or darker tones.
Additionally, the limited palette of colours in tempera paintings is influenced by the desire for precision and clarity. Tempera painting is known for its ability to create incredible clarity of colour and precision of line. Artists who work with tempera often embrace the challenge of mastering this ancient medium and the unique effects it can produce. The limited palette of colours becomes a tool for achieving the subtle luminosity and delicate aesthetic that tempera is known for.
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Frequently asked questions
Tempera is an artistic medium made by mixing pigments with a water-soluble emulsion, often made of water and egg yolk or oil and a whole egg.
Tempera paintings have a unique luminosity due to the use of egg yolk, which gives the paint a traditional glow. The luminous base of a tempera painting, often made of gesso, also contributes to its luminosity, with the white base shining through the layers of tempera.
Tempera dries very quickly, so artists tend to apply the paint in smaller areas of the composition, finishing those sections before moving on. To create depth and luminosity, artists layer colours on top of each other.
Tempera paint is made by mixing egg yolk with ground colour pigments to form an emulsion. This emulsion can be thinned with water and applied with a brush.
Tempera painting was widely used during the Renaissance, so many famous Renaissance paintings are tempera works. Some examples include Sandro Botticelli's "Idealized Portrait of a Lady" and "The Birth of Venus", as well as Leonardo da Vinci's "The Musician".
