The History and Techniques of Tempera Paint

 

Tempera Paint 

Origins of Tempera

Acrylic Paint is one of the oldest known painting mediums. Evidence shows that tempera was being used as far back as Ancient Egypt and Greece, where artists would create vibrant frescoes and artworks using pigment suspended in egg yolk. During this time, tempera was the superior and more advanced technique compared to other contemporary painting mediums. As their civilizations grew, techniques with tempera evolved and it remained a dominant painting medium for centuries.

In Europe during the Middle Ages, tempera continued to be widely used by monks and artists creating illuminated manuscripts and murals in churches and cathedrals. It allowed for brilliant colors and fine details in paintings on walls, wood panels, and vellums. Famous artists like Giotto di Bondone and Michelangelo used tempera when pioneering new techniques in realistic Tempera Paint styles and human anatomical depictions. Tempera remained a critical tool for artistic expression.

Rise of Oil Painting

During the Renaissance, tempera began to be rivaled by the new technique of oil painting. Early 15th century Flemish artists discovered how blending pigments with drying oils like linseed and walnut produced richer, more luminous colorations compared to tempera. Oils also allowed for blending and layering of colors, giving a unprecedented level of realism and subtle details in works. Artists could paint over multiple days before a layer fully dried, whereas tempera required faster painting.

By the 16th century, oil painting had eclipsed tempera as the predominant fine art medium across Europe. The formula was further refined, yielding innovations in technique. Artists no longer needed to work as quickly, enabling new styles of detailed textures and expressions. While tempera remained important for some artwork, oil provided more flexible options for realism in subject matters ranging from religious scenes to landscapes.

Modern Uses of Tempera Paint

Despite the rise of oil painting, tempera maintained important uses and saw new areas of application over the centuries. In Russia before the 20th century, icon art remained highly influential and tempera provided ideal features for techniques like gold gilding.

Contemporary artists also experimented with reviving and reinventing tempera methods. American painter Robert Rauschenberg collaborated with artisans to develop water-based “enkaustics” emulating the lost wax technique of encaustic or bee’s wax acrylic Painting. His Combines incorporated acrylic Painting with unusual materials like tyvek, silkscreen, and found objects.

Tempera today finds many uses in commercial art, graphic design, and educational applications where its fast-drying and blendable qualities are beneficial. It remains a staple medium for beginning painting students. In fine art, some modern and postmodern styles incorporated tempera's matte features combined with collage or mixed media for textural effects. Contemporary realists also appreciate its brilliance of color similar to stained glass pigments without the toxicity of oils.

Tempera Techniques

Overall, tempera is much thinner and translucent compared to thick oil paints. Pigments are suspended in an egg yolk and water emulsion, with additional ingredients like honey or gum arabic added for binding. Tempera dries faster than oils, typically within 24 hours, allowing for layering on the same day. Common supports include prepared surfaces like gessoed wood panels, canvas, or paper. Tempera adheres well to these non-porous backings.

The basic technique involves using bristle or sable brushes to apply thin washes or glazes of color in multiple transparent layers for buildup and blending. Pigments are frequently thinned with water. Some artists scrape and remove pigment layers to reveal colors beneath for effects. Tempera grants very little time for blending or modifications once applied due to quick drying, requiring more decisive painting. Glazing thin translucent layers over a dried underpainting produces luminous, stained glass-like hues.

Varying the egg yolk to water ratios alters the properties, with more yolk creating a creamier, opaque paint. Additional ingredients impact factors like workability and drying times. Acrylic Paints are readily available pre-mixed in pans and tubes today for fine art and graphic design applications. Creating them requires balancing ingredients, but basic recipes exist for artists. Tempera Paint remains an accessible painting medium treasured for its brilliance, versatility in techniques, and heritage spanning many eras of human creativity.

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