Jill Iliffe's Egg Tempera Tips

altonartsociety
Feb 24
1 min read

Following up on her excellent demonstration of painting a clothed figure in egg tempera on Saturday 21st February, Jill has generously sent along some notes to help members who are keen to try out this medium for themselves.

Girl with Plaited Hair, Egg Tempera on board. Copyright Jill Iliffe

Egg Tempera Painting Notes for Alton Art Society by Jill Iliffe

Use a surface which is rigid - wood or mdf (poplar wood is traditional)
The coating on the surface needs to be slightly porous, I used Casein Gesso on wood
You can use a coating made with rabbit skin glue and whitening
The surface needs several coats and to be sanded in-between as necessary
Dry pigments
Egg yolk
Distilled water (I used boiled)
Vinegar (optional)
Mix a pigment and yolk mixture to a cream consistency
Keep the yolk/water in a jar in the fridge, can be used up to 24 hours although I have found it ok after 48
Work in layers, start with large translucent strokes and then use small marks to build up the paint and achieve your effect
The paint dries quickly
Do not overpaint until it is dry
Use watercolour brushes and clean them with water
After some months you can polish the surface with a soft cloth, I use a spectacles cleaning cloth. This gives a subtle sheen.