What kind of canvas for tempera painting?

Question

Also, do you need a primer? I have a white gesso and usually place an acrylic base mixed with matte gel-paste over it. Can I use this? Should I use egg yolk and honey with a liquid base or what is a better resin?

Answer 1

Ground for Egg Tempera

Supports:

- Hardboard/Massonite or Medium Density Fiber board (M.D.F.)
- Canvas (two inches bigger than the board all round).
* Fluids
- Size : Let soak rabbit skin glue into cold water (from two and a half oz., to a quart of water) and mix it in a sauce prior using. Avoid having the size too hot as it causes air bubbles.
- Gesso : It is a mixture of Rabbit skin glue size (same as above) with whiting and a small amount of Titanium white pigment (about 10% by weight to whiting). The mixing of the size to the whiting has to be done very carefully to avoid air bubbles.
- "imprimatura" That is a colored wash, using a size of egg yolk (1 yolk to a pint of water) and a toning color depending on the tonality of the finished painting. One often use ochre or raw umber.

Process

* Give a coat of size to the board and to the canvas.

* When dry stick the canvas to the board using rabbit skin glue size. Remove all air bubbles using a squeegee roller. Make sure that the two inches of canvas all round is firmly attached to the back.

* Allow to dry and give the canvas one or two coats of rabbit skin glue size.

* Once dry and before giving the coats of gesso, it is a good idea to make the size coating partially waterproof. To do so, spray a 4% solution of formaldehyde. A mask should be worn when doing this to avoid breathing it in, also it should be done near an open window. Whilst the panel is drying one should withdraw from the room.

* Apply five or six coats of gesso, each coat at right angles to the previous coat. The dried gesso is eventually smoothed down with fine sandpaper or garnet paper. Lastly, the surface is gone over with a damp cloth pad. It is now ready for painting on.

* Nevertheless, prior to painting, it is a good idea to go over the sparkling white surface of the gesso with an "imprimatura". Over this coating its useful to spray again with formaldehyde 4%. DO NOT BREATHE IT IN! The object of this is to make the wash waterproof so that one can work without lifting it.

* The tracing from the drawing of the painting subject can be under the imprimatura , so that it shows through the latter. If the tracing is applied on top of it , it will be necessary to "fix"it with a spray of fixative.

Answer 2

Tempera paintings are not flexible when they are dry so you will need a rigid support. This can be either wooden panel, pressed board, or canvas mounted to panel or board. Use a fine weave cotton duck mounted to a rigid support with rabbit glue.

Use a gesso that is made from rabbit skin glue and whiting (gypsum, calcium carbonate and titanium white) applied in thin coats to your canvas. Sand gently until smooth. This type of gesso is very absorbant and your tempera will bond well with it. I wouldn't recomment a polymer gesso, and I strongly suggest you not use gel paste as a base for tempera painting.

A simple egg tempera consists of egg yolk, pigment and distilled water to get the paint to the consistency you want. I have heard some recipes use damar varnish or linseed oil. I have never personally tried honey.

Answer 3

Tempera paints are water based so adding water will serve to thin the paints. I used to buy my tempera in dried, powder form and recostitute them with water to the desired consistancy.

Answer 4

here are some links that may help you.

http://www.eggtempera.com/botticelli/botticelli.html

http://eggtempera.free.fr/

http://www.squidoo.com/eggtempera/

Good luck