Studio: international art (84.1922)

THE PRACTICE OF TEMPERA PAINTING

" FLORA." TEMPERA PAINT-
ING BY JOSEPH SOUTHALL

called oil paint, pigments mixed with gum
arabic were called water colour. The word
tempera became more and more identified
with pigments mixed with yolk of egg,
and every other kind of painting became
either " a deed without a name " or took
shelter under some such doubtful appella-
tion as " distemper " or " gouache." a

Yolk of egg is an emulsion. Speaking
without any great inaccuracy one may
say that half of it is water, and that of the
other half two-thirds are oil of egg and
one-third albumen. The water, of course,
evaporates, and the substance that re-
mains to bind the pigment consists of
two parts oil to one part albumen. The

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albumen slowly coagulates and becomes
insoluble, the oil hardens, I suppose, by
the absorption of oxygen, like any other
drying oil. The significant fact is that
yolk of egg painting is more oil painting
than anything else, and it is this pre-
ponderance of oil that gives the paint its
toughness and eliminates the danger of
cracking, which is certainly not absent
from white of egg. a a a 0

[Here followed a brief demonstration of
painting in tempera.] 000

I do not hold any brief for tempera as
against oil. For my own part I will only
say that I have tried both and have found
the tempera pleasanter. What I am keen