Surfaces, supports, and dry pigment hazards

[markg]

At last! A question via private email about tempera paints!

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Question: You mention that certain boards/grounds were manufactured by Weber in the 30's-60's. Am I correct in hearing that the grounds used in the 50's were made for a while and are no longer? If so, what would be the recommendation one might give for currently produced boards, if any?

Do you have any sense of health concerns particular to the tempera artist (i.e., working with dry pigment?)?

Answer: Both ArtBoards and Ampersand make panels finished with high-quality hide-glue gesso (among other products and finishes), braced and not braced. I don't know where you are, but I recommend you find a retailer in your area that stocks one or the other so you can see and feel them for yourself. I believe if you go to the companies' websites, you can order samples. Don't look for a cheap product.

As for the health concerns of working with dry pigments, don't worry too much if you're using a very small amount at one time, say, maybe 1 oz. (0.028g). Avoid toxic pigments unless you are prepared to protect yourself. Buy your pigments in small amounts from a re-packager or manufacturer like Kremer, who uses reliable and definitive labeling that lists all hazards and gives instructions for safe use. When in doubt about a label, ask plenty of health-related questions -- Kremer is good on the phone, usually. Don't eat, drink, or smoke while you're handling the dry pigments, and if you have sensitive skin, wear impermeable rubber gloves (latex or nitrile). Finally, make a pigment-water paste with distilled water instead of tap water -- the paste will last longer. Once the pigment is in a paste, the health risks are considerably lessened.

I hope this helps.

[Natasha]

Hi there,
I have read that one may use paper as a ground for egg tempera provided it is an acid free, heavy weight paper. Because paper is flexible it is not a suitable support for chalk gesso, though if paper is to be the chosen support it is recommended that a heavy water color paper is used or better still, watercolor board which is rigid card with watercolor paper bonded to it.

The paper does not need to be sized or have a ground applied. A number of thin coats of tempera will have to be applied to reduce the absorbency of the paper before 'proper' work can commence.

What are you thought? Is this begging for trouble?

Thanks!

[markg]

Hi there,
I have read that one may use paper as a ground for egg tempera provided it is an acid free, heavy weight paper. Because paper is flexible it is not a suitable support for chalk gesso, though if paper is to be the chosen support it is recommended that a heavy water color paper is used or better still, watercolor board which is rigid card with watercolor paper bonded to it.

The paper does not need to be sized or have a ground applied. A number of thin coats of tempera will have to be applied to reduce the absorbency of the paper before 'proper' work can commence.

What are you[r] thought[s]? Is this begging for trouble?

Thanks!

Natasha,

We think a four-ply rag mat board is a better choice than a thinner paper, since egg temperas can crack if flexed. Of course, if you can certify that your "watercolor board which is rigid card with watercolor paper bonded to it" is made of artist's quality materials, that would be fine, too.

However, if you want to use a high-quality paper that's fairly thin, why not just mount it on a hardboard or smooth plywood panel?

As for the "number of thin coats of tempera," that part is true. You will not get the true egg tempera "look" until you build up some layers and reduce the absorbency of the paper.

[Ramesh Vyaghrapuri]

Sorry to revive this thread, but I thought the question was relevant so better to aggregate related issues in one thread..

1. I like painting directly on paper as well as on RSG/gelatin sized paper (just for the feel). What other sizes are compatible with egg tempera (I have CMC and GAC100 for example). Some days, it is cold & humid here and RSG takes a while to truly dry but CMC seems to dry faster. Not sure how well the egg will adhere to this. I currently just apply slightly diluted egg yolk to the paper but would prefer to reduce the amount of egg yolk on the paper (more of it is likely to develop cracks sooner but also the feel is quite different from RSG sized paper).

2. I like egg as an underpainting for oil and while I typically do this on traditional panels , I am wondering if I could do that on paper. I understand the oil will leach but is the layer of egg going to delay this (i.e. is it going to be a bit longer lasting than just painting directly with oil on paper)? Would a surface size such as CMC or GAC 100 help at all?

For these purposes, my egg-tempera style is non-traditional (very rarely do I thin the egg, keeping it at the consistency of cream; also dont layer but paint directly part by part). This does make it look waxy as opposed to translucent but it works well with the bolder & linear marks I make. And surprisingly, it allows lot more blending without streakiness than typical ET processes.

Thanks in advance.
Ramesh.

[AMIEN]

Sorry to revive this thread, but I thought the question was relevant so better to aggregate related issues in one thread.
We like revived threads!

1. I like painting directly on paper as well as on RSG/gelatin sized paper (just for the feel). What other sizes are compatible with egg tempera (I have CMC and GAC100 for example). Both CMC and GAC100 are compatible. Some days, it is cold & humid here and RSG takes a while to truly dry but CMC seems to dry faster. Not sure how well the egg will adhere to this. It will adhere well. I currently just apply slightly diluted egg yolk to the paper but would prefer to reduce the amount of egg yolk on the paper (more of it is likely to develop cracks sooner but also the feel is quite different from RSG sized paper). We would not use diluted egg yolk as a size.

2. I like egg as an underpainting for oil and while I typically do this on traditional panels, I am wondering if I could do that on paper. I understand the oil will leach but is the layer of egg going to delay this (i.e. is it going to be a bit longer lasting than just painting directly with oil on paper)? Would a surface size such as CMC or GAC 100 help at all?
No matter what size you use, we cannot recommend painting oil on paper. Oil paints grow rigid as they age, but the paper will not -- even with a stiffening size. Eventually, depending on the environmental circumstances the painting ends in, the oil paints will crack.

For these purposes, my egg-tempera style is non-traditional (very rarely do I thin the egg, keeping it at the consistency of cream; also dont layer but paint directly part by part). This does make it look waxy as opposed to translucent but it works well with the bolder & linear marks I make. And surprisingly, it allows lot more blending without streakiness than typical ET processes.

Thanks in advance.
Ramesh.

Ramesh Vyaghrapuri,

We hope this commentary helps. Please write again with more questions.