Materials

KIA Egg Tempera Class Supply List

Materials List for Traditional Egg Tempera Painting. This list of materials is based on a workshop by the noted egg tempera artist, Fred Wessel. At the KIA we will be teaching Egg Tempera for the first time although I have been teaching privately multiple water based painting techniques including egg tempera for the last 30 years. The following brushes have proven to be most useful for serious egg tempera painters. The Raphael and Isabey series brushes are quite expensive. So it does represent a considerable initial outlay of funds.

  • Raphael 8404 Kolinsky sable brushes #2 & #4
  • Isabey, Series 6227, Round, Size 02 (a cheaper alternative for this Isabey brush is a Kalish Kolinsky series 8 liner, #3/0 but they are sold only through their website listed below) **You must have these specific brands, series, and numbers.**
  • One cheaper Winsor Newton Galleria brush, size 5 or Silver, Ruby Satin Series 2500S, Short Handle, Round, Size 4 or Silver Brush Black Velvet Series 3000s, #2 and #4 (These are for doing the preliminary ink drawings on the panels.)
  • One Glaze brush - Size 1/2 inch - any soft, 1/2 inch flat wash brush for watercolor. Can be synthetic if soft and pliable.
  • The Kalamazoo Institute will have true gesso panels for sale. We would recommend either a 5 inch x 7 inch or 6 inch x 9inch for those just starting out. These panels are chalk ground with hide glue and are very special for traditional egg tempera technique. These are NOT acrylic gessoed panels.
  • If you have experience in the medium you may want to get a panel ahead of time and start (or complete) your ink drawing on it.
  • One rounded tip palette knife.
  • One white ceramic dinner plate for secondary palette.
  • A lidded container to keep yolk mixture in (Can be a 35mm film container)
  • Medium size plastic cups
  • Container for water
  • Waterproof India Ink
  • A basic palette of dry pigments or pigment dispersions, such as Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Green Earth, Venetian Red, Ultramarine Blue, Yellow Ochre, Ivory Black, Titanium White, Raw Umber.
  • Suggested text: The Practice of Tempera Painting by Daniel V. Thompson
  • A round ice cube tray can be purchased at Menard which works well as Primary mixing Palette to work from.
  • Fresh eggs
  • A Roll of Bounty Paper Towels
  • Some brush soap for fine brushes which has olive oil as component.