How to Make Egg Tempera in 4 Easy Steps

What is egg tempera?

Egg tempera paint is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium made using pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder such as egg yolk. It was the primary method for painting until the creation of oil paints after the 1500’s, but has continued to be used in the tradition of iconography. 

How to make egg tempera

You will need:

• An egg
• White wine, light beer, or white wine vinegar
• Water
• A clean jar or plastic container
• Pigment paints
• A ceramic paint palette or small dishes
• A paintbrush (sable or squirrel brushes tend to be the best)

You can order our Iconography Starter Kit containing a gesso board, pigments and brushes to help build your tools and equipment!

Step 1

Over a sink, carefully crack the egg into your hand, keeping the yolk intact. Pass the yolk from hand to hand, slowly letting the egg white fall away.

Top Tip: Slowly get rid of all egg white residue by rinsing the empty hand before passing the yolk to it.

Step 2

Hold the yolk gently in a fist and place your small container nearby. Pinch or pierce the top of the yolk sack membrane in your fist and pour the egg yolk into the container, disposing of the membrane after.

Step 3

Take a look at how much egg yolk is in your container, and add an equal amount of white wine, light beer, or white wine vinegar.

Step 4

Gently swirl the container to combine the yolk and liquid, it will have a slightly frothy film.

Your egg medium is ready to dilute and mix for painting!

How to dilute your egg tempera medium

Before using your medium to paint, we need to dilute it down using the ratio 1 part egg medium to 3 parts water. To do this, measure out your desired amount of egg medium into a new container, then add three times that amount in water to it and mix together.

You can now use your paintbrush to transfer some of this diluted mix into your paint dish, then dip the paintbrush into your pigment and mix it in the paint dish.

Mix up as much paint as you need, you can use the same container of diluted egg medium to mix up multiple paint dishes with different pigment colours too, and you’re ready to go!