Egg Tempera Painting Techniques - Revised 

Thanks!

Thank you!

Best of luck with it!

Thanks for commenting. I hear you about the gessoing. If you do it in a series of thinned coats, there will be less sanding/rubbing at the end to get it smooth.

Thank you. I have also mixed tube watercolors with egg yolk for interesting glazing effects.

Vinegarr? No. Just distilled water, ground pigments, and fresh egg yolk. The freshly mixed paints don't keep. You should plan on only preparing enough paint for a single painting session. I have seen some egg tempera paintings in museums (one at the Whitney in NYC, a subway scene by George Tooker comes to mind) that showed mold bloom, but that was probably because the Tooker didn't use distilled water, or his tools were dirty. Properly painted and conserved, egg tempera paintings can last for hundreds of years mold-free. I always frame my paintings behind glass, since air pollution can affect the paint surface. If you meant some kind of varnish, no. Never varnish an egg tempera painting. A mask is optional, if you handle the pigments and marble dust/chalk with care. As for the hide glue binder for the gesso, I do not know of any other kind of glue for this purpose. Feel free to experiment! Thanks for the comment and the questions!

The wet-sanded surface is perfectly smooth and receptive of paint. Also Ceninni-recommended!