Egg Tempera Painting Technique, Varnishing

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Varnishing an Egg Tempera Painting

An Egg Tempera painting follow a polymerisation process taking around six month. Past this time, the painting has harden enough and is ready for varnishing.

For first step polish gently the painting with a soft cloth of silk or flannel.
For second step always use a large soft brush. Be caution, not to pass over and over again. If you prefer to spray, do preliminary tests to get the finest spray possible and spray in several cessions. Droplets may cause micro tentions and so may cause cracks in the future. It is be better to avoid conventionel varnishing. You have the choice beween two possibilities :
- The Best and less risky possibility should be a glazing of an home made water warnish of Egg White.
- The other possibility is a bee wax solution. One has to be aware that it will compromise any further retouch as it will not be possible to paint over it anymore.
During medieval times, varnishes were substituted :
- by snail slime in Flandres and north of France
- by fig milk (resin of the fig tree) in Provence (south of France) and Italy.

Water Varnish of Egg White
Ingredients	Volume
1 Egg white betted into snow	40 ml
Collect the over night juice of the preparation

Bee Wax or Carnauba Wax Solution
Ingredients	Volume
Lavender Oil (warm it to melt)	2
bleached Bee (or Carnauba)Wax cuttings	1

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