The April/May 2013 issue of "International Artist" Magazine has an in-depth interview with my friend Koo Schadler. She is a master of the egg tempera medium. She and I both share the same teachers, Numael and Shirley Pulido of Hancock, New Hampshire.
Koo gives workshops in Egg Tempera and has written an excellent book that explains this medium and her techniques in great detail.
Whatever the medium - oil, pastel, egg tempera - the principles of Old Master Painting are the same.
I found this article to be well worth reading (click page to enlarge).
One of the sections left out of this article was small but, to Koo, relevant because it described
(in brief - there was a word limit)
how her working methods in tempera differ from the usual ways people work in tempera:
Question by Lauren Mills:
"How would you describe your working method in tempera?"
Koo Schadler:
"Two ways of working in egg tempera are generally taught: the Italian method as described by Cennini, and the Greek method used by icon painters. Each is a systematic, logical working method that produces excellent results. However there are other ways to work in tempera.
I begin with a carefully considered drawing to arrange the values, colors, shapes, lines, etc. into a visually strong image. Once I’ve decided upon the design I dive into the painting. I use a variety of techniques - thick paint, thin paint, brushwork, sponges, glazes, scumbles, splatters, stencils, rubber stamps, and more.
I don’t apply these techniques in a strictly premeditated way, but instead use whichever is needed to achieve the intended goal, as outlined in my design. It is a direct and improvisational way to paint. It suits my nature and goals."
