Tempera colors: their definition, methods and how to treat them.

a definition  :

             Tempera colors are one of the oldest colors used in human life, making its material composition based on simple elements such as natural materials, colored dyes and eggs as adhesive. Tempera colors also have many uses on various surfaces such as walls. , wood and many others.

         Due to its different surfaces, it was described as a tool for photography, especially since the majority of tempera drawings were considered classical, i.e. diagnostic drawing. The most notable people who used it were the ancient Egyptians, as it was often mixed with gold to decorate tombs or to write on papyrus sheets, making it a stronger and more durable material than d others at the time.

Characteristics of tempera colors:

         Tempera appeared as early as the first century AD and its appearance has always been associated with Pharaonic cups and antiquities. The use of tempera colors continued as one of the main coloring materials until the early 15th century, when they were then replaced by oil colors. With this, tempera colors developed and international companies began to manufacture them, such as toy color, and it is considered one of the color shades in harmony with the characteristics of bright colors.

        We use the word tempera photography because of its unique way of treating it. It requires sharpness and hardness. Due to its strong components, it makes brush strokes invisible, making them appear as a realistic image. This is an elegant and beautiful thing, but at the same time it makes correction almost impossible, because errors appear only after drying and are difficult to soften. The color is different, making it error intolerant.

       Additionally, what sets it apart and what makes us wonder why it was so often used in Egyptian tomb wall paintings is its durability, unless exposed to strong erosion factors such as air, water and sunlight. no loss in its material, that is to say that it remains stable in its color as before, especially if gold was added and all its resistance factors combined in the pharaonic tombs, which gave it allowed us to live until today.

        To get the experience of using it today, you can mix dry or powdered coloring with water until it becomes a paste, focusing on stirring and adding more. water carefully until it becomes soft. After that we separate the egg whites from the yolks. yellows are added to colors. Try experimenting with quantity. We mix them until they are small. We reduce their viscosity with water until they are ready for use. We must ensure that they dry quickly, since they do not accept correction with water, and it is necessary to make the layer used in the application thin, not thick, so that it is not exposed to cracks .

Learn more:

- What are the best oil colors? Oil colors for professionals and beginners, characteristics 

- Soft pastel colors in drawing, their types and characteristics, the best brands of soft pastels 

- What are composite colors, how to extract them, their properties and uses Composite colors