Introduction to Encaustic and Tempera Paints
Encaustic painting is an ancient technique that uses hot wax. It shares many characteristics with oil painting, as it is based on a wax or oil-based binder. This method involves utilizing heated encaustic media or wax with added colored pigments. In ancient Greek and Roman times, encaustic painting was a popular technique. The word "encaustic" derives from the Greek word "enkaustikos," meaning "to heat or burn." The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder explained the wax encaustic painting technique in his first-century book Natural History. The Egyptian Romano-Egyptian Fayum mummy portraits, painted between 100 - 300 AD, are the oldest known encaustic panel paintings. Famous artists like Jasper Johns, Pausias, and Benjamin Calau have utilized this medium for their artworks.
On the other hand, tempera painting is another ancient painting medium. It is water-soluble and long-lasting, made up of colored pigments and a water-soluble binder, usually a viscous fluid like egg yolk. Tempera, also known as egg tempera, dates back to the 1st century BC when it was used to decorate Egyptian sarcophagi. It was used to create high-quality art in Bagh Caves, Madhya Pradesh, India, from the late fourth to the tenth centuries. Artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Duccio, and Carlo Crivelli have extensively used tempera in their works.
Composition of Encaustic and Tempera Paints
Encaustic media is made by blending colors with waxes like beeswax and damar resin, along with other ingredients. Dried powdered pigments can be used for pigmentation, while some artists prefer colored wax, inks, oil paints, or other forms of pigmentation.
Conversely, tempera paintings are known for their durability. Egg yolk is the primary binder for tempera, but synthetic binders with similar viscosity to egg yolk are also used nowadays. Traditionally, egg yolk was added to color pigments (powder) to make the paint. Sometimes, milk and various plant gums are used to make the paint stickier. Unlike encaustic paint, tempera paint is water-soluble.
Specific Properties of Encaustic and Tempera Paints
Encaustic paint has the consistency of translucent clay. When hot, it can be applied like liquid paint, but when it cools, it solidifies, allowing artists to cut, carve, stamp, or sculpt it, giving the painting a 3D effect. Since encaustic paint is based on oil or wax, it is entirely waterproof. Despite being formed by melting on heat, it can withstand sunlight and does not fade easily, though it is recommended to keep the painting at normal temperatures.
In contrast, using viscous fluids like egg yolk gives tempera art a creamy consistency, allowing artists to create smooth strokes on canvas and achieve a uniform painting. Tempera paint dries rapidly and can be applied in thin, semi-opaque, or transparent layers. While egg tempera is water-resistant, it is not waterproof and cannot withstand high temperatures.
Key Features of Encaustic and Tempera Paints
Encaustic wax shares many qualities with oil paints, providing a glossy and appealing effect with a range of possibilities for expressive artworks. When hot, it can be applied like liquid paint, but it solidifies when it cools, allowing for cutting, carving, stamping, or sculpting, resulting in a 3D effect. Encaustic wax dries much faster than oil paint, preventing color bleeding.
Tempera paint is used to create paintings with rich line texture, sharp edges, and decorative flat patterns due to its quick-drying ability. The finishing typically has semi-opaque, matte colors. Despite being made of organic materials, tempera paint is less pigmented and more transparent than oil paint. The best aspect of tempera paint is that its color does not change over time, unlike oil paints that darken, turn yellow, and become transparent with age.
Suitable Surfaces for Encaustic and Tempera Paintings
Encaustic painting can be done on prepared wood, plaster, or canvas, similar to oil painting. Encaustic wax should be painted on a solid but porous surface that allows it to penetrate and form a solid foundation for the painting.
Tempera adheres best to absorbent surfaces with lower oil content than the tempera binder. Traditionally, wooden panels were the primary surface for tempera painting, but uncured Masonite or medium density fiberboard can also be used today. Some artists also utilize thick, heavy paper for tempera paint.
Other Specialties of Encaustic and Tempera Paints
In the encaustic technique, hot wax is applied in layers to laminated wood panels to produce opaque or translucent results. Each layer can be modified by scraping, texturing, or polishing. Encaustic is waterproof and water-resistant and does not need an external glass cover to ensure longevity. However, encaustic paintings require a heat lamp or heat gun to fuse and bind the medium. Encaustic paintings should be kept at normal temperatures, avoiding direct sunlight, and should be routinely buffed with soft, lint-free cloths like pantyhose within 6-12 months.
Tempera painting produces a smooth matte finish with high color saturation. It allows for precise artworks using the cross-hatching technique with various brush sizes. Egg tempera is water-resistant but not waterproof, so tempera paintings cannot be stored directly. The painting is also not flexible, so rigid boards are used, and the paint should be applied in thin layers. An additional layer of transparent fluids like cellulose lacquer is often coated on tempera paintings to enhance durability over time.
Toxicity and Vegan-Friendly Considerations
Most encaustic paintings are safe to use as they consist of color pigments and wax as binders. The acrylic wax used in encaustic paint makes it suitable for vegans. However, animal-extracted waxes, like beeswax, are not vegan-friendly, so the type of wax used to bind the pigment is essential.
Tempera paintings, on the other hand, are water-based and non-toxic, making them safe for children. Unlike encaustic paintings, egg tempera contains egg yolk and is not vegan-friendly. However, some modern tempera paint manufacturers use alternative binders like starch or cellulose, making them vegan-friendly.
Conclusion
In summary, both encaustic and tempera paints offer unique artistic possibilities and benefits. Encaustic paintings are known for their 3D effects, glossy finishes, and waterproof properties, while tempera paintings offer smooth matte finishes, quick drying times, and vibrant colors that do not change over time. Each medium has specific properties, surfaces, and techniques that artists must consider to achieve their desired results. The choice between encaustic and tempera paints depends on the artist's preferences and the effects they wish to achieve.
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Happy creating! 🎨
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