Egg Tempera

After looking at certain artists that use egg tempera I have become really interested in this medium.  Traditionally used by mixing pigment with egg yolk and used mostly on wood panels as not flexible enough to use on canvas.  My initial trials (avoiding expensive outlay on pigment) involved using tubed water colours and egg, although the recipe I’d seen online also recommended clove oil, which I did use and my sketch book has stunk ever since.  I think that is used to stop the egg going off although I have the feeling it slows the drying process too.  Egg tempera normally dries quickly.  I think that a drop of vinegar can be used instead to stop it going off. The pigments do seem fairly expensive and in theory anything that can be ground down to a fine powder could be used.  Turmeric has to be a good one as when it falls out of my chaotic cupboard it seems to stain everything!.  I’m sure though that a lot of things are not particularly fade resistant.  (Maybe I should investigate the things in school dinners that my daughter has permanently ingrained on school tops). I have been made aware of egg tempera in tubes though quite expensive but I must admit I do like the idea of mixing my own, although some pigments are quite toxic apparently. But then, putting that into perspective, is that any more toxic than the occasional lung full of Mr Sheen, Fabreze or other household substances not to mention the dog’s constant methane emissions. I wonder if organic eggs are best.  I’m not sure what they do to un-organic eggs but I know I can’t stomach them so they must have found a way to adulterate them. Well thinking in terms of powders etc my latest trial was to use graphite powder as the pigment just to see how it feels.  Using a photo as reference I had a go.  The egg binder acts like a varnish and seals the graphite so it doesn’t come of on your finger if you rub over it. (I wonder if it could be also used as a spray fixative -  that would eliminate another household toxin,….in my house anyway).  As I understand it egg tempera is quite a transparent medium that is built up in glazes or layers.  That was the case with this graphite mix.