Teaching Art, Science, and History Using One Project

Egg tempera is a medium which both teaches a traditional painting technique and offers a conduit into history and science. I think students enjoy preparing the materials more than the actual painting! During the preparation itself, I introduce some "kitchen science" facts and the importance of "lab etiquette": keeping the area clean and keeping track of measurement is essential for tempera painting and instills habits which can be used in any controlled setting.
I simplify the process by approximating a gessoed surface: the students use plaster poured into plastic plates to create the base. The egg yolk is collected to be used for the binder by rolling the egg yolk on a paper towel in order to dry it enough to control the handling of it, piercing the membrane with a pin, and squeezing the contents into a cup. (Plenty of accidents and laughter. Limiting the number of eggs available reduces error.) The proportions of egg, dry artist pigment and distilled water for the different painting layers and the painting technique itself are available in art instructional books. For teens, I simplify the process by giving them either the choice of two colors, or two distinct values of the same color. I limit the painting to two layers: the floating layer of a "puddle" of paint, and then when that layer dries, a line drawing using a soft liner brush over that layer. After that dries, use a natural egg solution as the final glaze coat. In some cases, depending upon the group and my intention of the exercise (if it is leaning towards a history lesson) , I have them do an "underpainting" on the plaster using a yellow ochre, brown, white, black ink drawing (hatching and cross hatching), then applying the transparent layers of egg tempera over the "underpainting". Globally, people have used egg as a binder throughout history. It is possible to connect the use of egg to almost any culture. The possibilities for using the exercise as an introduction to significant moments in European art history are enormous. The only painting issue I have with teens is that they are impatient "watching paint dry"and want to "scrub" the floating layer of egg tempera in hopes that it will dry faster. Once the puddle is on the surface, it has to dry naturally in order for the technique to be successful. Drying can't be rushed. "Don't touch it!!!" "Go read a book while you wait for the paint to dry". The ingredients of the egg vehicle are egg, water, and vinegar. Combining these ingredients provides a conduit into talking about why they are being mixed together and what happens when an acid and base are mixed. Usually a little rubbing alcohol is used when dissolving the dry artist pigment into a paste. It's very difficult to mix dry pigment in water to make a paste without adding alcohol to dissolve it. Why dry powder doesn't mix well and turns into a batter with dry lumps in it is another avenue for discussion. I've found that simplifying egg tempera painting for classroom use is a way to introduce an important fine art painting technique while discussing a little science and history in the process.