RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CSO-EGG TEMPERA MEDIUM I studied the past to develop an effective FAST DRYING modern medium using ancient archival materials. My research sought out information on cave paintings far older than those of the Renaissance. Some cave paintings have been tested to be 40,000 years old. The oldest binders of paint are MILK, EGG, GLUE, and natural tree exudates such as GUMS and RESINS, as well as GLUES from boiling animal skins. Any sticky substance, that can be mixed with powders creates a PAINT and can be applied to a wall or almost any surface. Because oil paints dry relatively slowly, Renaissance artists of the 14th through the 16th centuries sought a faster drying medium. Egg tempera is the fastest drying ancient medium but Realism is difficult to obtain with egg tempera. Some artists of the period combined egg and oil into am Emulsion, or, underpainted in egg and overpainted in oils. Modern artists of today have the same needs and concerns. The real issue of any paint is its PERMANENCE. Unfortunately, I was informed by an expert [see below] that modern science has done little to analyze the binders used in the Cave paintings. The few published results are debatable or inconclusive. Some contemporary artists have made many tests with a variety of binders. I do not have faith in test results or theories from recent testing of a few years time. No one knows the changing conditions of these caves over a 40,000 year time period. Yet, modern theories are interesting. One artist believes human urine was one possible binder. Another artist believes cave water rich in calcium carbonate was also used. Historians tell us the cave painting were not done by one artist but evolved over thousands of years with frequent over paints on existing paintings. This leads us to believe the binders were of many kinds. 40,000 years is quite a long time to try to reconstruct any paint layer. We do know LIMESTONE CAVES are calcium carbonate. The CSO oil painting method uses calcium carbonate powder as an important component that guarantees permanence. My previous creation and formulation of CALCITE SUN OIL, provided me with new ideas as I experimented in developing a FAST DRYING UNDERPAINTING MEDIUM FOR OIL PAINTING. This led to a new gesso procedure and formula. READ BELOW FOR RESEARCH INFORMATION ON PREHISTORIC CAVE ART ************************************************************************************************************ ‘CSO-EGG GESSO’ - A NEW GESSO DO NOT USE ACRYLIC GESSO WITH THE CSO-EGG TEMPERA MEDIUM Like most oil painters I have used acrylic gesso because it is convenient. It is not GENUINE traditional gesso like that of the Old Masters that has proven archival for more than 600 years. We do not know the permanence of ACRYLIC gesso. But it is inexpensive and convenient and it can be applied to walls, canvas and wood panels. Acrylic gesso is made of modern synthetic white glue mixed with one or more of a variety of dry powders such as marble dust. It dries by evaporation and when dry can be brilliantly white. I did not make traditional Gesso panels like the Old Masters until late in life. Many recipes can be found and they vary little. Basically it is a hot animal skin glue mixed with Calcium Carbonate Chalk, or Gypsum. The 15 century master Cennini gave detailed instructions on how to gesso a wood panel. Later artists made changes to his recipe. Cennini’s procedure was labor and time consuming. One reason was because he did not have modern flat plywood like we do, nor did he have electric planers to smooth out the wood surface. Even with modern materials, my gesso panels have not turned out perfectly. I cut corners to speed up the finish. My research found the scientific analysis of one Rembrandt painting on wood. He first applied a glue to seal the wood again the oil paint. He then applied ONE thin gesso layer to cover the brown wood and to create a brilliant white surface. He then applied a single thin coat of oil paint made of some black some lead white and umber [ umber accelerates the drying]. This pale translucent warm gray oil layer was applied thinly. It served as a sealant to the very thin white very absorbent gesso. On this simple preparation, Rembrandt painted that painting. One thing you frequently see in Old Master paintings, IF they used a thin gesso, is the grain of the wood. I believed that if Rembrandt could deviate from Cennini’s laborious multi layered gesso panels, I could too. As much as I dislike applying the gesso, I dislike the dry powder dust from sanding even more. So I do not sand. Therefore I settle for a mildly textured gesso as the primer coat for my oil paintings. Development of the CSO-EGG TEMPERA medium led me to develop the CSO-EGG GESSO, based on egg and not glue. Years ago, an experienced masonry worker taught me how to apply stucco on my home so it would be permanent. The first requirement is to create a waterproof barrier so moisture will not enter the home. Second, a wire mesh is attached , so the wet stucco has a place to grab onto. The first coat of the stucco is made very very thick and it is applied roughly with a trowel. On drying, it cracks, splits and breaks. The next coat of plaster is almost as thick and is called the ‘ scratch’ coat. It too is applied with a trowel but it is made more smooth and level. While this coat is wet, it is scratched with a tool that looks like a comb to create ridges that will hold the next coat. After the ‘scratch’ coat dries a thinner stucco is applied smoothly. When it dries, a liquid thin layer of fine stucco is brushed on with a wide bristle brush. ************************************************************ RESEARCH LEADING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE “CSO-EGG TEMPERA” MEDIUM THE CAVE PAINTINGS OF ALTAMIRA AND LASCAUX AND THEIR IMPACT ON MODERN OIL PAINTING In Spain one finds the cave paintings of Altamira http://www.thenagain. info/Webchron/World/Altamira.html and nor far away, those of Lascaux in France http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/#/en/00.xml. Scientists estimate them to be between 15,000 and 40,000 years old and older. The 600 year old Van Eyck paintings pale in comparison in regards to age. The paint is made of colored natural earth pigments but the binders used are unknown or the results of tests are debatable or inconclusive. My research shows very little has been done by modern scientists to determine the binders used and the reasons given are many. We do know the most common ancient paint binders are egg, milk, glues, oils, gums and resins and any sticky substance, or mixtures of these simple ingredients. However, no synthetic acrylics, liquin, nor modern alkali refined linseed oil, nor mixtures of synthetic mediums were ever used in the cave paintings. ... READ MORE It is these basics that I write about here. The cave painters of old, did not employ the refined Renaissance technique taught in Ms. Schadler’s book. Anyone who has left egg yolk on a plate after breakfast, and has returned hours later to wash it off the non absorbent glass plate, must scrub hard. Adding hot water only increases the resistance of its removal. The extremely strong adhesion of the yolk is extraordinary. Not only that, but it dries hard within minutes, though time is required for final curing. The yolk and the egg clear are both very complex. In the Calcite Sun Oil method of oil painting, I found the NON VISCOUS limpid thin egg white, once converted to GLAIR, to be ideal for mixing with VISCOUS thick sun thickened flax oil into an extraordinary “wonder” emulsion. Yes, I did test the yolk and found it to be not advantageous for mixing with sun oil as sun oil is sufficiently viscous. The egg yolk contains a great amount of egg oil, and the egg clear hardly none. ....READ MORE ************************************************************************************************************ RESEARCH OF CAVE ART : PART TWO {LETTER FROM DR. PAUL BAHN } Dear Mr Velasquez, the best way to answer your question is to send you the relevant text from my 1997 book "Journey Through the Ice Age" (Weidenfeld & Nicolson: London / Univ. of California Press: Berkeley), together with the relevant references -- as far as I am aware, nothing new has been published on this subject since then. Best wishes, Paul Bahn. [ From Dr. Bahn’s Book:] A different problem is the binding medium used. In the past it was often assumed that some form of fatty animal product was used for the purpose; however, a series of 205 experiments in two caves was carried out by Claude Couraud, involving a variety of pigments and binding substances (including fish glue, Arabic gum, gelatin, egg white, bovine blood, and urine), and a range of wall- types and degrees of humidity. Observation of the results and deteriorations over three years led him to the conclusion that fatty and organic substances were totally unsuitable binding agents, and fail to adhere well to humid walls. In fact, the only substance which seemed to be good at fixing and preserving the pigments on the rockface was water -- especially cave-water, which is rich in calcium carbonate, and which was probably used at Lascaux [49]. It was also found that pigments adhered better if they had been finely ground. In 1978, Cabrera Garrido's analyses at Altamira led him to suggest the possible use here of powdered fossil amber as a binder. [50] However, in some Ariège caves, recent analyses of paints, using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, have detected traces of what are thought to be oils of animal or plant origin, presumably used as a binder [51]. On portable art from Enlène and in parietal figures at Trois Frères it seems to be a plant oil, whereas parietal figures at Fontanet seem to contain an animal oil. Other sites such as the Réseau Clastres have no trace of any binder, as at Lascaux. [49] Couraud 1982, p. 4; and in Leroi-Gourhan & Allain 1979, pp. 162- 4. Couraud's experiments thus confirmed the opinions of Rottländer (1965), and have recently found support in experiments by Vaquero (1995: 72-75).[50] Cabrera Garrido 1978.[51] Pepe et al 1991. RESEARCH OF CAVE ART : PART THREE I responded to Dr. Bahn’s letter with comments and questions. Here is that communication with his responses. Again, the purpose is for educational advancement. ... ... READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN THE NEW BOOK |
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'CSO-EGG TEMPERA" EGG TEMPERA PAINTING Before the Van Eycks' perfected the oil paint medium, they and all the painters painted with EGG TEMPERA. They drew a careful ink drawing on a brilliant white gesso board and then applied thin layers of transparent egg tempera paint. The egg tempera paint dries instantly. Blending is not allowed. All blending is done with thin hatching strokes in a variety of value changes. This method is also painstaking, and paintings are normally small [ exceptions to everything exist]. Since the Medieval and Renaissance periods -- among many, this has been and continues to be today -- the ONLY WAY to paint with egg tempera. OIL PAINTING In the 14th- 15th Century, Jan Van Eyck and the Flemish masters perfected a method of oil painting where they layered thin transparent glazes of color on a careful constructed ink outline drawing made on a PURE WHITE GESSO board. This brilliant white gesso gave the thin color glazes an inner light that gave the appearance of jewels. This method was slow and painstaking. The Flemish oil method arrived in Italy where Titian and other masters MODIFIED the method to allow larger sized paintings and faster finishing. To do this they painted with an OPAQUE GRISAILLE, using brilliant white paint to create the under painting. They then applied thin color glazes on top of th thick brilliant white under painting areas. By doing this, they achieved the same vibrant transparent jewel-like colors as Jan Van Eyck and the Flemish masters. MY 21ST CENTURY EGG TEMPERA DEVELOPMENT I added chalk --not to the yolk- but to the egg white and I created an opaque egg tempera that allows the same freedom with EGG TEMPERA that TITIAN developed with OIL PAINT. I know painters everywhere will find this to be a boon and a wonderful advancement for Egg Tempera painters and by oil painters who will use it as the fastest drying medium available for under painting for oil paints. POSITIVE FACTS ABOUT THIS NEW MEDIUM * It is a Safe and Permanent fast drying aqueous medium * It replaces modern synthetic paints containing hazardous chemicals * It is compatible with the traditional Egg Tempera medium * Egg is a proven archival ancient binding medium * It is inexpensive, using chalk, eggs, vinegar and dry pigments * A vast variety of application methods are possible including impasto * Scratching and raised textural effects are possible * A variety of application tools can be used; brushes, palette knives, fingers * Application can be broad, fluid, free and spontaneous or controlled * Over paints, corrections or changes have no time limits or precautions * The medium can be used alone or as a fast drying under painting for oil paints * It mixes easily with colored dry pigments to instantly create paint * The Medium is also a Gesso that requires no heating for application * The mixture of Glair and Chalk dries to a hard cement-like material * The adhesiveness of the medium and gesso is exceptionally strong * The gesso can be made ivory smooth or scratched with cloth weave patterns |
I RECOMMEND BUYING THE DVDS They demonstrate HOW TO DO THE VARIOUS PROCEDURES NOTE POSTED 2/8/2013 In about a month my DVDS will be available on instant digital download-at reduced prices. |
TO MY READERS, This new EGG TEMPERA method is liberating and empowering. I believe it will make oil painting more enjoyable and will expand new creative ideas by merging what the VAN EYCKS knew so long ago please note: all images and text are copyright protected, and may not be used without my written permission. If you are sharing this information, please give credit to my website -- Thank you |
| GOUACHE, CSO-EGG TEMPERA and TRADITIONAL EGG TEMPERA Similarities and Differences By Louis R. Velasquez GOUACHE is an interesting paint medium. In simple terms, it is described as an OPAQUE WATERCOLOR paint. Its full bodied, chalky opacity and fast drying makes one think of the new CSO-EGG TEMPERA medium. The differences are more important than the similarities. There is a very fine essay on the web, dated 2005, wherein Mr. Bruce MacEvoy gives us important information on the GOUACHE paint. See his essay at: http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/pigmt7.html Copyright laws prohibit my complete use of his article, but I can use the important points to show the differences and similarities between Gouache and CSO-EGG TEMPERA. Mr. MacEvoy begins with a historical overview of the medium, and states the term ‘Gouache’ is derived from the Italian word for ‘MUD’ , being ‘ aguazzo’. He names famous artists who have used it as seen in Abrecht Durer’s famous painting of the Hare. He describes Gouache as being like mud, wet and opaque , and refers to it as ‘watercolor’ painting, but makes some distinctions between the two. MacEvoy says one form of Gouache can be made by mixing ‘white pigment’ with watercolors bound with Gum Arabic’. Another ancient paint medium, he says, is called ‘Distemper’ which is colored pigments bound with glue, without any white pigment to create opacity. In summation, he makes the point Gouache is opaque whereas Watercolors are transparent. He lists six properties that differentiate Gouache from Watercolors. SIX PROPERTIES OF GOUACHE 1. Gouache is thick, and due to its opacity, it can be painted on colored papers, whereas Watercolors require white paper to show the transparency. 2. Gouache , like oil paints, requires addition of white pigment to lighten a color, whereas Watercolors only need to be painted thinly on white paper to create light colors. 3. Gouache is not applied thinly like Watercolors. It is applied thickly but not thickly like oil paints because it will crack. 4. Gouache is not absorbed by the paper, but remains on the surface. Like Watercolor paints, Gouache cannot be painted thickly as the impasto with oils and because of that, it has limited surface textural effects. 5. Gouache can create even flat color areas which are difficult to obtain with Watercolors. 6. Gouache can cover the layers below it, whereas Watercolors do not fully cover lower layers due to their transparency. With Watercolors, a painter paints Dark colors on Light colors. With Gouache, the painter can paint either dark or light colors as desired, and can easily alternate the procedure to make corrections or improvements. POPULARITY OF GOUACHE MacEvoy states these properties make Gouache popular with Architectural and Commercial artists and Gouache is called ‘ Designer’ paints by some. He warns that because much commercial work is not made to last, that Gouache colors can be fugitive and not lightfast as Fine Art requires. MacEvoy then points out the similarities of Gouache with Oil Paints, saying a free and vigorous application method with strong value contrasts are possible with Gouache. Again, he warns the Gouache paint must not be applied as thickly as oils, as it will crack and discolor. That statement indicates the Gouache paint film lacks pliability and has some other questionable archival color issues. Regarding the brushes used with Gouache, MacEvoy recommends a brush with stiffer hairs as are used with oils. For the support, he recommends smooth hot pressed tinted papers or other smooth art boards. Regarding the pigment BINDER, he says the same Watercolor binder is used, being Gum Arabic. The other required ingredients needed are: dry pigments, distilled water, inert pigments such as blanc fixe or precipitated chalk, a liquid binder of Gum Arabic , a wetting agent such as Ox Gall, a plasticizer such as glycerin and/or dextrin to make the paint creamier, and a preservative. Varnishing a Gouache painting requires additional steps. The chalky matte finish can be altered by application of diluted Gum Arabic to act as a varnish. MacEvoy points out the incompatibility of Gouache paints with Acrylic paints, and describes how acrylics can alter the final appearance negatively with too much gloss. Problems of the medium are pointed out if the paint is applied too thickly. If adding too many layers the under layers draw the moisture from the top layers and cause them to dry out and crack or flake off. The article finishes with storage problems of commercially prepared Gouache tube paints. Separation of pigments with the binder and a short shelf life of a few years, are accepted as normal. THE NEW BOOK CONTAINS THE ENTIRE ESSAY COMPARING THREE PAINT MEDIUMS: GOUACHE - CSO-EGG TEMPERA - TRADITIONAL EGG TEMPERA 1. *CSO-EGG TEMPERA uses an archival durable binder of Glair. When Glair is mixed with Calcium Carbonate chalk [ also called whiting or precipitated chalk by some] it creates a tough cement-like ingredient. When dry it is very difficult to scratch or remove even from enameled steel plates or ceramic plates used as palettes. *GOUACHE uses Gum Arabic as the binder. Even if Chalk calcium carbonate is mixed with Gum Arabic, the mixture remains relatively soft and easily scratched and removed from a painted surface. * TRADITIONAL EGG TEMPERA uses the yolk of the egg mixed with water, and sometimes the whole egg but never uses the white of the egg. Though the egg white is proven to be archival since ancient times, artists have traditionally been warned of its brittleness. Modern science shows the egg white contains almost no egg oil while the yolk is rich with egg oil. 2. *CSO-EGG TEMPERA can be applied in thick impasto , ....more 3. *CSO-EGG TEMPERA paint can also be used as a cold prepared GESSO. ..more 4. *A finished CSO-EGG TEMPERA painting can be Impregnated with ...more 5. *CSO-EGG TEMPERA dries instantly throughout its body, ...more 6. *CSO EGG TEMPERA is applied like oil paints, with full freedom...more 7. *CSO-EGG TEMPERA can be applied thinly in transparent...more 8. *CSO-EGG TEMPERA was created to be used as a fast drying ...more 9. *CSO-EGG TEMPERA paintings without Oil ...more Read the entire article in the new book. Thank you |
A LETTER FROM A CALIFORNIA ARTIST
Louis, I thought both DVD’S were wonderful. The audio throughout was super clear
and the whole video had a great consistent volume. All the text portions were large
and easy to read. Watching you painting in the videos was the highlight and your
expertise is apparent. Watching you paint makes so many things clear. Such as how
much paint you put on your brush, the pausing and pacing of your painting and
particular strokes the manner and order in which you apply colors. Also the more
carefree approach and confidence of performing the various tasks of your methods
is communicated. The demonstrations of the new tempera and gesso methods
where you demonstrate so many methods was helpful. Also, your process of making
and using the rabbit skin hide glue was informative. I saw how easy it was to make
the hide glue, the gesso and how beautiful painting with tempera could be. It was
also great to observe that segment of glazing the painting of your daughter. It
helped to see your grinding table and how it doesn’t have to be an expensive slab
and also seeing how much pressure you apply on things like grinding the paints was
helpful. I think the DVD’S were full of important information. Thank you very much.
Anthony C. ...WEBSITE : www.Airlit.daportfolio.com
| THE DVD " THE NEW MILK OIL PAINT and the VAN EYCK SECRET MEDIUM" Available on AMAZON.COM Ancient artists learned of milk’s natural adhesive property. Paint made from milk is called CASEIN TEMPERA PAINT. The DVD, offers artists NEW DEVELOPMENTS of the ancient CASEIN medium. Artists throughout art history have used CASEIN MILK PAINT because it is inexpensive, fully archival, and easy to apply. Like all aqueous media, it is difficult to achieve the ‘REALISM” offered by easier blending oil paint, yet, it remains an outstanding paint. Andrew Wyeth and many others of our era have solely used a TEMPERA aqueous medium in creating realist style paintings. For the modern artist of today, who may be more concerned with AESTHETIC FORM rather than visual reality, the NEW CSO-CASEIN TEMPERA PAINT will expand the visual expression of today's artists. THE DVD WILL GIVE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS WITH DEMONSTRATION IN LIVE FILM Contents of the DVD: STEP ONE: MILK CHOICES STEP TWO: CHOICES ON HOW TO CURDLE THE MILK THE TRADITIONAL METHOD NEW METHODS TO CURD THE NON FAT MILK THE ‘CSO- CHAMPAGNE INSTANT CURD METHOD’ THE ‘CSO-TONIC WATER METHOD’ STEP THREE: MAKING “CSO-CASEIN” PASTE STEP FOUR: MAKING “CSO-CASEIN” MEDIUM STEP FIVE : MAKING ‘ CSO-CASEIN’ PAINT STEP SIX: PREPARING THE SUPPORT WITH ‘CSO-CASEIN GESSO’ Y STEP SEVEN: DRAW FIRST- THEN SEAL THE GESSO WITH MILK STEP EIGHT : PAINT THE PICTURE WITH THE CSO-CASEIN PAINT STEP NINE : OPTIONAL ‘CSO-CASEIN’ PAINT AS AN UNDERPAINTING FOR OIL PAINTS |
AVAILABLE JANUARY 2013 AT AMAZON AND ALL ONLINE BOOK SELLERS SEE THE NEW BOOK SEE the HOME page for more details and for information on how to receive a FREE DVD |