About the author

OMNIS HABET SUA DONA DIES

EACH DAY PROVIDES ITS OWN GIFTS – Marcus Valerius Martialis

Masakazu Miyanaga

Technique

I paint pictures on the board using the technique of egg tempera and gilding.

The process of painting is based on the techniques of painting (writing) icons.
At first, I prepare a board and underpainting.
I cover the board (reinforced plywood) with a sheet canvas soaked with rabbit glue to protect the picture from cracking.
Afterwards, I lay a dozen primer layers (rabbit glue with Bologna chalk) on the canvas.
After the primer has dried, I polish it with sandpaper to make the surface perfectly even and smooth.
The next stage is gilding and preparation for painting.
I transfer a pre-prepared sketch on the board, and I partially engrave, for example, patterns on armours and wings with a chisel.
I put priming emulsion on the surface, which I shall paint with egg tempera, and I cover the surface for gilding with bole.
On this layer, I put leaves of 23-carat gold using a special paintbrush and paper. This gilding technique makes it possible to obtain matt or high-gloss to give it a noble look.

The next step is painting with tempera. I prepare a binder of egg yolk and wine vinegar according to the traditional recipe. I mix the binder with pigment and paint with very fine paintbrushes
This technique makes it impossible to apply a thick layer of paint, so having the appropriate ratio between binder and pigment in mind, I put thin glazes several or even a dozen times.
This way, I get a truly authentic egg tempera effect, i.e. a semi-matt surface.

Things are being produced faster and faster. So, in a sense, my work is an act against the flow of time.

In today’s world, where digitization is advancing and the presence of all objects is temporary, I would like to take the time to take a closer look at what was once carefully done by artists, who had an excellent workshop.

And at what has survived through the ages.