Masterclass: Egg Tempera Painting of the Florentine School

About this course

The workshop presents egg tempera through a step-by-step reconstruction of Florentine painting methods associated with Cennino Cennini. Participants develop a painting from a monochromatic verdaccio underpainting, which establishes its tonal structure, into successive thin layers of pure colour. Teaching also considers the ideas behind this approach and how it differs from mixing colours before application. The final stage introduces a simple gilding method for adding or highlighting small areas.

What you'll learn

• Prepare and use egg tempera according to traditional Florentine methods
• Establish tonal structure with a verdaccio underpainting
• Apply thin layers of pure colour over an underpainting
• Explain the distinction between layered colour application and pre-mixed colour
• Apply a simple gold-leaf gilding technique using garlic juice as a mordant

Is this course right for you?

Listed as suitable for all levels, the workshop is intended to accommodate learners with different levels of prior experience. It involves sustained individual painting work alongside step-by-step instruction in a traditional process.

Before you go

• Work is carried out on a traditionally prepared gesso panel.
• The process uses mineral and organic pigments, water and fresh egg yolk.
• The gilding exercise uses gold leaf and garlic juice as a mordant.