Sgraffito: The Art of Etched Egg Tempera

There are many different treatments that can be added to gilding. Sgraffito is one of my many favorites. It’s a technique that like much of gilding has a very long history. It is also used on pottery to reveal an underlying painted surface but with traditional gilding it’s the application of Egg Tempera paint over the burnished water gilded gold leaf where a design is then etched through the paint to reveal the bright gold ground.

Sgraffito a beautiful technique that requires skill in the drawing and etching as well as in the traditional water gilding technique. I have found, however, that it’s also quite possible to perform Sgraffito over a mordant gilded surface using either oil size or a contemporary water based acrylic emulsion using any of the leafs available, from genuine 24k gold, White Gold, and Palladium leafs to Genuine Silver, Brass, and Aluminum leafs.

How To Make Egg Tempera

To prepare the egg temper paint first the pigment of choice is spooned onto a mixing plate. Slowly add distilled water through an eye dropper a few drops at a time. Using a small Conservator’s Spatula blend the pigment and water until the pigment is saturated but not runny. You want a paste-like mixture where you can draw up peaks when pulling up with the flat end of the spatula. When this is done you’re ready to prepare the egg tempera.

The egg tempera paint is prepared in the same manner used as the egg tempera artist: the pigment is made wet with the water and then the yolk is carefully separated from the white of the egg so the yolk doesn’t break. The egg should be fresh and preferably Organic from well-fed Hens, otherwise the yolk will easily break in your hands if it’s old.

The yolk is rolled from one hand to the other, wiping your hands on a paper towel as you go along until the outside of the yolk feels dried from the surrounding white.

The yolk is then held between your fingers in a ball and pinched or poked with a clean needle and the inside of the yolk is poured out into a small bowl. This separates the sack around the yolk which can then be pulled away allowing a smooth liquid yolk to be used as your tempera. The larger half of the egg shell is then used to measure and add one shell of distilled water into the yolk, gently stirred for thinning.

Now that the pigment, water, and egg tempera are prepared, combine equal parts of the wet pigment and egg tempera and blend them well while using the eye dropper to add a little extra water as needed for a thin consistency.

Applying Egg Tempera To Gold Leaf

The egg tempera paint is now applied to the water gilded surface, directly over the unprotected gold leaf. A little yolk or water may be added a drop or two at a time as needed while painting. A very important element to this technique is to keep the coats of egg tempera paint very thin. This is crucial, otherwise the paint can crack and peel over time but when applied thin can hold up wonderfully well. The paint will dry to the touch fairly quickly but allow it to set a bit until it appears flat and so the previous coat is not disturbed by the next coat. I find five thin coats sufficient for an opaque covering over gold leaf.

Being mindful not to accidentally scratch the surface in unwanted areas the etching can be done after an hour or so although I generally wait till the next day. During the Online Sgraffito classes the etching is done the following week and in my studio tests I find two weeks still allows an appropriate window to etch through the paint.

Granito: Punchwork and Incising

Burnished water gilded gold leaf has that unmistakeable glow that is revealed through Sgraffito which can be further highlighted with Punchwork where small  metal Punches, Agate Burnishers, or other such tools are used to tap small embossed patterns into the gilded gesso, catching and throwing the shimmering light which adds a touch of sparkle and complexity. This technique known as Granito it is also effective when used together with the use of a pointed agate burnisher to create incised lines that are drawn along a straight-edge compressing the gold into the gesso and boled surface that can appear as rays of light, often used as such in Iconography. Halos are drawn this way, often with use of a compass.

These design elements were used extensively during the Renaissance  although as Daniel Thompson points out in his book Medieval Painting the passage of time has reduced the brilliant effects of these embellishments to where our imagination needs to consider what this must have looked like when they were originally gilded.

Design templates are often a good way to create beautiful patterns with this ancient method. Those who are skilled Fine Artists will find this technique an extraordinary path for expression. ~

Sgraffito Classes

For those interested in learning Sgraffito there are various Online opportunities to learn this technique through Charles Douglas Gilding Studio. 3-Day Masterclasses are offered throughout the year as well as being a component of the 12 Week Online Course Water Gilded Panels: from Pastiglia to Sgraffito. There may also be upcoming In Person opportunities for 2023-2024. Visit the schedule on the Book-a-Class tab for the next Sgraffito class!