Tempera paint is popular, especially for school children, but many people don’t realize that these paints are different from egg tempera paints. Tempera paint is water-based, and cleans up easily, which is why it is so popular for children.
This paint is made with non-toxic ingredients, another good reason why it is ideal for children. It is made with water, cellulose or starch, calcium carbonate, and of course, pigments.
There are many uses for tempera paints, including painting on windows because it can easily be washed away later. Today we are going to look at how tempera paint differs from egg tempera, how it is made, and what it is used for. Let’s get started.
Tempera and Egg Tempera: What is the Difference?
Tempera paint is a generic name for water-based craft paints that are used in schools. Egg tempera is something completely different.
As I mentioned, tempera paint is water-based. With egg tempera, the binder used is the yolk from an egg mixed with artist-grade pigments.
Egg tempera paints are often used by professional artists. These paints were around for several centuries before oil paints came into use. Many artists choose to make their own egg tempera paints as they are not always readily available in art supply stores.
I mentioned that tempera paints are non-toxic. This isn’t always the case with egg tempera paints, as some of the pigments contain toxic metals. But, these pigments do provide awesome coverage and saturation.
When you hear someone mention tempera paint, chances are they are talking about the cheaper paint that is non-toxic and often found in schools.
How is Tempera Paint Made?
Depending on the brand, the ingredients in tempera paint can vary. For the most part, these paints are made with water, calcium carbonate, preservatives, and non-toxic pigments.
Many paints are used with pigment and binder, such as gum Arabic. The binder in tempera paint is starch or cellulose, a less expensive option.
When starch is used as a binder, it is usually cornstarch. The paint gets its opacity and matte finish from calcium carbonate, which is chalk. When dry, tempera paint looks a lot like gouache.
The pigments can be made from a variety of ingredients, all of which are non-toxic. Although most manufacturers do not list the pigment ingredients, chances are they are food-grade colorants.
For those who suffer from allergies, there are tempera paints that are allergen-free. They do not contain latex, dairy, egg, gluten, or other allergens. Most brands of tempera paints will list which allergens their products are free of.
How is Tempera Paint Used?
There are so many uses for tempera paint. While I don’t often use it for painting on canvas, I do find it is great for all kinds of craft projects.
Tempera paint is used in schools for a variety of different types of projects. It can also be used for creating posters and even theatre props.
When I first began painting, one of my biggest challenges was color mixing. I wasted a lot of good acrylic paint until I figured out that I could use cheaper tempera paint to practice mixing colors.
Tempera paint can be used on regular drawing paper, construction paper, poster board, and other surfaces. They are also great for painting paper mache projects.
More Painting Surfaces for Tempera Paint
As I already mentioned, you can use tempera paints on many surfaces, including most types of paper. Keep in mind that tempera paints are not permanent. If you want your project to last for many years to come, I do not advise using tempera paint.
Let’s take a look at how tempera paint works on other surfaces.
#1. Canvas
Tempera paint is not ideal for painting on canvases. This type of paint will fade and crack over time. Because it is water-soluble even after drying, if you happen to get a painting wet it is going to damage the paint.
#2. Wood
Tempera paint can be used on wood, but I don’t recommend it. This is because this paint is not water-resistant, nor is it resilient.
If the wood objects to be painted are going to be used strictly indoors for decoration, you should be able to get away with using tempera paint. If they will be outdoors, the paint will wash off and/or fade.
#3. Fabric
Fabrics will accept tempera paint, but this doesn’t mean that you should use this paint on fabric. This is because it will crack and flake as the fabric moves.
Tempera paint isn’t flexible at all, and it is not waterproof. As soon as you wash the fabric, chances are the paint is going to come off. I recommend using fabric paints for painting on fabric, as they are made for this purpose.
#4. Windows
If you want to paint holiday designs on your windows, tempera paint is one of the best options to use for this purpose. It can easily be washed off with warm, soapy water and a sponge, so the designs will not be permanent.
One thing you should keep in mind is that it is not advisable to use tempera paint on tinted windows. You could end up scratching the plastic film that is used for tinting.
How Quickly Does Tempera Paint Dry?
In most cases, a coat of tempera paint will dry within 10 minutes. Of course, this does depend on a few things, including the weather, the thickness of the paint, and how absorbent the paper is.
Tempera paint dries when the water evaporates and leaves behind the pigment and binder. It will dry faster in an area that has high temperatures and low humidity as the dry air will cause the water to evaporate faster.
If there is a lot of humidity or the temperature is cool, it will take longer for the paint to dry. I suggest using a hairdryer if you want tempera paint to dry even faster.
Is Tempera Paint Washable?
Most paint is difficult to wash from fabrics, but some washable tempera paints will come out in the wash. If you use regular tempera paint that isn’t washable, it could leave behind some stains.
It is easy to clean tempera paint from non-absorbent surfaces, such as desks and even skin. All you need is a sponge and some warm, soapy water to wash away tempera paint.
Conclusion
If you have kids who want to get into painting, or if you want to practice certain brushstrokes, mixing colors, etc., tempera paint is a great option. This water-based paint is non-toxic, making it ideal for children to use.
Tempera paint is also much less expensive than acrylics or oils. So, you can practice and experiment with this paint without having to spend a lot of money.
If you have never used tempera paint, I suggest giving it a try. You may not be able to create a masterpiece on a canvas with it, but there are plenty of uses that it is ideal for, and you can use it for many types of painting projects.
Sari Green is a semi-professional artist and professional writer. She has been hosting paint & sip parties for the past couple of years, and truly enjoys helping other people to create their very own masterpieces. She loves to create, and you never know what she’s going to come up with next!