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

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‘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.

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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

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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

'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


CSO EGG TEMPERA 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
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
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


CSO- EGG TEMPERA

We know that many Old Masters began their paintings with a water based Tempera paint.
This was done because Tempera paints dry almost instantly. This allowed the immediate
over painting to finish a painting faster. Although PreHistoric Cave paintings have been
studied by scientists, there is no final conclusion on what binder they used.


TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE
1. CSO EGG TEMPERA
2. CSO MILK OIL PAINT
3. GOUACHE
4. PRE HISTORIC CAVE PAINTINGS
END OF PAGE
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