Hello there

Oil we can help you with; tempera - d'you know, I suspect there are very few painters on here working in tempera because of its perceived difficulty and the probability it's been edged aside by acrylic. But it's interesting that you mention tempera in association with oil, because that's a very old method indeed (ie, underpainting in tempera, glazing over it with oil) and one in which a painter who made a name for himself first as a forger, for which he went to prison, and later as a highly skilled restorer of paintings was quite expert. The snag is I've forgotten his name - he has painting demos on YouTube (he actually died some while ago, the films on YouTube come from a TV series he did). Someone remind me of whom I'm trying to remember, for goodness' sake! I can SEE him - short, breathing difficulty, white hair and beard .... I'll try to remember, because his demonstrations - not all of which are about oil and tempera - are well worth watching. In the meantime - DOES anyone here work in tempera? PS - Found him! Tom Keating. Died in 1984 http://www.isleofwightlandscapes.net http://www.wightpaint.blogspot.co.uk

<div>Just on a point of accuracy Robert and for the record Tom Keating never actually went to prison, he stood trial and was too ill to be sentenced, he died shortly afterwards, I have both of his books, not easy to get hold of now, one is 'The Fake's Progress' and makes really interesting reading. Basically his health deteriorated with all the dangerous chemicals used during his career as a restorer, he looked to have been a great character and he was undoubtedly an equally great painter. Needles to say, with all his knowledge of paint he was easily able to fool the art world with his forgeries, many selling for millions of pounds, he had a dislike for the so called art world and dealers and embarked on his notorious and lucrative exploits. I have digressed, but I have had a little smattering of egg tempera many years ago as an experiment, can't recall too much about it now but there will be plenty of info online.</div>

Glad he didn't go to prison - the art market deserved all that was coming to it, and Keating made fools of the experts. Some years ago, Daler Rowney made a tempera paint available in tubes, whereas normally you have to take raw pigment and mix it with egg: I wonder if they still do .... must find out. I saw illustrations a few years ago now painted in tempera for a new Folio Society edition of The Wind in the Willows, and very fine they were. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all had the time (and the money!) to paint in all media - oil, alkyd, tempera, watercolour, pastel, encaustic wax, acrylic, digital? Or is that being too wildly unrealistic? Most of us struggle to achieve a good level of competence in one medium, or perhaps two - I think I'd need another 300 years or so to achieve it in all of them (even assuming I've even achieved it in one). http://www.isleofwightlandscapes.net http://www.wightpaint.blogspot.co.uk