Test color swatches + process

My collection of pigments as of 2020. I use Sennelier and Zecchi brands. © Katie Toepp 2020

Test color swatches are great to make any time you have new materials. When you make test swatches, you create a tool that allows you to see all your color options at once. And, with a color swatches on white and black grounds, you can compare the transparency of different colors. You can make test swatches with any medium. In this post, I will share my process of making color swatches in egg tempera.

After making a few additions to my pigment collection, I wanted to revisit my test swatches. Previously, I had made swatches on white paper, but my technique was still very rough. In this second iteration, I decided to use bright white and black paper to explore the opacity of each of my pigments.

Test swatches. Note: the image has been color-matched to represent the final product under a bright, neutral light source. © Katie Toepp 2020

Prepare the paint

To achieve the most accurate comparison between pigments, I needed to use a reproducible method of mixing my paint. Therefore, I systematized the process as much as possible. To do this, I measured each of the ingredients in my binder (egg yolk, distilled water, and vinegar) and pigment. I used a standard kitchen scale to measure the binder ingredients in a ratio of 2:1:1. You can find more detailed instructions on the page Basic tempera recipe. This tempera recipe resulted in a binder of the ideal consistency, like cream.

The basic egg tempera recipe is a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 1 part water to 2 parts egg yolk. Mix together in a jar and let the bubbles settle out before using. This will keep in the refrigerator for a week. © Katie Toepp 2020

Prepare the paper

Before making my swatches, I glued some black drawing paper onto bright white bristol paper. I then measured 1cm rows for each of my swatches. Each row is labeled with the pigment name, manufacturer, and pigment code (more on that later).

Technical Note

For permanent work, tempera should always be applied to a rigid support like board or panel. When making test paintings or swatches, flexible and absorbent material like paper can be used. Just know that the egg tempera is brittle when cured and will crack on a flexible support after a period of time.

My test swatches have been planned for each of the pigments I own. © Katie Toepp 2020

Mix the paint

This and the following step should be done simultaneously—mix a color and immediately use it to paint your swatch. If you wait until all your colors are mixed to begin painting, your paint will be too dry.

I used a pipette to measure 1mL of the binder, which I then mixed with a scoop of pigment;* the ratio of binder to pigment is roughly a ratio of 1:1 by volume. I ground the tempera with the pigment in a mortar and pestle to yield smooth paint.

*I’ve found that the “scoop” shape of my metal cuticle pusher (see below) is the perfect size for scooping pigment.

Technical Note

The more you work with powdered pigments, the more you may begin to notice that different pigments mix differently. Some pigments, like Titanium White and Ultramarine, take a little more effort to mix into a usable paint. On the other hand, earth pigments like Ochres and Umbers mix fairly easily, but will begin to separate and settle very quickly.

For me, learning about and working through the subtle particularities of pigments is fascinating and rewarding. It is an experience than most artists who use premixed colors do not get to enjoy.

Mis en place, or “everything in its place” prior to mixing tempera paints. Clockwise starting from the top left: egg tempera binder, ceramic mortal and pestle, kitchen scale, cuticle pusher, pipette. © Katie Toepp 2020

Paint the swatches

One by one, paint your swatches using a drybrush technique. Two layers of paint per swatch seemed to provide decent coverage. Most projects will have more than two layers, so I’m not worried about the hatching texture too much at this point.

Each row of my test swatches is labelled with the corresponding color and pigment codes. © Katie Toepp 2020

The final color swatches

The final swatches (scanned and color-corrected for accuracy) are shown below. This guide has become a staple in my studio. I use every time I work on a painting, and it has served me well so far.

Best of all, because I planned and documented my process, I can duplicate my methods if (and, more likely, when) I get more pigments.

Test swatches. Note: the image has been color-matched to represent the final product under a bright, neutral light source. © Katie Toepp 2020