How to do the Mische Technique
After a visit to Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, I decided to create a painting based on my sketches.
Punch and Judy: based on sketches from the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood.
The Mische technique sounded like such a bizarre thing to do that I had
to try it. The name "Mische" means mixed in German and refers to using two
different types of media; egg tempera on top of oil paints. The idea is
that you paint the highlights and detail with egg tempera and use oil paint
in a series of glazes (red, yellow and blue), before adding local colour
on top to finish. Having overcome my initial scepticism, I've actually grown
to love it, as it suits my desire to paint in detail.
step-by-step project with pictures
First of all you will need to prime an mdf board with gesso. To find out
how to do this see
how to use gesso.
one: The first step is to create an underdrawing.
You can transfer a drawing using tracing paper or draw directly on to the
gesso surface. You can use graphite, silverpoint, goldpoint, or gouache
among others. I chose to use black Indian ink.
two: Next you add your first glaze of oil
paints. You need to mix equal parts damar varnish and linseed oil with red
oil paint. You can experiment and decide what kind of red you want to use.
I chose Cadmium Red as my ground colour.
three: It takes quite a long time for this
glaze to dry (a couple of days), so it is probably a good idea to begin
several paintings at the same time. That way you can work on one while another
is drying.
four: You will need to make your egg tempera
medium. Crack a fresh egg into a jar and add an equal amount of medium (half
damar varnish and half linseed oil) and an equal amount of water. Place
a heaped spoon of white pigment onto a frosted glass plate or board and
add the medium until it has the consistency of yogurt. Use a muller to grind
it to a smooth paste or if you don't have one of these use a palette knife.
Place in a small jar with a damp sponge to keep.
five: Paint in the highlights of your subject
using the white egg tempera paint. The red represents the dark areas. I
admit I found this difficult as I am so used to drawing in the shadow and
leaving the highlights as white paper. It is difficult to paint something
the opposite way around.
six: Next you add a glaze of yellow oil paint
using the palm of your hand to spread the paint evenly. I used Cadmium Yellow
and made it in the same way as the red oil paint glaze in step two above
and added a small amount of white paint. The white egg tempera paint is
then used again to paint in the highlights.
seven: The final glaze of oil paint is blue.
I used Cobalt Blue, but you can experiment with other blues. I added a slight
touch of white to the oil glaze too. Use the fatty part of your palm to
thump the paint onto the surface and make it smooth and even.
eight: Paint in the highlights of your subject
again using the white egg tempera paint. This is the final stage so make
sure you are happy with the detail. Your painting should look like a greyscale
image, where you have established all the tones. The final stage is to add
local colour, such as the green of the background and his red clothes.
Teddy: Another painting that I completed
using exactly the same technique as shown above. I was able to build up
the layers of fur, to make him look fluffy.
Verdict for this project
This technique is certainly time-consuming, but rewarding when finally
completed. I think it would be ideal to learn it from going to a workshop
than trying to do it from what you've read on websites. I had to experiment
and guess what I was meant to do half the time, but I think it is the
type of technique that can be adapted and experimented with. The artist
Brigid Marlin has certainly mastered the technique and I learnt how to
do the technique from her website steps
for painting in the Mische Technique.
Pros
This technique enables you to build up quite a detailed painting that
can look three-dimensional and with lots of depth. I think I need to practise
a lot more though.
Cons
It takes quite a long time to do and you feel like you are obliterating
what you've already done and then painting it in again. I suppose this
is why it appeals to those wanting to create very in depth detailed paintings
as you are continually refining your subject in each step.
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