Egg design 101
Having learned briefly about the history of the Easter egg and the designs and colors used in decorating them, some might want to try making a pysanky, or other types of eggs. Here are a few tips to get started:

The Egg

Finding a fitting egg is obviously a place to start. It is important to use clean, white, smooth raw eggs at room temperature. They cannot have hairline cracks.

The eggs should be cleaned by dipping them in a quart of warm water with one or two tablespoons of vinegar. The eggs should never be boiled, since boiling causes the fading of colors, as well as damage to the design, as a small amount of water seeps under the shell.

Basic Tools

Kistka, or stylus, is the writing tool used in applying hot, melted beeswax to the egg’s surface. This tool, in its basic form, is simply a small metal funnel attached to a stylus-like handle. However, electric styli are available as well. These commercially made instruments may be purchased with a fine, medium or heavy point in various shapes and sizes. The funnel of the stylus can be heated by an alcohol lamp or a candle.

Beeswax is the only type of wax used in making pysanky. Compared to paraffin, beeswax has a higher melting point that makes it easier to avoid fires. It also has a greater ability of becoming attached to the egg, and has more color than white paraffin, which makes it easier to see the design.

The dyes originally used by Ukrainians were all homemade from natural products, such as onion skins, certain berries, bark and some other materials. Most artists use aniline dyes. Most of these are diluted in one or one-and-a-half cup of boiling water. All colors, except for orange, work better with addition of one tablespoon of vinegar. The dyes may be stored in wide-mouth containers with lids. These dyes should never be used on eggs that are to be eaten because aniline dyes are not edible.

Other tools

Some other tools may include pencils or rubber bands, which serve as guides to the beginners in drawing the division lines when starting a pysanky design. If a small touch of a certain color needs to be applied to just one area, a paint brush, a cotton swab or a toothpick can be used. Some artists also like adding gloss to the egg. Clear gloss urethane varnish, acrylic art spray or even a clear nail polish works for this purpose. An egg rack is used, of course, to store the eggs in various stages of production.

credits

TCU Daily Skiff © 2002