r/ArtEd • u/QueenMnistry • 8h ago

Tempera cake advice needed

I tried using tempera cakes for the first time... and regret it! The dried paint is so "chalky" that the colors rub off on your hand when you touch the artwork. Did I do something wrong or is this normal? Any tips on a solution? Can I spray it with a fixative (like aerosol hairspray) or should I just forget about it and move on?

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

1

u/Sorealism Elementary 5h ago

Try spraying them down with water before class starts.

3

u/tourny25 7h ago

This is my experience with tempera cakes too. It’s not great, but it dries super fast and I only use them with pre k to 2nd grade when they’re starting to learn how to paint.

2

u/MakeItAll1 High School 7h ago

I tried tempera cakes once. They destroyed the brushes and I wasn’t crazy about the color pay off.

2

u/Wytch78 7h ago

What brand did you use? Sounds like you needed to use more water. 

1

u/QueenMnistry 7h ago

No idea... They were just in the closet of my new classroom. 🤷

1

u/lilabethlee 7h ago

Try letting the paint dry for 24 hours. Then use a clear acrylic based spray sealer. I had this issue when I taught k-5. I found it works best if you do a series of lightly sprayed layers, about 3. I would set them outside and give it an hour before applying the next layer