Methods
Krashanka � This is a solid coloured egg, most often in red, signifying the passion of Christ. It is usually boiled in an edible vegetable dye, blessed at Church, and then eaten at home as part of the Easter breakfast. Others of this type were used in egg-playing games by children.
Drapanka (Shkrabannja) � In this technique, the raw egg is dyed a solid colour and a design scratched onto the shell with a sharp instrument, such as a nail, pin or small knife. Delicate, lace-like floral motifs are executed on eggs of this type.
Lystowka (Natural leaf) � In this method, only organic materials are used. To begin the process, onion skins are soaked in water in a large saucepan. To the raw eggs to be coloured are pasted, with a thin, water-soluble glue, a variety of small leaves or flower petals arranged in a pleasing design. The eggs are then wrapped in thin gauze, tied with string at both ends to secure the leaves in place, and the eggs simmered in the onion skin mixture for seven to ten minutes. The covering is removed while wet. The imprint of the leaves remains on the eggs, in a lighter shade than the background. The organic materials used in this way act as the resist to the dye. This method of colouring eggs was used in a number of European countries as well as in Ukraine.
This is the wax technique most commonly used.
The dye-wax-resist process is similar in principle to the batik method of textile ornamentation used by many ancient and contemporary cultures. Therefore, in making pysanky the most important materials are the dyes, beeswax, a writing tool or kistka, a heat source � usually a candle, and some fresh, white eggs.
There is a complete line of cold-water, aniline dyes available, especially developed for this art form. They come in a wide range of colours including yellow, orange, bright red, dark red, blue, green, purple, brown, and black. Begin with the simple (and traditional) - sequence of yellow, orange, red and black. Green is applied in a different manner which will be dealt with later.
In ancient times, dyes were made from organic materials available to the original pysanka-maker. Materials were usually collected throughout the year for this purpose.
Yellow could be obtained from the bark of wild apple, onion skins, buckwheat husks, campion, or the flowers of dog's fennel.
Red could come from cochineal (carmine), deer horn, or sandal wood.
Green could be obtained from sunflower seeds, berries of wild elder, dark red or black hollyhock, bush anemones, leaves or birch, or moss.
Dark yellow could come from alder buds, hazel and chestnut leaves, walnut and apple leaves, or oak bark.
Black was derived from the husks of sunflower seeds with the addition of sulphate of iron, bark of alder, or young leaves of black maple.
Recipes for dyes were often kept secret by individual pysanka makers, and a variety of concoctions were in use.
Only beeswax can be used to resist the dye. Paraffin allows dye to penetrate it. The use of beeswax has an additional symbolic connotation � bees were considered to be one of God's special creatures, because of their industry and their ability to gather honey.
This tool which deposits wax on the egg surface may be bought or made at home. The handle or stick was formerly referred to as the derzhal'tse and the writing tip as the pysal'tse. It is convenient to have several of these kistky with points of varying thickness. A fine-pointed kistka is generally used to make the main outline and delicate motifs, while a thicker kistka is used to fill in large areas with wax.
To make a kistka, select a wooden dowel or piece of bamboo with the thickness of a pencil and six inches in length. Slit one end of it through the middle to a length of about one inch (1). Cut a piece of medium weight copper or brass sheeting to a size of 1-1/4" by 1/2" (2). Fold it in half to make a point as shown (3). Fold down the other side of the sheet making a fine point at the top (4). Fold the two sides together along the middle (5). Flatten the bottom end of the folded metal piece with pliers and insert it into the slit in the dowel (6). Flatten the two protruding ends of the metal around the stick, and tie securely with an 8" piece of fine wire (7).
The safest, most practical and economical method of heating a kistka is a paraffin candle. The 6" emergency candles are excellent.
The eggs used for pysanky should be well-formed, clean, white and fresh. If spot cleaning is necessary, use a small amount of vinegar on a tissue or soft cloth. Eggs are used in their raw state. If it is necessary to boil them for children's use, an enamel or stainless steel saucepan should be used. However, boiled eggs do not take the colour as well as do raw eggs.
For the drying of eggs between dye baths or following varnishing, it is convenient to set them on a nailboard. Select a board of suitable size, for example � 6" by 8" and 1 " thick. Mark off the board in 3/4" squares and drive a 1" small-headed nail in the corner of each square, to a uniform height.
In addition to the above materials, facial tissues or soft cloths will be required: as well as varnish for glazing the finished pysanka.
To start the actual writing of pysanka, prepare the dyes ahead of time. Follow the directions on the packages and allow to cool before use. Directions should be carefully read as some dyes require the addition of vinegar, which acts as a mordant, enabling the dye to 'take' better. Pint-sized jars with lids are ideal dye containers. Lids should be replaced when dyes are not in use, to prevent undue evaporation or spillage. Commercial dyes may be kept for two or three years if stored in a cool place-in a similar jar, prepare a solution of white vinegar and water in the proportions of one part vinegar to four parts water. A separate stainless steel spoon should be used to lift the eggs in and out of each dye bath.
Hands must be completely clean and free of perspiration, hand lotion, grease, etc., before handling the egg. Any such impurity will interfere with the proper 'taking' of the dye. The egg should be at room temperature in order to receive the molten wax properly. Hold the egg in the left hand with' all the fingers encircling it, and hold the kistka like a pencil in the right hand, with the little finger of the right hand resting on the egg, to steady the hand. When held in this manner, it is almost impossible to drop the egg while working on it.
Light the candle, heat the tip of the kistka in the flame and dip it into the cake of beeswax, thus loading it with molten wax. The kistka should be held at right angles to the egg so that the circular point can deposit a firm wax line. It is a good idea for the beginner to use a 'practice' egg to become acquainted with the amount of heat and wax necessary to produce a pleasing line, and to become accustomed to working on a curved surface.
It soon becomes obvious as one works, that some parts . of the wax line appear darker than others. This is entirely due to the amount of carbon on the kistka, deposited by the candle flame. The colour of the wax line has no bearing on its effectiveness, except that it is easier to see if the line is dark. The real quality of the line is determined by the heat of the kistka and the amount of wax in it. It is occasionally necessary to wipe off the excess carbon from the kistka so that it does not interfere with the free flow of the wax.
Minor changes to the wax line can be made by scraping it with a razor blade or wiping it with a swab dipped in turpentine. If using turpentine, wipe the area with vinegar to keep it non-oily.
The first line made in the illustrated pysanka runs around the middle of the egg dividing it in half lengthwise. It is customary to start 'writing' at the large end of the egg, rotating the egg towards oneself while working the kistka away from oneself. Working quite quickly in this manner produces a straight line.
The next line is made in the same way, but at right angles to the first line. After this, a line is made across the middle of the egg, at right angles to the existing lines' We now have eight sections or triangles. The centre point in each section is taken and a line drawn from it to each corner of the triangle.
Then the 'diamonds' are added, the 'spirals' the 'rays' and the 'periwinkle'. As seen in the illustration if each section is completed as shown, a pattern evolves known as the star or rose. This is a traditional pattern and there are many variations of it.
The 'star' is an ancient symbol, signifying God's love towards man. Shown here with 'rays', it represents light-giving perfection, beauty and elegance. The triangles represent the Holy Trinity while the 'spirals' denote divinity or immortality. The 'periwinkle petals' within the star are an important part of wedding rituals and denote pure love and the eternity of the Holy Trinity. The 'dots' surrounding the 'star' signify Mary's tears at Christ's Crucifixion.
All the lines drawn so far will appear white in the final pysanka, because they have been put over the white shell of the egg, and future dippings in dyes will not affect those lines. The egg is now dipped in the vinegar solution. This counteracts any perspiration oils on the egg and also gives the shell a rougher surface for future dyes to 'take'. The egg is left in the solution only two or three minutes or until little bubbles appear on the surface of the egg. If left in the vinegar solution too long, the entire surface of the egg will be ruined for future dyes. The egg is then taken out and dipped directly into the yellow dye, which is the first in the sequence, being the lightest. When the desired colour is obtained, the egg is taken out, patted dry with tissue and allowed to air dry on the nailboard for a few minutes. When the egg is dry, cover with wax the portions of the design that are to remain yellow, in this case every alternate periwinkle petal within the star.
If green is used, it is applied only in the local areas with a small swab using green food colour or ink, and when dry it is covered with wax as before. In this case the remaining periwinkle petals are coloured and waxed.
In the progression of dye baths from light to dark, one cannot dip the whole egg in green and then get a proper red over it, or vice versa. Since green is usually only an accent colour, it is applied by hand, after the yellow bath. If blue is required it is applied before the yellow dye bath and then covered with wax.
In the past, when natural organic dyes were used, a different method was used to cope with this problem. After the pysanka was dyed green and the appropriate areas waxed, the egg was dipped in sauerkraut juice to bleach out the unwanted green colour. It was then rinsed off, and then dipped into the red dye, or whatever was next in sequence.
The egg is now dipped into orange dye, and dried. The parts to be left orange are covered with wax, in this case, the dots surrounding the star.
The egg is then dipped in red dye, dried, and the star motif waxed in.
Finally the egg is dipped in the black dye, which is to be the background colour or fon.
When the egg is dry, the wax is removed to reveal the lovely colours underneath. It is an egg no longer but a colourful pysanka.
The pysanka can be cleaned in one of three ways:
1. It may be held close to a candle flame until some of the wax melts, then that part is wiped off with a soft cloth. Then, an adjacent area is heated and wiped off until the entire egg is clean. The egg should be kept beside the flame, not in it.
2. The pysanka may be put in the oven heated to about 300 degrees F. and kept there for a few minutes until the wax is melted, then wiped off. This method is practical when there are many pysanky to be cleaned off at once. Care must be taken not to overheat the pysanky.
3. The pysanka may be put in a small saucepan of melted fat or cooking oil at low heat. Care should be taken not to overheat the pysanka or it may burst. When the wax softens, it is wiped off with a cloth. This method is particularly useful when cleaning off a pysanka which is to have a white background.
To make a pysanka with a white background, the wax is not cleaned off after the black or background colour is applied, but more is added to the design at this point. It is rather difficult to write over a dark colour so great care is needed. After this is done, the pysanka, before being cleaned of the wax, is bleached in a diluted chlorine solution in a small bowl. Two changes of solution may be needed to achieve a clean white background. The pysanka should not be left in the bleach longer than necessary or the shell will be corroded. As mentioned before, the fat removal method is very successful for this type of pysanka.
When the wax has been wiped off the pysanka should then be further cleaned with a cloth dipped in a small amount of turpentine or solvent. (Remember that both of these are flammable.) This will remove the last traces of wax or oil and make the colours much cleaner, as well as providing a clean surface for a coat of clear varnish.
The varnish may be applied with a small brush or one's forefinger which is easier to clean than a brush. The pysanka is set on the nailboard to dry.
In the past, pysanky were often rubbed lightly with butter to give a soft sheen. Since the butter did not seal the eggshell the contents of the pysanka eventually dried out, making it safe for long storage. Our current custom of varnishing pysanky preserves the colours and makes them more brilliant, but interferes with the drying out process. For this reason, it is recommended that pysanky be blown out after varnishing. The only exception to this, is when they are used for an Easter Paska or basket's, in which case they should be left whole, and blown later, if desired. Pysanky are left whole for Easter morning because they represent life.
It is perfectly safe to blow a varnished pysanka up to two months after it is made.
A pysanka may be blown by making a small hole at each end with a large, sharp needle. A stitch ripper also works well, and when twirled between thumb and forefinger makes a neat round hole. A small drill worked with the fingers can further enlarge the hole as necessary. The membranes inside the egg should be broken with a long, thin needle. Then the contents can be blown out by mouth, or may be withdrawn from the egg with a hypodermic syringe. In the latter case, only one hole is needed.
1. A fine kistka is better for intricate designs; whereas a thick one works well for simpler designs and for filling in large areas.
2. When filling in a large area with wax, take care to cover all the section completely; otherwise specks of background colour will appear where they were not intended to be.
3. Be sure to check each stage of your design for completion before proceeding to the next step.
4. Be sure the egg is dry at each stage of waxing, or the wax will not adhere properly and may result in flaws in the succeeding dye bath. The waxing should be heavy enough to resist the dye. A too-cool kistka will produce a weak line.
5. Use only water soluble dyes. For instance the use of felt pens for green or blue is risky unless they are known to be water-based; otherwise the cleaning off process may wipe them off. For this reason, also, shellac should not be used to glaze the pysanka. It has an alcohol base which sometimes makes water soluble dyes run.
6. The most aesthetically-pleasing designs are those which are consistent with the natural contour of the egg.
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