“The Egyptians used it, so did most of Europe till the oil paints invaded the art scene in the early 1500s,” explained Puard to an eclectic gathering of young artists and people interested in different art mediums. “The texture, the layers excite me. With tempera, I can play with light and colour, in order to avoid the boring aspects of symmetry,” smiles Puard who has worked with tempera exclusively since 1969. The workshop has been organised by the Delhi-based art gallery Arts Forum.

At the workshop, Puard taught students how to make egg tempera. “Place a small amount of the pigment paste onto a palette. Add an equal volume of the egg medium and mix well making sure there are no lumps of pigment. Some pigments require slightly more egg medium, some require less. Then, add distilled water (less than a teaspoon per egg yolk), trial and error will dictate just how much water is required,” says Puard.