Tools and materials
Roller, brush (especially finishing brush), paint bucket and drying rack, tempera, dyes and water. If you have to repair a wall and fill in cracks, joint filler and a spatula.

Preparing the surface
- Before painting study the surface you are about to cover. It should be in good condition.
- Check the adherence of the surface, normally plaster. If it is loose at any point, scrape
well and apply the joint filler and chalk and smooth down using a spatula. If necessary, sandpaper down once dry.
- Proceed in the same manner with cracks. If they are persistent, apply a special bandage
or tape with the joint filler, leave to dry and sandpaper.
- If the wall has already been painted with tempera, it is very easy to remove with a moist cloth and a spatula.

Mixing the paint
- Tempera is sold in plastic bags and comes as a liquid paste which is then mixed with water. In fact, the secret of a good finish lies in mixing well.
- Tip the kilos of tempera needed for a room into a bucket, following the manufacturer's instructions. Start with a kilo of tempera to half a kilo of water. If this comes out too thick, add half a litre of water more. The resulting paste should neither be too liquid or too thick.
- The water and tempera should be mixed well. Use a stick to blend the mixture until you get a smooth paste or a painter's blender fixed to a drill.
- If you mix in dyes, dissolve them first in water according to the proportion you require and add them later to the tempera. Then mix well, ensuring all lumps are smoothed out. You should keep the proportion of water in case you have to paint the same on other occasions.

Roller and brush
- Paint the walls and ceilings with the mixture, starting with the ceilings and moving on to the walls.
- To ensure a smooth result, move the roller in steady zigzags.
- On the walls start at the top and work your way down. As you paint, keep an eye on possible splashes, which you should clean before they dry. You can paint the corners and angles between the roof and walls with a finish brush. You can also apply a second hand
if you wish when the first hand has dried. This can be done in the same session as this is a fast drying paint.