Pisanki are eggs which are decorated by writing on them. They can be divided into two main techniques; “batykowane” and “scrobane”. Batykowane employs the use of a stylus and wax to draw on the eggs which are then placed in colored dyes. Skrobane uses an egg which is first dyed a solid color and then the decoration is scraped or scratched into the shell. There are three main motifs which are used in the decorating of pisanki. They are geometric, such as dots, triangles, and crosses, floral, such as flowers, pine trees and poppies, and human and animals, such as reindeer, roosters, fish, birds and butterflies.
Pisanki were originally colored in dyes that were prepared from plant materials. Even though chemical dyes are now produced for this purpose, many traditional pisanki artists in Poland still prefer to use the natural dyes. The plant material was collected and was then boiled with a small amount of water until the desired shade was reached. Before the dye was used for coloring the eggs, it was mixed with a small amount of vinegar to aid in the setting of the dye. Some of the materials used in dye making are:
YELLOW – onion skins, straw, saffron
ORANGE – crocus, petals
RED – red beets, plums
GREEN – grass, moss, spinach
BLUE – sunflower seeds, logwood
PURPLE – blackberries
BROWN – alder cones, coffee
BLACK – walnut shells, alder bark
