Pysanki have been made in Eastern Europe for centuries. There is some evidence of
decorated eggs being placed in prehistoric burial sites. In pagan times the designs were
meant to ensure prosperity for the household and farm. After the arrival of Christianity,
the custom of decorating eggs persisted, with new designs and motifs in Christian themes.
Either white or brown eggs may be used to make Pysanki. Brown eggs give a deeper tint
to the dye, but often have dark spots of pigment on the shell, which can show up in the
final designs. Some Pysanki makers say that duck and goose eggs have a higher fat
content in the shell than chicken eggs and do not take wax or dye well.
Most designs are geometric, using straight lines to make triangles and squares, or curved
lines to make circles and spirals. Stylized plants and animals are often used as well.
Beewax must be used in making Pysanki. Paraffin, an inorganic wax, does not bond well
to egg shells and this makes gaps in the design lines.
The colors used include white, yellow, green, orange, red, blue, purple, and black. The
earliest Pysanki used dyes obtained from natural sources. Aniline dyes are more often
used today, in order to get deep consistent color. Aniline dyes are not food safe so eggs
exposed to them must not be eaten. The egg may be blown out and used in cooking
before dying, or blown out afterward and thrown away. It is possible, although difficult,
to dry eggs whole, but if the egg inside spoils the Pysanka is ruined and most people
prefer to remove the egg inside.
Wax is applied to the egg shell to cover an area, and then the egg is dyed. Dye cannot
reach the areas under the wax so they stay the original color. After the egg is dried, wax
is applied over the dyed areas, and the egg is dyed again in a darker color. In this way,
multiple colors are obtained. After the last dye step, usually black, the egg is dried and
then the wax is melted off so all the colors appear.
Ukrainian Pysanki are made using a kitska, a small metal funnel attached to a handle. The
funnel is filled with wax, then heated over a candle to melt the wax, which comes out the
point of the funnel. The kistka is used to draw lines on the egg shell. Electric kistka are
also available which do not need a candle flame and hold more wax. This style produces
long straight lines, and different sizes of kistka can make broad, narrower, or very fine
lines.
Ruthenian Pysanki use a stylus with a metal point inserted in a handle. The point is
dipped in melted wax and touched to the egg shell, then drawn quickly along to stretch
the round drop of wax into a teardrop shape before it solidifies. The designs do not
include as many geometric motifs and are well suited to curved and floral patterns.