When I teach a class on Lemko Drop-Pull pysanka, I have several ideas for preparation:
#1. A pre-divided egg, with a basic "rosette" to begin students' learning
#2. Take-home motif handout (included in fee), which the student can use for elaborating the class egg.
#3. A paper plate, with penciled-in motifs to practice on, before applying strokes with the stylus to the egg
#4. A small take-home cardboard stencil of circles (of various sizes), used for tracing onto follow-up eggs.
#5. Take-home #1 drop-pull stylus, and wax melter with bees wax/tea lite included(this is included in the class fee)
#1. A pre-divided egg, with a basic "rosette" to begin students' learning
#2. Take-home motif handout (included in fee), which the student can use for elaborating the class egg.
#3. A paper plate, with penciled-in motifs to practice on, before applying strokes with the stylus to the egg
#4. A small take-home cardboard stencil of circles (of various sizes), used for tracing onto follow-up eggs.
#5. Take-home #1 drop-pull stylus, and wax melter with bees wax/tea lite included(this is included in the class fee)
 #1. A pre-divided egg, with a basic "rosette" to launch a student's creativity.  #2 I made a worksheet with more simplified motifs for beginners.  #2 Lemko patterns: From the Vera Manko portfolio-link to buying her book. |  #3. I pre-draw some typical motifs in pencil. The students can trace over in wax, and also invent their own patterns on the paper plate.  #4. I make index card templates for students to use and then take home if they wish.
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It is important to have the students practice first. There is a rhythm to the strokes:
- Heat Stylus Over Candle-try not to use a tea-light, as its heat is low
- Dip Heated Stylus into Melted Wax-
- Practice on Paper Plate-Drop...Pull the stroke
- Finally, Write Onto Egg...repeat the pattern
The first two photos show me demonstrating to the class, how to practice on a paper plate before going onto the egg. You can see in the third photo, that I have pre-traced two egg shapes in pencil, as practice. Then students continue to wax over the design and improvise on their own. The purpose is to establish a comfort level with using the stylus and melted wax, before applying it to the raw egg.
 As I demo the strokes , I repeat out loud-"Drop…Pull-Drop…Pull", trying to show that there is a rhythm to the strokes. |  |  A student's creativity is boundless…her own pattern! |
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