Pysanky: The Process
An egg is first carefully selected and cleansed. A tiny hole is drilled at the base of the egg; it is through this small hole that the contents of the egg are emptied using a small handheld pump. The shell is then carefully measured and divided, with guidelines written in pencil according to the desired final design.
Colored beeswax is applied, using a kistka, to all areas that are to remain white in the final design.
Layers of color are created with the addition of each new dye in the sequence; each time, only the areas covered in wax will be visible in the finished product.
Eventually, the shell is dipped into its final color bath in order to provide a background color. The wax-covered shell is then held up to a flame...
...and the melted wax is wiped off to reveal the finished pysanka.