Icons & Iconography

[Celadonite]

I've been writing/painting icons for almost 2 years, still learning. Are there any other iconographers here at WetCanvas? I'd enjoy seeing and talking with you here. :-) I checked and wasn't able to locate any other iconography threads, but please forgive me if there are some.

Here's a pic of two Christ Emmanuel icons I just finished. The carrier is 3/4 inch birch plywood, with true gesso made from RSG, marble and chalk dust. Paint is ET using dry pigments, and gold is 23K leaf.

Thanks, and hope to hear from anyone interested in icons/iconography! :-)

[Celadonite]

Forgot to mention: text on the scrolls is Old Church Slavonic, and is from the Gospel of St. John, 1:1.

[Celadonite]

Here's a picture of two icons I did that hang on the wall above my painting table. I apologize for the image quality, but I don't own a camera and must rely upon the goodwill of friends to take pictures. (I didn't do the Cross.)

[gmarie]

Hi, Celadonite, these are really beautiful works of art.
The neatness, & exactness, & detail, on all 4, are remarkable,
and the vivid colors so very attractive.
I especially like the "marble",
and most especially like the "gold".

Thanks a lot for sharing.

[Tusitalo]

I've been on WC a long time, these are the first Icons I've seen on here. I know the painting (or writing) of an Icon are very exacting,

Can you point me to more information on their creation? Yours are very beautiful not only in their execution, but also their subject matter.

[Celadonite]

Originally Posted by Tusitalo

I've been on WC a long time, these are the first Icons I've seen on here. I know the painting (or writing) of an Icon are very exacting,

Can you point me to more information on their creation? Yours are very beautiful not only in their execution, but also their subject matter.

I'm not sure if I correctly understand your question regarding the creation of icons---are you referring to the icons I did specifically, or to the creation of icons in general?

I didn't document much of the painting/writing of these icons, indeed only a couple of pictures were taken of one of them while in production. I'll include one with this post, though I'm afraid it won't reveal much save that one works from dark to light while painting them. This pic shows the icon with only the gold leaf and "roshkrish"---underpainting--done.

I will try to answer any question you have, as best as I'm able, so please do ask! Just uncertain, as I said, if you were referring to my icons or icons in general. It's a very large and interesting subject!

[Tusitalo]

Originally Posted by Celadonite

I'm not sure if I correctly understand your question regarding the creation of icons---are you referring to the icons I did specifically, or to the creation of icons in general?

I didn't document much of the painting/writing of these icons, indeed only a couple of pictures were taken of one of them while in production. I'll include one with this post, though I'm afraid it won't reveal much save that one works from dark to light while painting them. This pic shows the icon with only the gold leaf and "roshkrish"---underpainting--done.

I will try to answer any question you have, as best as I'm able, so please do ask! Just uncertain, as I said, if you were referring to my icons or icons in general. It's a very large and interesting subject!

Yours and Icons in general. The subject interests me and I would like to know how you go about it. For example where do you get your subject from, posed from a live model or through research into ancient icons? You use gold leaf, how is it applied, glued? What is your primary media, oil, egg tempera, water based color? What do you underpaint with, what do you prime the board with? Do you follow the icon painters or use your own ideas? Sorry I don't mean to put you on the spot...really but I've seen icons in documentaries and they really don't explain anything about HOW they are created....

[Celadonite]

There are several main schools of iconography, with numerous regional variants to be found within those schools. The main schools I am aware of are Greek, Russian, Ethiopian. There are also stylistic changes that have occurred over the centuries, such as those introduced into Russian by the authority of Peter the Great in his "westernization" campaign.

I would say that the icons of Christ Emmanuel, shown below, are illustrative of a more "westernized" version of style, rather than a simpler, purer Novgorodian-Russian style.

I'm painting on 3/4 inch birchplywood, which is an accepted modern practice in iconography. Traditionally, wooden planks are used, glued together when necessary to form a panel, into which a "kovcheg"--a carved recess--is applied to where the actual painting is done.

I've done panels with kovchegs, and quickly realized that I needed more practice painting than I needed woodworking, so moved to panels I cut from birchply. I intend to return to recessed plank panels when I feel more confidant regarding my painting technique.

Gold Leaf is applied over "bole", in this instance red bole, which is a clay. (other colors of bole such as yellow are available, too. ) It's mixed with--in this case--liquid hide glue and a bit of water, and applied to the areas to be guilded with an ordinary artist's round brush. Once dried, it's sanded smooth and the gold is applied.

There are two types of gold leaf, "loose (or 'water')" and patent. Loose, which I'm using, is traditionally applied using a "guilding brush" which is a cardboard card sporting long squirrel hairs with which one carefully maneuevers the leaf onto the bole--small puddles of water pre-applied to the bole suck the leaf onto the bole as they evaporate, leaving it well-fastened in the best instance.

There is a MUCH easier/quicker method for manipulating and securing gold leaf which master iconographer Vladimir Andrejev teaches in his dvd set "The Icon". This involves using wax paper and works brilliantly. The demonstration of this one technique alone is well worth the cost of the dvd set (roughly $99, if I recall correctly).

I used this method in the icons below. The gold leaf is easily applied to wax paper which can then be cut and simply manipulated onto the bole. In this method, one breathes onto the bole, the moisture from one's breath being sufficient to secure the leaf to the bole.

Anyways, back to the chase.

I use pictures and drawings of old icons for inspiration. I find these in books or online. A drawing or tracing is made--for me usually a laborious task as I'm not a particularly proficient drawer, and then I usually photocopy the drawing--reducing or enlarging it as needed. I use the photocopy as a "template" to transfer the image onto the gessoed panel using graphite paper. Or, I darken the back of the transfer with ordinary pencil lead.

The plywood panels: cut to dimensions appropriate to the drawing. I use talatan cloth, glued to the panel with rabbit skin glue. This takes a day to dry and next day I begin applying gesso made of rabbit skin glue (RSG), chalk, and marble dust. There are numberless recipes for gesso available online and in books. I've used several, and have found gesso to be more forgiving than one would think. Sloppy solutions, though messy, have worked fine. More creamlike solutions have worked perfectly. I've only noticed several causes for caution: too much RSG will leave a distinctively "plastic" feel and appearance to the gesso. This is usually salvageable by sanding the panel and readjusting the ratios of ingredients in the gesso. The other thing I've found is (for me, at least) it's best to allow the gesso to dry between coats, lest cracks appear. There are several opinions current as to the best way to gesso, I can only tell my experience regarding this. Applying all the requisite layers takes several days, so it's best to gesso several panels simultaneously, a "batch run", if you will.

8-11 or more layers of gesso are generally recommended. The icons below have 6 and 8 layers, respectively. I've used as few as three coats on practice pieces and have "gotten away" with it, but it's not preferred practice.

Sand the layers of gesso. Some authorities suggest sanding between every layer. I've found this unnecessary, at least for my purposes at this stage of practice. I usually sand when I determine where layering is uneven and I choose to adjust it before it gets too far out of whack. When the final layer has dried, I sand. As much as possible, I use a hand held sander, 100 grit for the first sanding, working my way down to handsanding with 600. One can pursue sanding even further, using finer and finer grits. The final finish 600 produces satisfies me.

The paint and underpaint I use are egg tempera. There are numerous "recipes" for egg tempera emulsion, and I've experimented with several. Currently I'm using egg yolk mixed with white wine and the necessary dry pigments. Water is added as necessary to dilute pigments for floats.

I hope I've somewhat answered your questions, and not confused you. There are a number of good books available and websites online pertaining to iconography and the painting/writing of icons. Egon Sendler's "The Icon" is very scholarly book and a great foundation for an understanding of what's going on within an icon. The book's out of print but can be found in used book agencies, though generally pricey. (My copy cost me $110, alot of money but I don't at all regret having gotten it.)

Vladimir Andrejev has a school, http://www.prosoponschool.org/ which I've not attended as yet. I have viewed his dvd, "The Icon", and it's wonderful. I've talked with people who've attended his classes, and they've all held him in the highest regard as a teacher and as a person.

One note: I love Kolinsky brushes, and use them exclusively in painting. I do beleive there's a difference. I suggest their use in iconography, as other's before me have suggested.

Let me know if you have other questions or if I've been unclear!

[Celadonite]

I glued cloth to 4 panels today, and took some pics.

I used 4 tablespoons of Rabbit Skin Glue granules/powder soaked in two cups of cold water. I let it soak for a couple hours, until the water had been absorbed. I then got my cloth cut to approx. size, gathered my tools together, and heated the RSG/water mix to 110 deg. F.

Beginning at the middle of the panels, I worked outwards, straightening any wrinkles as they occurred.

I was out of the tarlatan cloth I prefer, so used a 100% cotton cheesecloth (99 cents a yard, as I recall) that I washed/dried before using. (There are different makes of cheesecloth, I want something that feels relatively soft/flexible after washing, and not stiff/coarse like nylon!)

The process for gluing up the cloth for 4 panels of fairly similiar size occupied about an hour. That includes reheating RSG between gluing cloth to each panel to maintain roughly 110 deg. F. glue. I washed the brush as the glue re-heated. I used Kirk's Castille soap and worked up a lather using the brush as if it were a shaving brush. Then work the soap into the brush bristles by hand, and rinse thoroughly. I'll let the panels dry overnight and then use an X-acto knife to cut excess cloth from the panel. I also took steps to ensure the dog couldn't get to the panels and go after the RSG as it dried! I've found dogs and cats both will lick egg tempera paint if left unattended with a drying painting, and am sure RSG is a delicacy to them, too.

Next Step: Make and begin applying gesso. This may happen tomorrow, or this weekend, and I'll try to document it with pics.

[aolaranora]

Very interesting thread! It is so good you do it stage after stage, so we can see the progress. Definitely would like to try someday. :-)

[Celadonite]

Thanks, Aolanora! Hope this thread will give you some ideas/inspiration to start painting/writing icons

I realized I should post a pic of the drawing that's going to find it's way onto the panel featured in the pics below.

It's the Virgin of the Sign. I found a tracing of it at http://www.icon-art.info/hires.php?l...type=1&id=1527 and made a drawing from it. Added seraphim above each of Mary's upraised hand, per a pic of the same type of icon in a book I had.

Had a bit of difficulty drawing the Seraphim. They have six wings, and I had a difficult time determining the relative placement of each wing--which side of the Seraph's body was it on relative to every other wing? The picture I had to work with was small, not much detail. Finally, I determined to label each wing R(ight) or L(eft), according to my best determination of which side of the angel's body it lay on. Perhaps a bit illogical, but it worked for me.

After several false starts, I made a satisfactory drawing and put it onto tracing paper to mirror-image for the second angel---I'm not a good enough drawer to have hoped to draw a second seraphim to match the first!

I left space on Mary's head and shoulders for the stars that are traditional there, signifying her virginity before, during, and after the birth of Jesus.

It worked fairly well, as you can see.

I'm especially looking forward to painting the Seraphim. They're to look like burning coals, and that shall be fun to strive for!

[Celadonite]

1st sanding today. After 3 coats of gesso, I decided it was time to knock off the high spots.

Pics of my setup are above. I used 100 grit aluminum oxide 3M paper and a DeWalt sander. (The sanding can be done by hand. This takes much longer, but is nice when you're in a contemplative mood. I was jazzed-up on coffee and have done so much hand-sanding in life I now avoid it whenever possible--the romance is gone!)

When sanding, don't bear down on the sander. (Too much pressure puts an undue load on the sander's motor, and you're more likely to sand thru the gesso.) Let the sandpaper do the work, not any pressure you're applying. Keep the hand holding the sander in constant small circular random (but NOT spastic) motion--this aids with the sanding process and aids against sanding through the gesso. Don't concentrate too intently on one particular area. Better to slowly even out an area by many returns to it than to try to get it level all at once.

You'll note in the picture I didn't bother to wear a dust-mask. I made this choice as a gentle breeze was blowing and most of the gesso dust was carried away from me. Still, not a smart thing to do, but that's the way I roll. Much smarter to wear a dust mask, and I advise you to "do as I say, not as I do" in this matter.

So, first sanding is done, and more gesso to be applied

(Note: I used a total of 3/4th's of a sheet of sandpaper to 1st Sand three similiarly sized panels. Time including setup: about 40 minutes.)

[aolaranora]

I think you did just fine with their wings!

Love this thread. Very informative.

[Celadonite]

Originally Posted by aolaranora

I think you did just fine with their wings!

Love this thread. Very informative.

Thanks, Aolaranora. Glad you're enjoying it Hope you'll get around to doing an icon soon. As nicely as you paint, I'm sure it'd be beautiful.

[Celadonite]

Not quite offtopic, but almost:

This is Valentina, or Valen--don't let her innocent looks fool you; she's got the heart of a Vandal when it comes to defacing icons by licking wet egg tempera paint.

Never trust your dog or cat alone with a drying icon! Keep it out of their reach, or restrict their access to where it is.