![]() ![]() Legend has it that the first iconographer was Saint Luke the Evangelist who created icons of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child.Īs Christianity spread across Europe and Asia Minor, so did icons which later were introduced into the New World by the missionaries. The oldest icon in existence today is a wax encaustic icon of Christ Pantocrator (Ruler of All) in Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai that dates back to the 6th century. Icons, in the form of wall paintings, are found in the catacombs. They have been an important part of the Christian religion since the days of the early church. One theory about how icons began is that they are descended from Egyptian tomb paintings. And the great joy of pursuing an ancient art through a modern medium. Like most Iconographers, I begin writing my icons with the traditional "prayer before working on an icon" and keep in mind the "rules for iconographers", especially the last: not to forget the joy of spreading icons in the world. Finally, the finished piece is varnished. Real 24 karat gold leaf is used, and where appropriate I apply tooling in haloes and other parts of the icon. Like most contemporary iconographers, I use high-quality acrylic paints which, with their velvety texture, resemble the older egg tempera medium. Unlike watercolors for instance, iconographers work from dark to light, adding more and more layers of highlights to create the modeling of the image. This is followed by multiple coats of gesso with careful sanding between coats, until a wet sanding produces a finish as smooth as porcelain. After applying a coat of gesso (a kind of liquid plaster), a muslin cloth is applied and trimmed. The wood the icon is painted on has a lengthy preparation time itself: cutting to size the cabinet-grade birch plywood which is then filled and sanded.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |