Icon Painting Technique
Icon painting is an art based on multiple layers, each carrying its own symbolic and artistic significance.
Creating an icon involves several key stages, each contributing to the formation of a profound and expressive masterpiece.
1) Initial Sketch: This stage involves the initial application of colors to specific areas of the image. It helps lay the foundation for subsequent layers and reveals the work's surface.
2) Gradual Color Application: Each color is carefully applied in sequential thin layers, beginning with darker tones. This process requires considering the transparency and characteristics of each paint.
3) Use of "Sankir": Special attention is given to the composite paint known as "sankir," which is used to depict the saint's body. This layer establishes the groundwork for future highlights and adds depth to the artwork.
4) Highlighting: During this stage, the image is sculpted by applying thin layers of paint. The process involves multiple phases, from the initial highlights to the final ones.
5) Animating: A distinctive stage in iconography, referred to as "animating" or "dwizhkov," brings vibrancy to the icon. Brushstrokes of luminous light evoke the radiance of the Divine, breathing life into the image.
6) Glazing: The application of thin paint layers, allowing underlying layers to shine through, enhances the depth and volume of the image.
7) Outlining: This stage encompasses creating final details and outlines on the icon's surface.
8) Inscriptions and Finishing: Necessary inscriptions are added to the icon, and its edges are adorned with a red stripe called "opush." After completing the process, the icon is left to dry for several days.
9) Oleifa Technique: The painting, executed using egg emulsion, is coated with natural oleifa. Oleifa dries slowly, seeping into the layers of color, fortifying them, and forming a protective film that shields the icon from external elements.
So, icon painting is a meticulous and multifaceted process that demands expertise, a meticulous sequence of stages, a deep grasp of material characteristics, as well as time and dedication.
Traditional Icon Painting
Crafting an icon takes at least a month and varies based on its size and level of detail.
1. Preparation of the Board Surface
Typically, a size glue, gelatin, or their combination is used. The glue is diluted in water and heated using a water bath. The board is glued multiple times, with each layer being dried. Before attaching the canvas, the board is dried for around 10 hours. Natural linen fabric is utilized for the canvas. The fabric is soaked in a glue solution for 2-3 hours, then applied to the board and allowed to dry thoroughly.
2. Levkas Application Technique
Chalk is carefully introduced into warm liquid glue and thoroughly mixed. The resulting liquid mixture is strained through the organza several times. Linseed oil and honey are added to the final composition. Prior to commencing the levkas process, a thin, even layer of warm and adhesive levkas is applied to the board with the palm, onto which the canvas has already been glued. Afterward, the board is dried, the levkas cools down, and it acquires a texture resembling dense mass. Application is carried out using a flexible metal spatula in thin layers, with the lower layers requiring lengthier drying times. Typically, 7-9 layers are employed. Once all layers are entirely dry, the board undergoes sanding. Special attention is dedicated to achieving a smooth surface on the areas designated for gilding.
3. Application of the Design
The design, created on thin paper, is transferred onto the prepared ground. The backside of the design is treated with dark pigment, then applied to the sanded surface of the ground, secured with masking tape, and meticulously impressed using a hard pencil. Further refinement of the design is conducted using a pencil. In the case of larger icons, additional detailing is carried out using a brush and dark paint (such as egg tempera).
4. Icon Gilding Process
For applying regular gold, a brush made from a squirrel hair brush #10 is used. Gold is transferred using a polished knife with a rounded end. Gold is applied twice with a 20-minute drying interval. Afterward, the thoroughly dried surface is coated with a thin layer of oil varnish, which is allowed to dry for 1-2 hours. In the case of using transfer gold, the final gilding stage is performed on the varnish layer.
5. Poliment Gilding Technique
To provide icons with a special effect for the halos, the poliment gilding technique is used, creating an intriguing combination with the matte background. The process starts with preparing poliment by mixing egg white and water. The resulting mixture is applied to the ground of the icons in thin layers, typically 5-6 layers, with each layer being dried for 30-40 minutes, followed by polishing. Gold is then applied to the pre-prepared areas of the icon and allowed to dry for 30-40 minutes. The process concludes with meticulous polishing until achieving a mirror-smooth golden surface. Additional decorative effects can be achieved by tooling the gold if desired.
6. Use of Egg Tempera in Icon Painting
In icon painting, an emulsion based on a chicken egg yolk is traditionally used. The yolk contains about 20-25% egg oil, 15-16% vitellin and albumin, 7-9% lecithin, and approximately 50% water. Egg oil is a semi-drying oil that hardens slowly over several months. Once the oil has fully dried, paints applied on the egg emulsion do not smudge with water. Vitellin and albumin present in the yolk act as active emulsifiers, ensuring the stable mixing of oil and water. These components prevent the separation of oil and water in the emulsion, maintaining its structure. Lecithin, in turn, is a fatty hygroscopic substance with a waxy consistency that slows down the drying process of the oil.
7. Use of Pigments
In icon painting, natural mineral pigments are used as primary colorants. These pigments are ground and mixed. The prepared paint, known as "kolorma," is made by combining the ground pigment with the emulsion.
Icon Painting Process
