» Listings for February 2013

1. Icon painting, part three

   Posted on 9:23pm Wednesday 13th Feb 2013

   This week, the white bits are filled in and Mary gets a face! The green border is filled in with the egg tempera as before. The green colour represents the green olive branch and separates the divine Icon from humanity.

      

   This, believe it or not, is the colour of the face!

   

   Icons are worked from dark to light, this colour will be the darkest tones of the face.

   

   Lots of thin layers of paint are better than one thick layer. This has had 3 layers

   

   The last white area to be covered is the braid. The darkest layer of this is an orange/brown colour. So now the whole board is covered! 

   

    

2. Icon painting, part two

   Posted on 5:02pm Thursday 7th Feb 2013

   Usually you have to leave the good bit until the end but not in Icon writing! Got to do the guilding next (so it doesn't stick to the paint that follows)

       

   Painting on the bole (a sticky paint mixture!) for the gold leaf to stick to

      

   The gold leaf is applied over the dry bole which has been sanded lightly to make it smooth.

      

   The first layer of Egg Tempera goes on. This is a mix of 4 pigments, egg, white wine vingear and water! It goes on unevenly (I guess we will find out why soon!). Icons are always worked from dark to light and there are four painting stages. This is the first, the painting of the background colours.

   

   The green headress is painted next ithe same uneven way. 

   Mary is ready for her face!

   More interesting Icon facts:

   Hands are always blessing, praying or pointing to God.

   The red/brown of Mary's clothing represents humanity, the blue green of her headress, Divinity.

   The border on an Icon separates the Divine from humanity (i.e. us!)