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Technique Historically, icons were painted on hard woods. The development of high quality plywood that does not warp makes this an excellent alternative. Traditionally, the center image area of the panel can be carved out to about 1/8th of an inch. The outside area acts as a separator between the "holy space" of the icon and the world of the viewer. This can also be represented by a drawn line or decorative pattern. Gesso provides a smooth and white surface on which to gild, draw, and paint. It is made with an inert white agent and glue. Different recipes go back through the centuries. It can be affected by factors such as humidity, temperature, and following measurements and procedures correctly. After the gesso is made it is applied in several thin layers. When dry, it is sanded to achieve an ivory-like surface. The gesso reflects the light and illuminates the pigments on its surface. We prepare our own gesso in the workshop as the commercial brands do not have the absorption required for egg tempera. Gilding is the process of working with gold leaf. The gold used in an icon must be of a high quality, with no imperfections. Gold leaf comes in small books that contain very thin sheets of gold. Water gilding and oil gilding are the two methods used. With water gilding the procedure is to take a gilder's clay called bole and spread it smoothly on the surface where the gold will be placed. Each piece of gold leaf is laid carefully on the dampened bole, which cements the gold to the surface. Burnishing is then done using an agate burnisher, which is time consuming but enhances the beauty of the gold. Using the oil gilding technique, oil size is painted on the areas to be gilded and is allowed 12 hours to develop. There are oil sizes that can be gilded in 3 hours but the results are often not as fine. The gold leaf is then laid on the surface. This can be lightly buffed for a variety of effects, but not burnished. Both techniques take practice and experience. The preferred medium for traditional icons is egg tempera because of the luminosity and brilliance it gives to the colors. Egg tempera painting goes back hundreds of years. Egg yolk and water is mixed with fine, dry pigments. Layers of washes can be added on top of each other to create beautiful effects. The delicacy of the mixture makes it possible to create very fine lines and exquisite detail. The same fine pigments can be used to create beautiful colors for murals by mixing the pigments with an acrylic glue and then painting on fine canvas which will be glued to the wall. Preparation of egg: Separate the yolk from the white. Drop the yolk gently onto a paper towel and roll until much of the excess white has been absorbed. Lift the yolk carefully with your thumb and forefinger over a glass container. Puncture the bottom of the yolk with a pin and allow the yolk to drip into the container. Discard the outer layer of the yolk. Add distilled water and some vinegar. http://www.orthodoxonline.org/forum/...2008/04/11.jpghttp://www.orthodoxonline.org/forum/...2008/04/12.jpghttp://www.orthodoxonline.org/forum/...2008/04/13.jpg
Illustrated steps in Iconography technique:
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