Tag: Anglican Icons

“Unveiling the Secrets of Medieval Icon Painting”

There are so many exciting principles we modern icon painters can learn from medieval icons. The secrets of Sacred geometry and painting are profound, but no less important are the concepts behind medieval iconographic paint application.

St, Nicetas with Deesis and Selected Saints, 15th Century

The simplest statement that icon painting is the consecutive application of layers of colored paint applied on the white surface of a wood board that is primed with gesso- white chalk and animal glue.

This notion of “consecutive layers of paint” is a hallmark of medieval painting because beginning with the Renaissance and the use of oil painting, the Renaissance painter used modeling- application of shadows- thereby obviating the need for the consecutive layers to achieve a modeling effect of figures and shapes.

Holy Trinity Icon by Andrei Rublev

Icon painters can use a few layers, or many, depending on the time available and the effects needed. Although early Christian artists used encaustic (wax) as their painting medium, from the ninth century onward, egg tempera was the medium icon painters used, almost exclusively.Egg Tempera

Egg Tempera

Egg tempera painting consists of painting with dry powdered pigment using egg emulsion as the binder to cause adhesion of pigment to the gessoed surface area. This dry powder was often found in soil and stones finely ground as well as in some plants, roots and insects that could be boiled or pressed to release specific colors.

“Of crucial importance are the choice of the right pigments, the ability to mix them properly, and the application of each consecutive layer when the one below it is quite dry so that the fresh, wet paint does not mix with it.”  A. Yakovleva, “A History of Icon Painting”.

Which Pigments were used in Early Icons?

Studies show that vermillion, red ochre and lead red were the reds commonly used by early iconographers.  Light yellow ochre, yellow sienna, lead tin yellow, and auripigment were the yellow pigments used, natural ultramarine (obtained from azurite) and indigo for blue, malachite and glauconite for greens, charcoal for black, lead white, umber, hematite were the browns and various ochres depending on what was naturally available.

Christ Pantocrator Icon, Svanetia, 13th Century

Three Ways of Mixing Colors

I find it so interesting that the three ways that medieval iconographers mixed their colors could have such a significant effect on the final results of their work.  The first method of mixing colors was simply to mix a powdered pigment with the egg emulsion. (egg emulsion is usually the yolk of an egg mixed with a small amount of water, and a very small amount of vinegar or alcohol as a preservative.) Some of the pigments lent themselves to being ground to a fine powder, but others could only be ground to larger crystals and this variety of textures was put to good use in the third method.

The second method of color mixing is called optical mixing.  This consists of relying on the different color layers to mix optically. This is achieved when rays of light hit the surface, they penetrate through the layers of color and reflect back the impression that it is one color when in reality it is the combination of all the color layers together.  This gives the viewer a very rich viewing experience and is what allows the icons to have a jewel like appearance.  Egg tempera excels at being able to deliver this effect.  For this to happen, the artist needs to apply the layers very thinly in order for this imperceptible color mixing to occur.

The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, 13th Century. Georgia

The third method employs the use of the rougher pigments with larger particles to be mixed for the lower layer of the icon.  This allows for subsequent layers to settle into the lower layer in irregular and interesting ways.  This method unites the upper layers and lower layers of color, allowing for the appearance of visual harmony.  A combination of all three methods is used by the experienced iconographer.

I hope this explanation of medieval color mixing has been helpful.  Sometimes we need to go back to basics and understand nuances in order to achieve the results we want in our icons. If you would like to pursue the topic further, here is some reading you may appreciate:

“A History of Icon Painting”, L. Evseyeva, Moscow Publishing but available on Amazon

“The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting” Daniel V. Thompson, Dover Publishing

Interesting Links For Iconographers:

These are from Dorothy Alexander, an Iconographer in California!:

  • A gold sale? Yes, this is very rare because of a factory overrun on 22kt loose leaf gold and continues through 8/31/23 only. Use the code: SUMMER23 when you check-out. I ordered from them before; for this sale I purchased the 22 kt loose leaf gold (which I use for backgrounds) and it shipped quickly. Here is their website: https://www.goldenleafproducts.com/order-22k-gold-leaf.html    (THIS LINK WAS MORE THAN A MONTH AGO, SO NOT SURE IF THE SALE IS STILL GOING ON BUT THEY ARE GOOD GOLD SUPPLIERS)
  • Russian iconographers in a Greek monastery in California – this article (https://orthochristian.com/113398.html) takes you to the Life-Giving Spring Monastery in Dunlap, CA. It is a very interesting description of the lives and work of iconographers.
  • My Next Online Icon Writing Class is specially prepared for celebrating Advent where we will be painting an icon of the Nativity. Dec 5-8 on Zoom, each session is recorded for playback.   Read more here.

That’s all for this month.  Icon writing is a commitment to a life of prayer, study, and blessing the community with our work.  May you all be blessed and guided by the hand of God.  Our work is even more important especially in these difficult times.

“O Almighty God, kindle, we beseech Thee, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with thy wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in tranquility they dominion may increase till the earth is filled with the knowledge of thy love; through Jesus Christ out Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, amen.”  A Collect for Peace from the Book of Common Prayer.

Blessings,

Christine Hales

Newchristianicons.com

Rainy Spring!

Alan Crite Icon by Christine Hales
Allan Crite Icon by Christine Hales

Greetings Fellow Iconographers!

This spring has been rainy and cold here in upstate New York.  Normal for Spring, but what seems to be in short supply are warm sunny days in-between!  Good weather to begin some new Icons, that’s what I say!

Four Anglo/Catholic Saints
Four Anglo/Catholic Saints written by Christine Hales

My newest Icons were all shipped off to their new homes: Two to Seattle, The one with the Four Anglo/Catholic Saints, Father James Otis Sargent Huntington, OHC founder of the Order of the Holy Cross, Fr. Richard Meux Benson, SSJE, Mother Harriet Monsell, CSJB, and Priscilla Lydia Sellon.  Also to Seattle went the Icon of Allan Rohan Crite, known as the Dean of Liturgical painting in Boston.  Each of these people were inspiring in the way God moved through them in the worlds they lived in, to affect and change the status quo around them.  Showing them to my five year old granddaughter prompted her to ask “Can I be a Saint?”.  What a good question! So sweet!

The other new one is my recent St. Michael  Fighting the Dragon which is now in Miami.

St. Michael in Battle Icon
St. Michael in Battle by Christine Hales

I particularly like the way the Scripture quotation in this one calls us to remember who won/wins the heavenly battle!

The Canons in Creating Icons

One of the things I deal with often with students and clients is the question “what is it that makes an Icon a good contemporary  Icon?”  While it’s impossible to come up with a concise definition, there are some guidelines that apply. In this month’s blog, I want to speak a little about the Canons of Iconography.

Icons are sacred, or holy pictures in that they represent either a Gospel story or a Saint and are intended to draw us into the world of heaven as we look at them. They are created by an Iconographer who lives a prayerful, fasting lifestyle and who prays while they paint the Icon. It therefore is the bearer of prayers and beauty to the viewer.

On Canonicity in Icons, the following is an excerpt from  a “Road to Emmaus” interview with well-known French Iconographer, Emilie Van Taack. She was a faithful student of Leonid Ouspensky

“…There is only one rule, Rule 82, decreed by the Council in Trulo, part of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. This is the iconographic canon, in which it is stated that icon painter must follow older painter, that they must be in this stream of tradition, but exactly how they are to do this is not described. What is stated is that an icon must show both the humility of the Man Jesus and His glory as God; that is, it must manifest the Incarnation. In an icon of the Lord, you must be able to see that this man who is preseneted is not only man, but also God. You must see the Person of Christ. The Council made this rule because at this period there were still some symbolic representations, like in the early Church, representing Christ by a fish, or as a sheperd, or as a lamb – not the hypostatic representation of the Person of Jesus Christ. The Council said that all of these symbolic representations are like the shadows of the Old Testament. Since we have been illumined by the truth of the New Testament, we no longer use these old and outdated symbols, but we must present Christ Himself. Who incarnated into a human body and can be represented in the body. This is the only canon, the only rule of the Church. 

In defining what is “canonical” in icon painting, we have, of course, many beautiful old canonical icons to refer to. But canonicity is difficult to define. I cannot tell you what is canonical, because icons themselves define the canons. It is a circle, and we must accept it like this. By looking at these beautiful icons, studying them, copying them, little by little they help you to see yourself this image of Christ, and then you will be able to paint it without looking to the old, because you will have it in your own heart. This is a saving situation, because in this way we cannot possess the canon: it is a free gift that God gives or takes back as He wills.”

The above is an excerpt from Anna Dumoulin’s Iconography website.  (Daughter of  Father Andrew Tregubov)

Here are some Icon writing Resources I’ve come across this past month that you might enjoy:

A short video by Iconographer Gilles Wessman that shows stages of writing an Icon of Anne&Joachim.

Water gilding sort video by Ian Knowles – gives a quick overview of the process,

Article about supports for Icon writing– egg tempera painting and new absorbent ground.

 An article about Fr. Gregory Kroug.

Christ Icon by Gregory Krug

Also, please note that there is now on this site an Icon Resources page .  Please email me with suggestions about links to add there in the future.

I’d like to close here with a quote from Father Andrew Tregubov taken from the book, published by St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press,  “Light of Christ”  Father Tregubov compiled on the works of contemporary Iconographer Gregory Kroug:

“One of the wonders of our Creator is that everything in His creation is unique.  The ” Great Artificer” touches the tiniest creature with a very special personal touch, expressing His love for it.  He never comes to us in an impersonal way, but instead reveals Himself in the context of a real personal relationship . The Icons , in the same way, are never made for the Church in general but for individual persons who pray before them and venerate them.  God, in His boundless love, already knows all people, even those in the future; and He inspires the Iconographer in such a way that the Icon will truly be His personal revelation for those who will see it.”

May your Icon writing be blessed,

Christine Hales

Icon Website                Icon Writing Classes Website             Fine Art Website