Tag: Episcopal 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