Intensive Icon Painting (Icon Writing) workshops

01 - 20 March 2010, USA

Instructors: Philip Davydov and Olga Shalamova, St. Petersburg, Russia

The workhop description: This is a six-day intensive workshop on the living tradition of icon painting, taught in English. This workshop focuses on the drawing, technique of egg tempera painting, gilding and the assist.

Locations: Jordanville, New York USA March 1- 6

Seattle, Washington USA March 8-13

Santa Fe, New Mexico USA March 15-20

The workhop program: The instructors will use a prototype of an icon (pictured on the top left) as the model for teaching the techniques in this workshop. The icon of the Holy Virgin Hagiosoritissa of the 12th century (collection of Saint Catherine Monastery on Mount Sinai) is well suited for this course, because it is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved images of the Holy Virgin. The icon model is carefully selected from all the medieval Christian art heritage.

Each student will be able to clearly see and understand all elements of the model. This workshop is beneficial for beginning students as well as advanced painters and anyone drawn to Byzantine and early Russian iconography. Students will be assisted by the instructors to define the basic forms of the model by freehand drawing. They will be taught methods of applying egg tempera and basic colors by creating shadows and highlights, then shown glazing, water-gilding and varnishing of the completed icon. All students are encouraged to take notes during teacher-demonstrations and ask questions for clarification. The needs of each student will be taken into account, photocopies of the icon-writing steps will be distributed each day of the workshop. Concurrent to the daily hands-on sessions will be brief lectures on iconography, history, theology and artistic technical concerns.

Students are encouraged to come each day to the class with a refreshed, open mind and heart. Silence and dedication practised by students will help them meet the creative challenges of the workshop.

Medieval Painting and Gilding Techniques: You will learn techniques for preparing the base for gilding, water-based gilding, and egg tempera painting techniques for clothing, hands and faces.

Hands-on, Practical Instruction: You will draw the figure on tracing paper; transfer the figure onto the gessoed board; prepare the board for gilding; paint the base colors of the background, clothing and face; develop the modeling in the folds of the robes, the features of the faces; apply gold to the background; and complete the icon painting with highlights.

Workshop Schedule

The following details of the workshop schedule are subject to change without notification.

Day 1: Start drawing with yellow ochre paint directly on the board. Define the three-dimensional forms of the image with green (underpainting), prepare the image for gilding.

Day 2: Gilding demonstration and applying gold leaf to the board. Paint the raskryshka ("Раскрышка", literally "to open") or base layers of paint.

Day 3: Begin painting the highlights - probela ("пробела") for modeling the structure of the face, hands and garments.

Day 4: Complete the probela and paint the vokhrenie ("вохрение") of the face and hands. Glase the most contrast details. Repeat the highlight where it is needed

Day 5: Make the opis ("опись") - the darkest shadows on the face, hands and garments. Start graphic details.

Day 6: Paint the graphic lines and other details of the icon (outline the halo, inscription, outside frame, etc.). Apply gold leaf to the garments.

The workshop will begin at 9:00 a.m., break for lunch at 12:30 p.m., resume at 1:30 p.m., and finish at 5:00 p.m. each day. There will also be short breaks during the day. This is a rigorous schedule, so plan on getting plenty of rest each night. If you are arriving from outside the area, we recommend that you arrive early the day before the workshop begins to get a good night's sleep, so that you are refreshed on Monday morning.

On each day of the workshop, Philip Davydov shall discuss theoretical concepts, such as the construction of the icon, icon-painting technique, the history of icon-painting, etc., however, such discussions will be kept to a minium to allow students as much time to work as possible.

Who Should Attend?

If you wish to learn the technique of egg tempera painting you should attend this workshop. If you want to learn the technique of gilding, you should attend this workshop. If you want to learn how to paint faces, hands and clothing, paint highlights and shadows on garments, you should attend this workshop. Even if you have never painted an icon or you have successfully painted and completed icons you can greatly benefit from this workshop. Whether you paint in acrylics, gouache or egg tempera you can benefit from this course that teaches icon painting techniques that are applicable to any of these mediums.

Jordanville — The location of the workshop is the Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, New York. The seminary is located near New York's historic Mohawk Valley, one mile north of the village of Jordanville, within a triangle formed by Cooperstown, Utica, and Albany. Lodging is available at the monastery at low rates.

Seattle — The location of the workshop is at the Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Seattle, Washington (on Capital Hill east of downtown Seattle and south of Volunteer Park). The address of the church is 1714 13th Avenue, Seattle, Washington.

Santa Fe—The location of the workshop is the Ghost Ranch Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The address is 401 Old Taos Highway, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Philip Davydov and Olga Shalamova are directors of the Sacred Mural Studio specializing in creating icons and fresco murals as part of the living tradition of Church Art. Our aim is to create icons and murals that have a concrete role in places of worship. We work with holy prayer and deep study, trying to transform simple architecture into a sacred space for worship. Sacred icons and frescos inspire the church interior with visible images of Our Lord and His saints, providing a focal point for common prayer and individual meditation. In fact, we try to work with the same creative approach to the old models as medieval Christian craftsmen had, and it is vitally important for us to follow not only the old Church canons of icon and fresco painting and traditional technique and materials, but to also follow the spirit of our predecessors. In frescoes and icon painting, we use only traditional technology, proven by the centuries. We use all natural and hand-made materials, because they have special qualities, are safe and resistant to the ravages of time.

Philip Davydov Is a professional iconographer with 16 years of experience. Mr. Davydov is a lecturer at the Institute of Theology and Church Arts and head of Sacred Murals icon painting and fresco workshop in St. Petersburg, Russia. The main part course is set aside for practical work on the icon. Students will develop skills in egg tempera painting, preparing the egg emulsion, gilding, as well as the use of natural and historical pigments. Lectures on the theory of Christian iconography will accompany the hands-on training. (Portfolio)

Olga Shalamova is a professional iconographer with 10 years experience, a member of the Union of Artists of Russia and is currently completing her doctoral thesis in Iconography.

For more information and examples of our works, please visit other pages of our web-site - Sacred Mural Studio.

Tuition

The tuition of $685 includes the workshop and all materials needed for the workshop.

The Workshop was organized by Iconofile with help of Philip Davydov an Olga Shalamova.