ICON PAINTING

SIX DAYS OF CREATION courses in icon painting provide intensive instruction in the art and language of the icon from the perspective of Orthodox Church tradition using the ancient technique of egg-tempera and palette of gold, semi-precious stones and refined clays. Iconographers Anna Gouriev and Marek Czarnecki lead students through the entire process, from preparing a gesso board to completion of an icon, including instruction on how to create pigments from natural clays and minerals, define the image with assiste gold lights, gild prescribed areas, calligraph inscriptions, and apply olifa varnishes.

Instruction includes:
     Wood panel preparation
     Adhering linen to board with animal-hide glue
     Making marble & chalk base artistís gesso
     Selecting a prototype and making a drawing
     Transferring drawing to the board
     Egg-tempera medium preparation
     Grinding natural pigments to make paint
     Applying basecoat color (roskrish)
     Lighting the figure
     Applying highlight finishes
     Calligraphic inscriptions
     Applying assiste and gold leaf
     Varnishing of the icon

Courses are limited to 25 students at one time. All three painting teachers

assist in classes of at least 15 persons.