Holy Image

St. Joseph - hair highlights

2009-10-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

St. Joseph - flesh highlights

2009-10-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

St. Joseph - robe highlights

2009-10-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

St. Joseph with prototype

2009-10-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

This image show the icon of St. Joseph with one of the prototypes Katie Russell is using.

St. Joseph - base coat of flesh and doves

2009-10-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

St. Elias - hair - first and second highlights

2009-10-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

St. Elias - flesh - first and second highlights

2009-10-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

St. Elias with prototypes

2009-10-15T09:41:00.000-04:00

This photo shows the icon of St. Elias with some of the prototypes I am working from.

St. Elias - kovchek

2009-10-11T20:00:00.000-04:00

Wanting to follow the prototypes of this icon, I used an ochre for the kovchek. However, since the halo comes onto the kovchek in this icon, I needed to use a darker ochre than is common to provide some contrast with the gold. This is straight Brown Ochre, applied in many layers in every direction, as with the background.

St. Elias - scroll base coat

2009-08-21T18:36:00.001-04:00

Following a prototype, I used cinnabar as the base coat of the scroll. As the scroll represents the prophecy of St. Elias, I believe this color may signify the fire of the Holy Spirit, as it does in the background.

St. Elias - ochre robe highlights

2009-08-21T18:31:00.001-04:00

St. Elias - outer robe highlights

2009-08-21T18:23:00.000-04:00

St. Elias - highlights of the scarf

2009-07-03T10:54:00.000-04:00

Though the base coat of the flesh and hair needs another coat or two, my instructor, Mother Katherine and I decided that I should proceed with highlighting the scarf and robes and then reinstate the base coat of the flesh and hair over this. Having finished highlights beneath will add to the translucency of the hair and highlighting without having to dance around the hands and hair allows for a freer stroke. These images show, in several stages, the highlighting of the scarf.

St. Joseph - base coat of the outer robe

2009-07-02T10:11:00.000-04:00

The base coat of the outer robe, shown here in four stages, is a mixture of yellow ochre and venetian red.

St. Elias - base coat of face, hair, and hands

2009-06-27T11:25:00.001-04:00

The base coat is applied in several layers, shown here in four stages.

Green Earth Light, Yellow Ochre, and Venetian Red - the colors mixed to make the base coat for the flesh and hair.

Before painting over the gilding, it is necessary to prepare the gilded surface with garlic, applied directly with a clove, shown here. The garlic acts as a glue to adhere the egg tempera to the gilding. Without it, the paint cannot be applied evenly in these areas.

St. Joseph - base coat of inner robe

2009-06-26T16:06:00.000-04:00

St. Elias - base coat of ochre robe

2009-06-21T17:09:00.000-04:00

The base coat of the ochre robe shown in these images is pure Ochre de Rue (Brown Ochre). In certain areas, I had to paint this lighter base coat over the darker base coat of the outer robe. For coverage, I had to add a bit of Buff Titanium to the Brown Ochre in these areas.

St. Joseph - background

2009-06-20T11:50:00.000-04:00

Finished Background

Fourth Layer (applied diagonally)

Third Layer (applied diagonally)

Second Layer (applied horizontally)

First Layer (applied vertically)

When the icon is not to be gilded, as in this case, the background is painted after the cartoon has been inked.

Ochre is the most commonly used color in the background of an icon without scenery or gilding. This ochre is a mixture of Green Earth Light, Yellow Ochre, and Buff Titanium. She used mostly Green Earth Light and only a very small amount of Buff Titanium. Green Earth Light is coarse and requires grinding with a pestle.

The layers, shown here in five stages, are applied vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, rather than unilaterally, to create a cloudy or atmospheric texture. Some iconographers use a puddling technique to achieve this.

St. Elias - base coat of scarf

2009-06-10T21:53:00.000-04:00

The base coat of the scarf, shown here in two stages, is a mixture of Greenish Raw Umber Dark, Genuine Green Earth, and a small amount of Buff Titanium. The scarf will ultimately be white, but the darkest colors are always applied first as the base coat.

St. Joseph - inked cartoon

2009-06-09T10:02:00.000-04:00

The drawing is transferred to the panel and then black ink mixed with water is brushed over the lines with a small fine brush.

St. Elias - completed base coat of robe

2009-06-09T06:49:00.001-04:00

Several layers of Pompeii Red proves it a much darker color than the initial layer alone seems to indicate. Note than the base coat of the robe is applied directly over other elements, such as the hands, pictured in the detail below.

St. Joseph - completed cartoon

2009-06-09T06:22:00.000-04:00

Katie Russell's completed drawing before it has been transferred to her panel

St. Elias - base coat of robe

2009-05-14T08:27:00.000-04:00

Pictured is the first layer of the base coat of the outer robe. The base coat is pure Pompeii Red, which is course and requires grinding with a pestle. The base coat will have about four or five layers in all.

St. Elias - completed background

2009-05-10T15:09:00.001-04:00

The red background in the icon of St. Elias is rare. It is far more common for an icon to have a gilded background or an ochre background or even detailed scenery than to have a red background. Red is used in the icon of St. Elias to represent the fire of fiery chariot in which he was taken to heaven, body and soul. It also refers to the Holy Spirit, Who spoke through him as a prophet.

St. Elias - painting the background

2009-05-10T14:44:00.000-04:00

I have painted this background with cinnabar - an extraordinarily brilliant pigment - made translucent with pumice. The cinnabar, which contains mercury, must be handled carefully. Cinnabar is course and must be ground smooth with a pestle. Due to its unusual properties, it must be mixed with denatured alcohol before it is mixed with the egg.

The background requires about six layers, applied in opposing directions: vertically, horizontally, diagonally, and so on. Note that I painted the color right over the gilding, from which it is easily removed later with egg and water.

St. Joseph - cartoon

2009-05-05T08:47:00.001-04:00

Working from prototypes of St. Joseph the Betrothed, Katie Russell is here preparing the initial cartoon for an icon using the grid technique.

St. Elias - gilded halo

2009-04-26T20:46:00.001-04:00

Gilding is done before any paint is put to the surface. These images show the gilded halo. The halo goes up onto the kovchek (ark) - uniting heaven with earth.

St. Elias - inked cartoon

2009-04-26T17:43:00.000-04:00

As I work on this icon of St. Elias, I will post images of its progress. This shows the fully prepared board with the inked cartoon. The board has a raised edge all around called a kovchek (or ark). The kovchek developed from the practical need to protect the surface of the icons that were stored stacked in cabinets in the churches - each being brought out for veneration on its relevant feast day. Symbolically, the kovchek functions much like the iconostasis in a church, marking the line between heaven and earth.

St. Archangel Gabriel

2009-02-25T23:45:00.001-05:00

Virgin of Crete

2008-12-31T12:32:00.000-05:00