How Russian Icons Were Made

 

The earliest icons were painted with tempera paint on wood.  The artist began by finding a large enough piece of wood to hold the entire painting or by fastening two or more wooden panels together.  The boards usually had a slightly raised edge at the edges of the picture.  Then the artist smoothed the wod and glues canvas or linen over it. Next, the canvas was coated with levkas (several layers of chalk and glue).  As soon as this dried, the artist began painting.  Once the artist had finished painting, he protected his work by covering it with olive oil and resins.  As soon as this dried, the artist drew an outline of the picture and cut the lines into the surface.

Icon Framing Gluing Canvas on the Icon Covering the icon with Levkas Cutting into the surfacce of an Icon


   Once the artist began painting, he worked in stages.


Icon Paint Stages


At first, gold paint was applied over the regular paint in icons of Jesus to show his godhood.  Eventually, gold paint was applied to many icons to show the presence of God and his power.  

Even icons that had been painted in bright colors eventually became darker because the coatings got dirty.  Later artists got used to seeing icons with dark colors and so used darker colors themselves.

Eventually, icons became fancier.  Sometimes they were decorated with precious jewels and/or metals.  Early metal coverings (basra) were thin sheets of silver or silvergilt (gold-plated silver) covering parts of the icon.  The metal would be cut away to show the painted figure(s).  They might show the whole figure, or only the face(s), hands, and/or feet.  Later metal coverings (called oklads or rizas) were shaped like the figure(s) in the icon with a kind of sculpting (embossing and engraving in relief). These coverings were also made of silver or silvergilt. They not only decorated the icons, but they protected the painted areas from too much handling.   

Icons could be joined in groups of two (diptych), three (triptych) or four (quaditych) to create themes or to show a large scene.


Festival Icon

A 19th century Icon of the Resurrection surrounded by the Cardinal Feasts and Festivals of the Orthodox Calender. 17.5 inches x 15 inches.

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Tryptch Icons


A late 17th Century triptych in a brass case, the images covered by silver rizas.  3 inches x 7.5 inches when open


Click here for information on how a modern community of artists creates icons. 
(You'll have to click on the British flag once you're there to get the English version of the site.)

British Flag   This is what the British flag looks like.


Russian Icons - History
Russian Icons - Religion
Russian Icons - Home
Russian Icons - Artistic Characteristics
Russian Icons - Introduction
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