Byzantine Icons and the Tempera Process

This type of painting begins with the choice of the wooden panel on which the icon will be executed. The quality of the wooden support is very important both in the creation of an authentic Byzantine icon and in the good preservation of the painting layer over time.

1. Preparation of the substrate

The panel will be painted on the smoothest side. For ideal resistance, the wooden panel should be wrapped with a gauze cloth or any other cloth with a fine texture (linen, cotton or hemp).

Wooden panels

The panel is impregnated with the first layer of glue (impregnation glue, which can be fish, bone or leather). Take the gauze (fine cloth), soak it in the glue, then spread it on the panel from the center to the edges, smoothing the surface, over the edges of the panel to the back about 5 cm.

Image of impregnation, priming and finishing

After drying them, the next step is to apply white primer over the canvas, making the connection between the wood and the painting. The primer is a mixture of hot glue with a dust of mountain chalk. The simpler the primer formula, the better. The primer is applied in a thin layer. We do not need to load it with many layers of primer. The wood is prepared in a horizontal position. After each layer of primer, take a piece of sandpaper and level the surface.

2. Drawing the icon

drawing

Ancient painters carefully kept the drawings of their icons to use as a model for future works. So, the face of the saint or the religious scene is drawn with a pencil or a tracing can be made. After the drawing is ready, it needs to be incised, so that after covering it with the layer of color, the lines (contour) of the drawing are visible.

3. Applying gold leaf

Applying the foil

A layer of mixtion is applied over the wood, there are many varieties of mixtions, with drying times of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 3 hours and 12 hours. The gold leaf is applied, left for a while, and then a sheet of paper is placed and pressed over with a piece of cotton. It is left to dry, and then cleaned with a soft brush, so that the surface remains smooth.

4. Egg emulsion

For tempera colors, egg emulsion is used, it acts as a binder and also gives the colors freshness and resistance over time. The result is an intense color and the formation of a uniform layer after drying, which adheres well to the primer.

The egg emulsion is prepared using an egg yolk, mixed with as much water as the amount of yolk and the same amount of vinegar. All mixed very well with a fork. The emulsion is kept after painting, in the cold, if you want to reuse it.

5. First layer of color – Proplasma

When starting work, the color is diluted with egg yolk emulsion, but also with water. The incised lines of the drawing and the contours are then covered, progressively, with color until there are no white spaces left. The coverage of the different areas is done according to the colors of the model without shadows and halftones. After it has dried, the layer must be uniform, matte and solid.

Icon execution stages

6. Next step – contours

First, with a fine brush, the lines of each colored background are drawn using a darker color, but which must remain in the color of the background (local tone). Then, to model the details and to give them the desired light, the lights are applied by adding white to the color. The lighter color thus obtained is added over the area to be lit. This operation is repeated several times, until the last lights are drawn like hatches.

7. Carnation

The most important parts of the icon are the face and the hands. The face gives the icon its theological meaning, reflecting, beyond any stylization, the individual features of the saint. The hands are important through their gesture, on which the movement of the folds and the lights that emphasize it depends. The importance of the gesture is also present in biblical scenes. The basic color of the flesh varies according to eras and schools, the tone of the flesh being determined by the style of the era: from a brownish shade close to olive green to warmer tones, as in Rublev's icons. The color of the hair and beard can be dark, reddish, gray or white. The drawing of the strands is performed with a darker tone than the flesh, adding a little green to the flesh, and between the edges of the strand two lighter, well-separated lines are drawn. The outline is then repeated over all the elements of the face: eyes, eyebrows, mouth, nose.

8. Finishing the icon

At this stage, the gold hatching is drawn, the contours and folds are drawn, and the lights are accentuated with shades of white. Also, the halos are drawn with ocher, red and black and the inscriptions are written. Finally, the varnish is applied, which not only serves to protect the painting from humidity, the action of light, air or blows, but, due to the fact that the varnish of icons is a greasy varnish that penetrates the surface, it unites the different layers and gives the icon the specific harmony of depth and light, while preserving the freshness of its color over the centuries.