Byzantine Iconography Painting Series 1: Painting Basics (2)

🎨 Byzantine Iconography Painting Series 1: Painting Basics (Part 2)

Introduction to Painting Byzantine Icons 🕍️

Welcome, aspiring iconographers, to Part 2 of our immersive journey into the world of Byzantine Iconography! In this series, we'll delve deeper into mastering the art of painting with a limited tetrachrome palette. This unique color scheme allows for a rich and expressive range within the limitations, which is a hallmark of Byzantine iconography.

What You'll Learn:

• 🎨 The Magic of Tetrachrome: Understand how to effectively use the limited palette of black, white, yellow ochre, and red to create stunning images with depth and warmth.
• Painting Garments: Practice painting various types of garments that are common in Byzantine icons. These exercises are crucial before attempting a full icon to ensure that your faces and figures are dressed to impress!
• Contrast & Folds: Begin with a lesson on contrasting warm red and cool blue garments, learning how to paint simple hanging folds that will come in handy for more complex folds later on.
• White Garments: Move on to painting the iconic white loincloth seen in many significant scenes, including Theophany and Crucifixion, with its intricate drop folds, hanging folds, and a knot.
• Head Coverings: Tackle the challenging head coverings with their tricky curved lines through a confidence-building warm-up exercise. Discover how to use the tetrachrome palette to create a dark burgundy head covering with cool photismata.

Materials Needed:

To embark on this artistic adventure, you'll require the following materials:

• Pigments:

  • Yellow Ochre or Iron Oxide Yellow
  • Iron Oxide Black
  • Light Mars Red or Red Ochre
  • Medium Mars Red
  • Titanium White
  • Zinc White (optional)

• Egg Emulsion:

  • Eggs
  • White wine for preservation
  • Lavender or Basil essential oil for scent and longevity

• Tools:

  • Plastic dropper bottles for egg emulsion and water
  • A variety of paint brushes (rounds with a good tip, flats, and riggers)
  • A palette for mixing paint (optional: glass or plexiglass)
  • A container of water for cleaning brushes
  • Paper towels for those unexpected splatters
  • Hot press watercolour paper for your painting exercises

Your Creative Journey Begins Now!

Dive into the world of Byzantine iconography with this comprehensive series designed to guide you from the basics to the mastery of painting garments. With each stroke, you'll grow more confident in capturing the essence of these sacred and timeless images.

Join us as we explore the intricate details and profound spiritual significance behind every line and hue. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to refine your skills, this series is crafted to help you achieve a deeper understanding and appreciation for this ancient and enduring art form.

Let's embark on this creative path together and bring the sacred stories of Byzantine icons to life! 🖌️✨