Ζωγραφική Οσίας Πολυξένης

Learn Byzantine Icon Painting: A Beginner's Guide to Saint Polyxeni

This course offers an accessible introduction to Byzantine icon painting, designed as a gentle starting point for beginners on this platform. While simple, it provides a solid foundation before moving on to more advanced techniques. No prior painting experience is required!

Before diving into Saint Polyxeni, consider taking the egg tempera preparation course featuring Saint Demetrius – a crucial first step for this art form. You can find it here on the platform.

We'll focus on a traditional approach: drawing the icon without relying on photocopies or projectors. Detailed instructions and fundamental drawing principles will guide you, helping you develop essential skills in recognizing and correcting design errors. It's important to learn from mistakes – they are a natural part of the iconography process!

Next, we'll move on to preliminary colors (proplasm), applying the initial layers of paint.

Materials You'll Need:

• Egg tempera colors: Ochre, red ochre, white, black, kermes, cadmium yellow (lemon yellow preferred), ultramarine blue or cobalt, and green of cement.
• Brushes: Synthetic or chamois brushes in sizes 0, 1, 3, 4, and a larger brush (6-8) for applying preliminary colors, and a brush with long bristles (2).
• Acrylic paints or iconographic pigments for preparing your egg tempera.
• A surface for painting (e.g., wood panel).

Important Note: Oil paints are not recommended for Byzantine icon painting due to their slow drying time, which interferes with the layering process essential to this technique.

The technique taught in this course mirrors the methods used by Byzantine masters, particularly those associated with the Crete school of iconography, rather than the Macedonian school. Patience and careful attention to detail are key.

The size of your painting surface is flexible – a size around 22x30 cm or 30x40 cm is recommended for beginners.

Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions! We encourage you to explore the beautiful world of Byzantine art and discover the art of icon painting.