Process of Writing an Icon

The process of writing icons has been handed down for centuries. I will not go into the detail of it, but simply give highlights of how I write my icons. I have learned both under a professional iconographer and I have studied on my own for many years now.

The first step is possibly the hardest and that is getting a good drawing. I can work for weeks on my drawings. Once I have a good drawing I transfer the image to tracing paper.

 

Since it is easier for me to get a good drawing on a small scale I then use my overhead projector to enlarge my drawing. Once the drawing has been transferred with pencil to my canvas I then use a mixture of Burnt Sienna and Yellow Ochre (I use oil based paints) to outline my drawing. Otherwise the pencil markings would disappear at the first touch of turpentine. I wait a day or so giving my drawing plenty of time to dry. Once dry I apply what is called Propolasmo. Propolasmo is a Greek word which means base coat. For all my icons the propolasmo is the same mixture of Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre and Sap Green. Of course the mixture of these three colors can be in various ratios depending upon whether you want a warm or cool under painting. . The propolasmo acts as a unifier to the entire work and it also represents chaos. The manner in which this layer is applied is that of small X’s. Making the base coat have this natural dark-light quality to it.

Here is a picture of my painting palette. In the center is my mixed propolasmo. I have to be sure to mix enough of this color because it will be added to everything else in varying degrees, from skin tone to to the colors of clothes. To keep this color alive for the number of days it takes me to finish, I carefully cover it with plastic wrap.
When the propolasmo is dry, the first things to be written on the icon are the faces. Here, I have mixed the Propolasmo with various degrees of cadmium red, burnt sienna, raw umber, yellow ochre, and white to achieve the various tones.

 

In the above picture you can see the original propolasmo in the clothing areas. Once the faces are at a desired point I next block in some yellow ochre warmed with a little cadmium yellow medium in the halo areas. I’ll come back to the halos later so I move on to some of the clothing areas. I choose to go with an earthy green for the clothing of the Christ child.

Notice a hint of my original propolasmo on the side. I added it to my greens.

 

Now I simply highlight with my green mixture and white. The darker folds of the fabric are created with raw umber and the green mixture. After all the necessary areas are lighted and darkened I very carefully blend with a one inch brush.

This is where I will pick up tomorrow. I will be posting more pictures in the upcoming days as I finish different sections of this icon.

Recent landscapes…

Here are a few of the landscapes I’ve done this year. I have to admit some of them are strongly influenced by paintings of O’Keeffe.All of these paintings are oil on canvas. Hope you like them.

Currently on exhibition at the Lyndon House Art Center

This is the painting that was celected in the 2009 Lyndon House juried art show. For the last nine months or so I have been making a studying of the art and life of Georgia O’Keeffe. This painting “Black Mesa with Pink Sky” is one of the many studies of O’Keeffe’s work that I have done.

Lyndon House Art Center

I just recently entered the 34th juried exhibition at the Lyndon House Arts Center in Athens, Georgia. I was very excited to hear that my “Dark Mesa and Pink Sky” was selected (I’ll be posting a picture of this painting soon.). Some 700 peices were entered and only around 100 were selected. The opening reception is Sunday, February 29th from 2-4 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. The Lyndon House address is 293 Hoyt Street; Athens, GA 30601. Hope to see you there!

Check out my Slide Show!

Icons of Saints and Landscapes by Sabrina Samuel

September 2008

Pictured below are a few landscapes that I have worked on. I like the color usage and style of painters like Van Gogh and El Greco. A favorite modern painter of mine is Vicki McMurry.  Her book “Mastering Color” is wonderful.

Welcome to the blog site of Sabrina Samuel. I am an iconographer/artist. On this blog site you will find some of my icons and landscapes. I enjoy doing both.

  

This is a study of Van Gogh’s 1889 painting    

“Cypresses with Two Female Figures.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a study of a painting by Paula Modersohn. The stormy gris clouds are a striking color contrast to the happy yellows. This stormy-happy theme is repeated in the blackish surging waters with the calm green meadows. For me this color combination expresses what many of us experience in life a combination of bitterness and sweetness. 

 

 

 

 

 ”Russian Landscape”

The Holy Family (29" X 35")

        

Pictured to the left is an icon of the HOLY FAMILY. Many churches use this particular icon during the Advent season. The touching hands of the Holy Family expresses the tenderness of the love found in families. It was for this reason I was attracted to this version of the Holy Family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Pictured below is an icon of St. Andrew. His scroll reads in Greek and English (We have found the Messiah which means Christ.)   The face of Andrew is very thin and gaunt looking. This is to express to the viewer about the type of life Andrew lead; that is, one of suffering. Notice the thin red line at the very top edge of the icon. This red line testifies to the viewer that admission to the heavens comes only through the shed blood of Christ. This icon currently belongs to St. Andrews Charismatic Episcopal Church in Covington, Georgia.                       

St. Andrew (12" X 16")

 

JOHN THE FORERUNNER

“Here John holds a diskos “eucharistic footed dish) containing the nude infant Christ, symbolizing the Lamb of God of the Eucharist. In many examples a zvezditsa (“little star,” a liturgical implement that supports a cloth cover) is placed above the diskos, just as is done in the Eucharist, in which a portion of bread is called the “Lamb.” (Pg. 134, THE ICON HANDBOOK A Guide to Understanding Icons and the Liturgy, Symbols and Practices of the Russian Orthodox Church by David Coomler.)