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The process of working with gold leaf is called gilding. They are so thin that an ill directed breath could blow the leaf off a table. Gold leaf comes in small little "books" that contain many very thin sheets of gold. For ease of use it is often of the double weight variety. The gold used in an icon is of a high quality. Creating a good gessoed panel is a time consuming procedure which adds to the length of time needed to produce a traditional icon. It is the gesso that reflects the light to illuminate the pigments on its surface. Sanding and scraping is needed to achieve the ivory-like surface desired. After the gesso is made it is applied in layers. Although basically simple, a good gesso is affected by many factors such as humidity, temperature, and of course following the measurements and procedures correctly. Different recipes go back through the centuries. Gesso consists of an inert white agent and glue. The gesso provides a smooth and white surface on which to gild, draw, and paint. When using paper two areas of concern are the flexibility of the paint media and the lack of acid in the paper itself. This can also be represented by a drawn line or decorative pattern as well (especially if one is painting on paper). The outside area acts as a separator between the "holy space" of the icon and the world of the viewer. In traditional iconography the center image area of the panel is carved out to about 1/8th of an inch. Today, with the development of high quality plywood and pressed boards, these alternatives are becoming commonly used. The goal is to have a permanent and pleasing surface for work. The support is the object which the iconographer will paint on, such as paper or wood. A quiet, peaceful, otherworldly view of God's grace at work… a heavenly vision. Through his or her actions (the example of piously responding to life's challenges as Christ himself would) the Christian faith is fleshed out.
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Saints are portrayed in an icon because in the Saint the image of Christ is portrayed. The aim of this art is to capture through the choice of color, facial expression, and composition not the natural look of the person or things depicted, but their spiritual essence.
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The ochre skin tones, the unnatural folds of clothing, the flatter spaces and odd perspective, are all examples of this. With these specific goals in mind the icon over the centuries took on its own particular style. In fact, the act of painting an icon is often referred to as "writing." The artist's creativity comes in to play not through creating the "novel", but in the freedom to manipulate line, color, and form for a directed purpose: the expression of the truth and vision of the Church. In a similar way the iconographer follows that which was before him. We all can imagine the ancient scribe carefully copying letter by letter the ancient religious texts. The constancy of the Christian faith is reflected in its art. It is not the size or medium that makes an icon be an "icon" but the subject matter (its content) and how it is portrayed. Traditionally, fresco was the technique for wall painting and egg tempera was the preferred medium for smaller "easel" works. Icons can be small paintings on a wood panel, an illumination on paper no bigger than a penny, or an icon can be painted on a large wall with the figures being larger than life-sized. An icon at its very root is a portrayal of Christ's image and imprint on the world, thus helping us better understand who God is and what He is like. This art's chief goal was to express the view of the world held by the Church - God's interaction with man, man's calling to be a new creation. During the early years of the Christian Church, a new art form was created to help reveal this new faith to the world. Icons are the traditional art form of the Early Church. Skill in writing icons should be learned under the guidance of a skilled iconographer and with the blessing of one's spiritual advisor. Skill in reading icons should be learned, in the context of the Church, from those skilled in reading icons, in consultation with one's spiritual advisor, and of course, perhaps the greatest help of all is to stand in quietness in the presence of your icons, and open your heart to God. While much information about icons and iconography is provided here, this information is not intended to be a 'class' in either reading or writing icons. Everyone desired to know more about this beautiful and spirit filled art form. Many of our customers, family, and friends have asked us about icons and iconography.