
Introduce Byzantine iconography and the purpose of icons, explaining how painting expresses liturgical experience, Christ's presence, and the church as the body of Christ through windows to heaven.
Explore how Byzantine line and rhythm move figures off the surface, using transverse lines to create plasticity, motion, and viewer engagement through light, color, and composition.
Explore the face drawing in Byzantine iconography, focusing on a dynamic, curved exit technique and rhythm used by masters, and learn to study and apply these methods to your work.
Study prophet Elijah's face in Byzantine iconography, shaping the cheeks and a projecting side, with eyes and beard moving opposite to keep rhythm. Practice methods: wave-like strokes and alternate approach.
Learn to draw the ascetic face in Byzantine iconography, using St. John the Theologian as a model of balanced facial movement and the widest side of the face.
Anyone wanting to learn Byzantine Iconography needs to lay the right foundation. Simply tracing old icons or jumping straight into painting ("by numbers") only builds a house of cards that will collapse. The foundation for being able to paint icons is learning to draw according to the Byzantine system. Once the foundation is laid (and practiced continually) it allows us to create within the iconographic tradition of the Orthodox Church and not simply "photocopy" old icons ( a practice that appeared in the 20th century and was never part of the tradition of the Church). In this first course on drawing icons we will start by learning the importance of line and how line is used to create the rhythm that brings icons to life. From there we will progress to drawing the face in several poses:
We will study different types of faces in each pose (young face, woman's face, ascetic or elderly face) so we can see how each type of face is drawn in each pose.