Icon Painting Beginners

Beginners Iconography workshop

SHORT DESCRIPTION

We made this 5-day foundational icon painting workshop for iconographers who want to learn free hand professional drawing and painting. The idea of this workshop is to teach students to paint their own icons without tracing.

The main targets of this course are the face proportions and structure, so we will begin from drawing different medieval images of Christ. Trying several options in composition and color combination we will get to know the three main methods of face-painting. The final image will be painted with egg tempera on board.

The workshop program is very intense and consists of various activities. Theoretical lessons with slides will be dedicated to theology, theory and history of iconography, problems and issues of contemporary icon painting. Drawing and painting are always taught and practiced in a focused and concentrated way without any distractions such as conversation or music. This enables the icon to evolve at a slow pace, enabling us to live and understand each step deep in our being; this is achieved most effectively in a quiet and silent environment.

People watching iconographer instructor drawing on easle.

GOAL

PROGRAM

Making a new version of an old icon may seem easy, yet it is a complex mission. We have chosen this icon of Christ (XII century, Svaneti Georgia) with most clear details, however, to turn any model into a thoughtful and a prayerful icon we need to perform a research, gain some artistic skills and learn how to use our creativity responsibly.

This course teaches how to work professionally, finding classical human face proportions in medieval models, and how to use them as references creating icons as unique pieces of liturgical art.

PROGRAM

The first 2.5 days of the course will be completely devoted to drawing with pencil and brush. By studying different aspects of models, drawing and associating colors on paper, students will practice professional freedom limited only by traditional responsibilities.

In the last two days we will draw and paint a large image of Christ with egg tempera on board. This will help students to consolidate their knowledge and to memorize the method and the skills they will have gained for the future independent work.

PRACTICE

The workshop will begin on Tuesday April 29 at 8:30 AM and will end about 4:30 PM on Saturday May 03, 2025. Every day we will work according to daily agenda (see above) from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM with one hour break for lunch and tersext and two (or more) short breaks for lectures with coffee or tea. We will start our study drawing a frontal face proportions, construction, and structure with pencil on paper. We will continue drawing with egg tempera and learn the constructions of hair, beard and the garment. We will discuss and work with the traditional concept "Light VS Colour" and try the 3 main traditional methods of face painting. On the second or third day the students will start painting the final image of Christ on the provided Gessoboard.

WHAT TO EXPECT

FOR WHOM

For everybody interested in learning iconography and traditional art of drawing and painting.

The course is adapted to beginners and for those iconographers who want to stop tracing/copying icons and begin drawing the face with a free hand.

COST

FOR WHOM

$1,100 for 5 full days.

The fee includes:
Professional instructions and all materials including board, paints, and brushes.

Students are invited to join the monks for all meals.

SCHEDULE

FOR WHOM

ACTIVITIES

Period: April 29 - May 03, 2025.
Icon Workshop Daily Agenda:
7:15 am – Matins
8:00 am – Continental Breakfast
8:30 am – Workshop
12:15 pm – Dinner
1:00 pm – Tersext
1:15 pm – Workshop
4:30 pm – End
5:00 pm – Vespers
6:00 pm – Supper

ACTIVITIES

Drawing, painting, hands-on demonstrations, lectures and discussions with personalized mentoring and comprehensive feedback.

Attendees of the workshop are invited to participate in daily church services and to be the guests of the monks for meals.

MATERIALS

ACTIVITIES

MATERIALS

We provide students with all the necessary tools and materials, however we recommend bringing own aprons, textbooks and pens/pencils for notes.

LOCATION

ACTIVITIES

MATERIALS

New Skete Monastery
273 New Skete Rd Cambridge,
NY 12816, USA

New Skete on Google maps

THE INSTRUCTORS

Philip Davydov

Second-generation iconographer with M.A. from State Fine Art Academy of Saint Petersburg (faculty of Theory and History of Art).
2001 co-founder of Sacred Murals Studio (St. Petersburg, Russia).
2005 - present: iconography instructor in the USA, Italy, Australia and other countries.
2006 - present: member of Union of Artists of Russia
2009 - 2022: professor at Institute of Theology and Sacred Arts (Saint Petersburg).
2021 November - December: head of Iconography School of St Petersburg Seminary.
2022 March - present: Iconographer, iconography instructor working in Tbilisi (Georgia).

Olga Shalamova

Philip Davydov

M.A. from State Fine Art Academy of Saint Petersburg (faculty of Theory and History of Art).
2009 - present: ember of the Union of Artists of Russia
2015 - 2021: chief artist of the embroidery workshop at Feodorovsky Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. 2022 March - present: Iconographer, iconography instructor working in Tbilisi (Georgia).

Author of the majority of our offline and online courses.
Actively participates in exhibitions of contemporary ecclesiastical art in Russia and abroad.

Plan

Day 1

Basic face proportions. How to draw face oval, nose, eyes, lips. How to connect head and neck to she shoulders. Pencil drawing, no models.

Day 2

Day 1

Drawing process: The importance of modelling the shape of the face. How to find individuality of the image, construction of the garment. Drawing with a brush. How to arrange the image on the page or icon panel.

Day 3

Day 1

Day 3

Basic principles of working with egg tempera: how to prepare egg emulsion, how to mix colors, how to vary the consistency of paint, how to apply the paint evenly.

Day 4

Day 3

Painting process. Opaque and transparent layers. Glazing. Highlighting. Basic methods of face painting.

Day 5

Day 4

Day 5

Painting process. Painting the face and garment of Christ on board.

Ready to Enroll?

The Off-Line Iconography Workshop Icon of Christ will begin on Tuesday April 29 at 8:30 AM and will end about 4:30 PM on Saturday May 3, 2025 and the cost will be $1,100 USD for 5 full days.

The fee includes: Professional instructions and all materials including board, paints, and brushes. Students are invited to join the monks for meals. This includes a continental breakfast each morning, dinner (the monks eat their main meal of the day at 12:15 pm), and a light supper after Vespers.

Accommodations are not included.

Due to the small class size, the cost of hosting this workshop, and the distance the instructor(s) will be traveling, we must adhere to a strict cancellation policy.

Your $300 non-refundable deposit must be received at the time of registration. You may pay the balance in full at any time, otherwise a monthly payment plan will be established. (Reminders will be emailed.) Balance must be paid in full by March 14, 2025.

All payments are non-refundable unless the workshop is canceled.

Should circumstances require you to cancel, New Skete will make all reasonable attempts to fill the vacancy. If the vacancy is filled, New Skete will refund all but the $300 deposit.

Area Information

Guest Rooms at New Skete

Great room at Emmaus House - guesthouse at New Skete monastery. Snow in windows. Couches and chair

There are a limited number of guest rooms at the monastery.

If rooms are still available, links to request a guestroom will be emailed to you upon completing the registration and payment.

A list of inns, hotels, and motels will be emailed upon registration.

Area Information

Guest Rooms at New Skete

For information on the area visit,

Cambridge Valley Chamber of Commerce

Washington County New York

Bennington Vermont Chamber

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Icon Painting Workshop for Beginners

ICON OF CHRIST

What We Will Do

Beginners Iconography workshop

SHORT DESCRIPTION

GOAL

PROGRAM

PROGRAM

PROGRAM

PROGRAM

PROGRAM

PRACTICE

WHAT TO EXPECT

FOR WHOM

FOR WHOM

FOR WHOM

COST

FOR WHOM

FOR WHOM

SCHEDULE

FOR WHOM

ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES

MATERIALS

ACTIVITIES

MATERIALS

LOCATION

ACTIVITIES

MATERIALS

THE INSTRUCTORS

Philip Davydov

Philip Davydov

Philip Davydov

Olga Shalamova

Philip Davydov

Philip Davydov

Plan

Day 1

Day 1

Day 1

Day 2

Day 1

Day 1

Day 3

Day 1

Day 3

Day 4

Day 4

Day 3

Day 5

Day 4

Day 5

Ready to Enroll?

Area Information

Guest Rooms at New Skete

Guest Rooms at New Skete

Guest Rooms at New Skete

Area Information

Guest Rooms at New Skete

Guest Rooms at New Skete

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