This sounds wonderful, Hilary ~ it seems you really are being called to this after all the sometimes very painful recent happenings in your life. Perhaps these experiences have prepared you. I’ve been drawn to this way of spiritual art too as it seems to deeply transcend the more typical types of current religious art, and especially after you have pointed out many facets of this way of painting and seeing. I’m greatly attracted. For now, I can only dabble, as I’m caring for my elderly father. But I know I will greatly benefit from watching what you learn and how you grow. Am very glad to know of this course ~ perhaps for the future.
I have a suggestion or two if you're taken up with lots of important things. Drawing the face of Christ is a prayer, a kind of non-verbal version of the Jesus prayer. Or it can be if you intend it that way. So, I think it's definitely worth doing even a little bit, even in a non-systematic way. Frankly, dabbling is unfairly maligned. We admire people who go all in and spend years perfecting craft and whatnot, sure. But we can only do what we can actually do. I know a guy online who learned the basics of iconographic drawing and now does very sweet and funny cartoons using the Byzantine style of drawing and coloured pencils. They're really good, very sweet and fun. He's learning a little painting in the traditional style on the side and isn't very good at it, and that's OK. It took me many years to come to understand that Chesterton saying, "A thing worth doing is worth doing badly." Because even not going all-in on something, just doing it for fun or relaxation, gives you a lot of value.
Anyway, I can suggest that if you want to learn this kind of drawing in a less intense way, Julia Hayes' videos on YouTube are a great way to start. Very easy to follow and clear, and short. And just doodling along with a pencil on a note pad would be something you might find really fun. And Antonis Kosmadakis's videos are very good too. Even if you're not doing the drawing or painting, they're fascinating to watch.
And thanks for the kind words. It really helps me to know people are getting something worthwhile out of all this.
Yes, you are so right - I certainly can doodle and draw during spare moments, which I do have. That is an excellent suggestion. My days are very fractionated and it feels very daunting to set out to commit to “a project.” But just to draw Our Lord’s face is doable ~ like a prayer on the run, so to speak. I like that. Thank you so much for the nudge and for the links! I will do this. I’m deeply thankful.
Hello, Hilary. I recently subscribed to your Substack, and feel like I found a kindred spirit in the desert. Thank you for your thoughtful and knowledgeable posts and videos! You are doing a tremendous service for the Church, the faithful, artists, and most importantly, your own soul. I have been considering taking up iconography for many years (through prayer and at the request of some of my clients). Through your encouragement, I visited the website of George Kordis and signed up for the “Preparation of Surfaces and Boards for Iconography” workshop. I thought I’d start with that before signing up for a full course (also because I’m a materials nerd and have always wanted to do proper water gilding 😁.) I’ve had some experience working with materials for icons through the wonderful folks at Natural Pigments (George O’Hanlon and Tatiana Zaytseva.) If I do decide to commit to finally learning iconography properly, I would love to share that journey with you as a “buddy”. And thank you for the links you posted in the reply to Shannon Rose. I’ll check those out!
Ah. Well, that's not really the place I would have suggested as a start for iconography. I've no interest myself in making icon panels, but certainly admire people who focus on that and get good at it. I know there are shops out there - of course, because I buy from them - that specialise entirely on the panels.
It's a very distinct set of skills and one I think for me is best left to specialists. You need a special type of workshop with all sorts of tools I don't have. I buy my icon panels, because I've read that if you make your own, there are a million ways to get it wrong, and if you get it wrong, and try to paint on it, your painting can be ruined, so I decided to leave off. I have the gesso makings, but have restricted myself to making gesso to create texture for paper applications.
I like the materials end of things too, however, and enjoy knowing about them, and find it all quite fascinating. Especially pigments. So, sure. Fire away. I think we can start by just starting the courses and taking photos and screen shots of what interests us, our own projects and things, and then posting them to a section of this site. I can DM you on the Substack home page with details of the technical aspects of how to put that together.
Thanks, Hilary. You make a good point about buying professional panels instead of getting caught up in the nuts and bolts of making them. I guess after years of making my own painting panels I’ve always wanted to experience making an icon from “the ground up”, so to speak. There is something meditative about working with the wood, the muslin, the gesso that speaks to me. Please DM me more info about panel sources and technical info about posting photos.
I would love to join you. However, I'm finishing my PhD now and then will be moving from France to the states in July so most likely will not be able to commit to steady work until the fall (when i also plan to become a paid subscriber btw- i will be making a little more money, God willing). Would there be any way to stay up to date with your progress in the meantime?
Ciao Hilary, ho letto il tuo articolo e la tua testimonianza, ti auguro di crescere sempre di più nella conoscenza dell'iconografia cristiana, che, prima di essere una tecnica artistica è un cammino spirituale, la cui finalità è la santità. Da più di venti anni studio e insegno iconografia cristiana, in Sardegna, Italia, sono un teologo cattolico specializzato nella teologia dell'icona, nel mio laboratorio-scuola che gestisco insieme a mia moglie, aiutiamo i nostri allievi, sia cattolici che ortodossi, a crescere nel loro cammino spirituale e artistico. Dico sempre ai miei allievi che il fine dell'iconografia non è l'icona ma l'iconografo. Nella mia esperienza e nei miei studi, ho capito che la tecnica nell'iconografia è strumentale alla preghiera, anzi è essa stessa un esercizio spirituale che ci serve per incontrare il Volto di Dio e la sua Presenza, infatti l'icona ha un carattere sacramentale, superiore a qualsiasi altra forma d'arte religiosa. Se posso permettermi di darti un consiglio, ti suggerirei di non limitarti a seguire dei corsi online, che possono andare bene per la teoria ma che non sono sufficienti per la pratica, la quale necessita dell'apprendimento diretto e in presenza. Indipendentemente da quanto un maestro sia bravo o famoso, il rapporto umano tra docente e allievo è insostituibile. Questo è uno dei motivi, oltre all'aspetto spirituale che ci ha convinti a fare online solo corsi di teoria ma non di pratica. Questo vale specialmente per i principianti, che hanno bisogno di solide basi e correzioni da parte dell'insegnante. Come non è la stessa cosa guardare la Santa Messa in televisione o partecipare alla Liturgia di persona, così vale anche per l'iconografia, che è arte liturgica. Ti saluto fraternamente e ti auguro ogni bene. Michele
Thank you so much for taking an interest. I'm personally in a bit of a transition phase, with regards to my future work. Right now I'm using online courses as a way of getting started that isn't too expensive and that I can do without uprooting my home. I did take academic drawing for four years at a private atelier in Rome, but now am restricted for the time being to online iconography courses due to financial and other considerations. Don't know about the future.
This sounds wonderful, Hilary ~ it seems you really are being called to this after all the sometimes very painful recent happenings in your life. Perhaps these experiences have prepared you. I’ve been drawn to this way of spiritual art too as it seems to deeply transcend the more typical types of current religious art, and especially after you have pointed out many facets of this way of painting and seeing. I’m greatly attracted. For now, I can only dabble, as I’m caring for my elderly father. But I know I will greatly benefit from watching what you learn and how you grow. Am very glad to know of this course ~ perhaps for the future.
I have a suggestion or two if you're taken up with lots of important things. Drawing the face of Christ is a prayer, a kind of non-verbal version of the Jesus prayer. Or it can be if you intend it that way. So, I think it's definitely worth doing even a little bit, even in a non-systematic way. Frankly, dabbling is unfairly maligned. We admire people who go all in and spend years perfecting craft and whatnot, sure. But we can only do what we can actually do. I know a guy online who learned the basics of iconographic drawing and now does very sweet and funny cartoons using the Byzantine style of drawing and coloured pencils. They're really good, very sweet and fun. He's learning a little painting in the traditional style on the side and isn't very good at it, and that's OK. It took me many years to come to understand that Chesterton saying, "A thing worth doing is worth doing badly." Because even not going all-in on something, just doing it for fun or relaxation, gives you a lot of value.
Anyway, I can suggest that if you want to learn this kind of drawing in a less intense way, Julia Hayes' videos on YouTube are a great way to start. Very easy to follow and clear, and short. And just doodling along with a pencil on a note pad would be something you might find really fun. And Antonis Kosmadakis's videos are very good too. Even if you're not doing the drawing or painting, they're fascinating to watch.
And thanks for the kind words. It really helps me to know people are getting something worthwhile out of all this.
https://www.youtube.com/@ikonographics
https://www.youtube.com/@PaintingtheLight
Yes, you are so right - I certainly can doodle and draw during spare moments, which I do have. That is an excellent suggestion. My days are very fractionated and it feels very daunting to set out to commit to “a project.” But just to draw Our Lord’s face is doable ~ like a prayer on the run, so to speak. I like that. Thank you so much for the nudge and for the links! I will do this. I’m deeply thankful.
Hello, Hilary. I recently subscribed to your Substack, and feel like I found a kindred spirit in the desert. Thank you for your thoughtful and knowledgeable posts and videos! You are doing a tremendous service for the Church, the faithful, artists, and most importantly, your own soul. I have been considering taking up iconography for many years (through prayer and at the request of some of my clients). Through your encouragement, I visited the website of George Kordis and signed up for the “Preparation of Surfaces and Boards for Iconography” workshop. I thought I’d start with that before signing up for a full course (also because I’m a materials nerd and have always wanted to do proper water gilding 😁.) I’ve had some experience working with materials for icons through the wonderful folks at Natural Pigments (George O’Hanlon and Tatiana Zaytseva.) If I do decide to commit to finally learning iconography properly, I would love to share that journey with you as a “buddy”. And thank you for the links you posted in the reply to Shannon Rose. I’ll check those out!
Ah. Well, that's not really the place I would have suggested as a start for iconography. I've no interest myself in making icon panels, but certainly admire people who focus on that and get good at it. I know there are shops out there - of course, because I buy from them - that specialise entirely on the panels.
It's a very distinct set of skills and one I think for me is best left to specialists. You need a special type of workshop with all sorts of tools I don't have. I buy my icon panels, because I've read that if you make your own, there are a million ways to get it wrong, and if you get it wrong, and try to paint on it, your painting can be ruined, so I decided to leave off. I have the gesso makings, but have restricted myself to making gesso to create texture for paper applications.
I like the materials end of things too, however, and enjoy knowing about them, and find it all quite fascinating. Especially pigments. So, sure. Fire away. I think we can start by just starting the courses and taking photos and screen shots of what interests us, our own projects and things, and then posting them to a section of this site. I can DM you on the Substack home page with details of the technical aspects of how to put that together.
This'll be fun.
Thanks, Hilary. You make a good point about buying professional panels instead of getting caught up in the nuts and bolts of making them. I guess after years of making my own painting panels I’ve always wanted to experience making an icon from “the ground up”, so to speak. There is something meditative about working with the wood, the muslin, the gesso that speaks to me. Please DM me more info about panel sources and technical info about posting photos.
Well, I do really look forward to seeing your progress in learning this. It's pretty exciting.
I would love to join you. However, I'm finishing my PhD now and then will be moving from France to the states in July so most likely will not be able to commit to steady work until the fall (when i also plan to become a paid subscriber btw- i will be making a little more money, God willing). Would there be any way to stay up to date with your progress in the meantime?
I'm going to start the sub-section as soon as I've got something to show, and if anyone else is interested, we can post their stuff there too.
Excellent!
Ciao Hilary, ho letto il tuo articolo e la tua testimonianza, ti auguro di crescere sempre di più nella conoscenza dell'iconografia cristiana, che, prima di essere una tecnica artistica è un cammino spirituale, la cui finalità è la santità. Da più di venti anni studio e insegno iconografia cristiana, in Sardegna, Italia, sono un teologo cattolico specializzato nella teologia dell'icona, nel mio laboratorio-scuola che gestisco insieme a mia moglie, aiutiamo i nostri allievi, sia cattolici che ortodossi, a crescere nel loro cammino spirituale e artistico. Dico sempre ai miei allievi che il fine dell'iconografia non è l'icona ma l'iconografo. Nella mia esperienza e nei miei studi, ho capito che la tecnica nell'iconografia è strumentale alla preghiera, anzi è essa stessa un esercizio spirituale che ci serve per incontrare il Volto di Dio e la sua Presenza, infatti l'icona ha un carattere sacramentale, superiore a qualsiasi altra forma d'arte religiosa. Se posso permettermi di darti un consiglio, ti suggerirei di non limitarti a seguire dei corsi online, che possono andare bene per la teoria ma che non sono sufficienti per la pratica, la quale necessita dell'apprendimento diretto e in presenza. Indipendentemente da quanto un maestro sia bravo o famoso, il rapporto umano tra docente e allievo è insostituibile. Questo è uno dei motivi, oltre all'aspetto spirituale che ci ha convinti a fare online solo corsi di teoria ma non di pratica. Questo vale specialmente per i principianti, che hanno bisogno di solide basi e correzioni da parte dell'insegnante. Come non è la stessa cosa guardare la Santa Messa in televisione o partecipare alla Liturgia di persona, così vale anche per l'iconografia, che è arte liturgica. Ti saluto fraternamente e ti auguro ogni bene. Michele
Thank you so much for taking an interest. I'm personally in a bit of a transition phase, with regards to my future work. Right now I'm using online courses as a way of getting started that isn't too expensive and that I can do without uprooting my home. I did take academic drawing for four years at a private atelier in Rome, but now am restricted for the time being to online iconography courses due to financial and other considerations. Don't know about the future.