THE PROCESS OF WRITING ICONS with Iconographer Thomas Xenakis.
“Icon writing” or “Hagiographia,” in the Greek language, is a process that visually communicates and describes Scriptural (Old and New Testament) events. Additionally, beyond the Old and New Testament, liturgy, historical Orthodox Christian events, the lives of the Saints, and other Holy events significant in Church teachings are communicated via the Holy Icons.
Orthodox Christians do not worship icons. We only worship The Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We honor and venerate the icons to help us in our lives, through Liturgy, the Sacraments and prayer and contemplation.
The methods used in this icon writing are the traditional methods used for centuries in Orthodox Byzantine icons and with all natural media. There are a variety of styles within the Orthodox icon painting world where ethnic and national identities come through the writing of the icon. Icons are technically written and not painted.
The process of writing icons is preceded with prayer, meditation, communion, confession, and research. Research can also include Canonical Icon painting Manuals from the past and the Modern era. Visual Examples of prototypes, from famous icons written in the past are often gleaned and studied.
A variety of natural materials are used in writing an icon. Such materials are wood, animal skin glue, gesso, precious metals like gold and silver, traditional ground-colored pigments, egg yolks, water, high quality watercolor brushes, charcoal, tracing paper, sandpaper, natural varnish, and scrapers. The technique used is egg-tempera. Icons can be written also in a fresco technique, with mosaics, on glass, etched on metals, on vellum and parchment, among others.
Writing icons is a serious, spiritually demanding responsibility and endeavor. It requires immense concentration, and distractions will never help the process or the product. One only can thank God for the opportunity to use one’s gift for the Glory of God.
Thank you to Georgetown Professor of Drawing & Illustration / Iconographer Thomas Xenakis. Photos courtesy of the Artist, and Artist photos courtesy of Kate Kharlamova of Red Hat Studio.