An icon commissioned

My alma mater is constructing a chapel dedicated to Christ the Teacher - at the moment the outer walls are being bricked with internal work to follow. I took this opportunity to have an icon commissioned for the new temple and was lucky enough to find an iconographer who writes beautiful icons in a very traditional manner. I hope to post as the icon is being written over the coming months (using traditional media it's quite a lengthy process). Comments below are explanations provided by the iconographer:


Icon pattern sketch upper half.




Two essential preparatory materials, glue and gesso. The glue is prepared from dried rabbit skin granules, and the gesso (or levkas левкас) is a preparation of water, rabbit skin granules and a blend of chalk and marble dust. The gesso will sit refrigerated for several days to reduce the small bubbles that the stirring process has created by oxidizing the mixture. Use a freshly made gesso too early and these little bubbles will create "pinholes" in the finished surface that will weaken it.




The panel is scored with a sharp blade and coated with rabbit skin glue. The glue, properly prepared, is as strong as any good epoxy. By sinking into the cuts in the wood, it will begin the bonding process that will later include the linen and the gesso.

This panel is cabinetry-grade Baltic birch plywood, so it is already extremely stable. Nevertheless, this initial glue coating is still a good idea, as it will help strengthen it further.