The Iconofile School of Iconography offers classes for individuals to learn the technique of icon painting directly from contemporary Russian masters. Iconofile selected iconography masters who are not only excellent painters in their own right, but are among the best teachers in Russia. Each instructor has a painting style and a philosophical approach to iconography uniquely their own and different from each other instructor in the school.

Workshop Program

This is a six-day intensive workshop on the living tradition of icon painting as developed in the 15th through 17th centuries by Rus?painters in Yaroslavl, Russia, known as the Yaroslavl School. The workshop will be taught by Anton and Julia Belov in English. This workshop focuses on the technique of gilding, assiste, painting over gilded surfaces, and the technique of soft fusing colors in faces, hands and clothing, so well perfected by masters of the Yaroslavl School of icon painting.

Christ Pantocrator, Kovcheg Workshop, 2005, gold and egg tempera on wood, 28 cm x 22 cm.

The instructors will use a prototype of the icon of the Christ Pantocrator as the model for teaching the techniques in this workshop. This is a well-suited prototype for use in this course, because it contains excellent examples of gilding in the halo, gold assiste on the garments, and soft fusing tones in the face. This icon model is also ideal because it contains only one figure which reduces the complexity of attempting to paint two or more figures while learning the advanced techniques in this class.

The icon features gilding in the haloes and monogram of Christ and gold painted as the highlights of His garments. This type of gold painting always presents a challenge because the materials and technique must be consistent. Anton and Julia will demonstrate how to make your own shell gold and then paint these fine lines in fine decorative

The face of Christ is quite large on this icon, so this icon presents an excellent opportunity to learn how to paint soft, fusing tones. The face is typically difficult to master, so Julia Belov, the "lichnik" master of the Kovcheg workshop, will work with each student to help you master the technique. For a larger-sized view of the image of this icon click here.

Icon-Painting Technique: You will learn advanced techniques for preparing shell gold for gold assiste, preparing the base for gilding, gilding methods, painting over gilding, painting techniques for clothing, and faces.

Hands-on, Practical Instruction: You will draw the figures of the Christ Pantocrator on tracing paper; transfer the figure onto the gessoed board; prepare the board for gilding and gild the halo of the Pantocrator; paint the base colors of the background, clothing and face; develop the modeling in the folds of the robes, the features of the face; apply assiste to the clothing; and complete the icon painting with highlights.

Workshop Schedule

The following details of the workshop schedule are subject to change without notification.

Day 1: Trace the model from a photo copy onto tracing paper, transfer the cartoon to the board and outline the contour with ochre paint. For those with stronger drawing skills, you will sketch the outline with a soft pencil directly onto the board, and then draw the contours using a brush with ochre paint.

Day 2: Gilding demonstration and applying gold leaf to the icon board.

Day 3: Complete the gilding, paint the raskryshka (§â§Ñ§ã§Ü§â§í§ê§Ü§Ú, literally "to open") or base layer of the icon painting, and begin painting the probelov (§á§â§à§Ò§Ö§Ý§à§Ó) or modeling the structure of the face, hands and garments.

Day 4: Complete the probelov and paint the vokhrenie (§Ó§à§ç§â§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö) of the face and hands.

Day 5: Start painting the opis (§à§á§Ú§ã§î) or highlighting brushstrokes of the face, hands and garments. Apply assiste to the garments.

Day 6: Finish painting the opis, paint the finishing lines and areas of the icon (outline the halo, inscription, outside frame, etc.).

The workshop will begin at 9:00 a.m., break for lunch at 1:00 p.m., resume at 2:00 p.m., and finish at 6:00 p.m. each day. There will also be short breaks during the day. This is a rigorous schedule, so plan on getting plenty of rest each night. If you are arriving from outside the area, we recommend that you arrive early the day before the workshop begins to get a good night&##39;s sleep, so that you are refreshed on Monday morning.

On each day of the workshop, Anton Belov and Julia Belova shall discuss theoretical concepts, such as the construction of the icon, icon-painting technique, the history of icon-painting, etc., however, such discussions will be kept to a minium to allow students as much time to work as possible.

Who Should Attend?

If you want to master the technique of gilding and painting gold assiste, you should attend this workshop. If you want to master painting faces and clothing, achieving smooth gradations in transitions from highlights to shadows, you should attend this workshop. If you have successfully painted and completed at least one icon you can greatly benefit from this workshop. Whether you paint in acrylics, gouache or egg tempera you can benefit from this course that teaches painting techniques that are applicable to any of these media.

Workshop Locations

Eastern United States: Washington, DC¡ªThe Eastern location of the workshop is at the Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, DC (about three blocks away from the Washington National Cathedral). The church is minutes away from Arlington, Virginia and centrally located to Alexandria and Falls Church, Virginia and Bethesda, Maryland. The address is 3500 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC. (See map) Parking for Saint Nicholas Cathedral is on side streets around the Cathedral.
For local accommodations and transportation, visit this page.

Western United States: Santa Rosa, California¡ªThe location of the Western workshop is at the Church of Saint Seraphim of Sarov in Santa Rosa, California (about one hour drive north of San Francisco in the heart of California&##39;s Wine Country). The address of the church is 90 Mountain View Avenue, Santa Rosa, California.
For local accommodations and transportation, visit this page.

Central United States: Austin, Texas¡ªThe location of the Central workshop is at Sri Atmananda Memorial School. The address of the school is 4100 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78751. The school is on the property of the KPM Institute.
For local accommodations and transportation, visit this page.

Local Accommodations

If you are coming to the workshop from outside the local area, we have information about local accommodations and transportation:

Accommodations and Transportation: Washington, DC

Accommodations and Transportation: Santa Rosa, California

Accommodations and Transportation: Austin, Texas

About the Workshop and Instructors

The Kovcheg Icon-Painting Artel (Russian for atelier) was established in 1995 in Yaroslavl, Russia. The goal of the workshop is the revival and development of Russian Orthodox icon painting. Some of Yaroslavl&##39;s most skilled contemporary painters -- Anton Belov, Julia Belova, Eugenia Rizhova, Stas Toropov along with other icon painters -- united to establish Kovcheg to revive the traditions of the Yaroslavl icon-painting school. Anton and Julia Belov are the leaders of the workshop.

Some of the artists of the Kovcheg Icon-Painting Artel. Seated from left to right is Julia Belova, Eugenia Rizhova, Stas Toropov and Anton Belov.

The Kovcheg Artel is among the artistic workshops of the Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church of Russia. Their icons were exhibited in the Kremlin Museum in Moscow, at exhibitions in the Bolshoi Theatre, "The Days of Russian Culture" in Germany, and other exhibitions in France and Italy. Collectively, they have produced more than a thousand icons. Among their most significant works is the icon Seventy Apostles presented in honor of the seventeenth anniversary of the Patriarch of Moscow and of All Russia, Alexy II.

Recently the icon painters of the artel completed the icon St. Tikhon the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia with scenes from his life. (It may be noted that between the years 1898 and 1907, Saint Tikhon was the bishop of Alaska and America.) The icon was a gift of His Holiness Alexy II, the Patriarch of Moscow and of All Russia to the city of Arkhangelsk.

Click here for more information and examples of the work of the Kovcheg Icon-Painting Artel.

Photo Diary of an Iconofile Workshop

Iconofile is initiating a quiet revolution in the way icon painting is taught in the United States. With instructors from Russia, Iconofile wants students to grasp the concept of becoming part of a living tradition; a tradition that does not simply mimic the past, but builds on the foundation laid by great icon painters.

See the highlights 

Tuition

$685 includes the workshop tuition and materials needed for the workshop, which includes most supplies (such as finished icon panel, gold leaf, tools, and natural pigments). Students are responsible for meals and lodging if attending from outside the local area. Please register early because there is limited space at this workshop.

Register for the Workshop

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