- 1). Receive a benediction to become an iconographer from an Orthodox priest. If you want to create an official religious icon, this step is necessary. Otherwise, you are just making a religious picture that resembles an icon.
- 2). Paint a thick layer of hide glue onto your board. Let the glue soak into the wood and dry. When the glue is dry, paint another layer on top. Allow the glue to dry completely.
- 3). Soak the linen in hide glue. Carefully apply the linen to the panel and allow the glue to dry completely.
- 4). Apply two more coats of hide glue over the linen, allowing each to dry completely.
- 5). Rub a layer of gesso by hand into the linen. Allow the gesso to dry slightly and rub in several more layers, allowing some dry time in between each and being careful not to rub the layers of gesso right off.
- 6). Thin the gesso out a bit with some water and paint several coats of thin gesso onto the board. All together, you should end up with 15 to 20 coats of gesso.
- 7). Rub the board with sandpaper until it is as smooth as marble. Don't press too hard; you're smoothing the service, not sanding the gesso off.
- 8). Draw your religious figure onto your board with your pencil. Consult other images of your saint so that you know what attributes to draw to make her recognizable.
- 9). Trim your gold leaf so that it fits perfectly around the outline of your saint. Carefully apply the gold leaf to the board with hide glue. Allow the glue to dry completely.
- 10
Paint in your saint with the tempera. Lay the flat colors first and allow them to dry. Once they are dry, apply darker and lighter details, slowly building your image to completion.
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