The first series of iconography tutorials "Drawing the Face" is now available on Udemy. Get lifetime access to this course with this special offer of €29.99. 

Painting Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace in tetrachrome (using only four colours) with the underpainting technique. The colours used are Yellow Oche, Ercolano Red (and Mars Red), Iron Oxide Black and Titanium white.

Underpainting: Yellow Ochre, Black and White

Red Garment Proplasmos: Ercolano Red, Mars Red and a touch of white.
Blue Garment Proplasmos: Black and white
Halo: Proplasmos: Yellow ochre + white
Lights: white

1st Light: Proplasmos + white =a touch of black

2nd Light: 1st + white

3rd Light: 2nd + white

Blue Garment: 1st Light: Proplasmos + white
2nd Light: 1st+ white

3rd light: 2nd + white

Graspimata: 
Blue Garment: Black + white + mars red
Red Garment: Yellow ochre + black + a touch of ercolano red

Clavis: Proplasmos: Yellow Ochre + Ercolano Red+ black
Grapsimata: Proplasmos+ red ercolano + black
Assist: Yellow ochre + white
Gospel book: 
Pages proplasmos: white+yellow ochre + red ercolano
1st Light: white (diluted)
2nd light: white
Grapsimata: Yellow Ochre + red ercolano + white
Edge of the book: Red ercolano+ a little mars red
Grapsimata: red ercolano + black
Face and hands: Proplasmos: Yellow ochre + red ercolano + black
​

Hair: Face prolasmos + red ercolano + black
​Grapsimata : Proplasmos + red ercolano + black

1st Light: proplasmos + yellow ochre + a touch of white

2nd Light: 1st + yellow ochre + white

3rd: 2nd + yellow ochre+ white

I used a glaze of red ercolano+ yellow ochre + black over the hair to bring the tone down.
Grapsimata (Face/beard/ hair): Red ercolano + black 

Build up the grapsimata with the addition of black.

1st Flesh: Yellow ochre + white

Cool glaze (glykasmos): Yellow ochre + white+ black

2nd Flesh: 1st + white

Warm glaze (pyrodismos): ercolano red+ a touch of yellow ochre 

3rd Flesh: 2nd + white

Psimithia: 1st: 3rd flesh = white
Final: white

Warm glaze (pyrodismos): ercolano red+ a touch of yellow ochre ​

Now that we've completed the series of tutorials on drawing the face we're going to kick of the next series where we will be studying the half figure with first tutorial on drawing hands. The full tutorial will be released on 2 April. Sign up at the link below to learn Byzantine iconography or to support this project!

Painting Sts Cosmas and Damian. From the preliminary sketches to the completed icon.

Prints of this icon are available here.

Painting St Basil the Fool For Christ of Moscow step-by-step.

This is a preview of the upcoming tutorial on drawing the face in the upward facing 3/4 pose. The full 30 minute tutorial will be available on Patreon. Sign up as a Patron to support this project!

Interested in learning Byzantine Iconography? This is a rough overview of the curriculum for the iconography video tutorials I am producing on Patreon with the aim of making a series of video tutorial courses on various aspects of Byzantine iconography, starting from  freehand drawing and progressing to painting with the proplasmos and underpainting techniques. I'm currently working on the fifth drawing tutorial. The exact order of the videos may change and I may add additional videos depending on what students’ need are.  Without your support this can't happen! Please click the button below to become a Patron and pass this on to anyone interested in learning Byzantine Iconography or who might be interested  in supporting this project.

Painting the icon of St Sebastian step-by-step using underpainting