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Betsy Porter
Art and Iconography
STUDIO TIPS FOR THE ICONOGRAPHER
Art and Iconography
STUDIO TIPS FOR THE ICONOGRAPHER
STUDIO TIPS FOR EGG TEMPERA ICONOGRAPHY
- While working on your icon, set it flat on a hand towel to protect both the icon and the table. When packing
it up, wrap it in the towel. Then put the bundle in a plastic bag inside a tote bag.
- You will be working with very small quantities of pigment. Take it from the container using a small flat
pointed tool, such as the smallest size palette knife from the art supply store.
- When mixing colors, you will need to handle small amounts of liquid egg tempera base and distilled water.
Use an eye dropper for each container of liquid.
- Avoid spills! Pigments, egg tempera base, oilfa, liquid bole, and even water can make nasty messes that
are time-consuming to clean. Get in the habit of replacing lids promptly, and check them before packing up.
- Made a mistake? Remove fresh paint promptly using a Q-tip dipped in water and then blotted on your
towel. Rub gently; do not scrub! If the paint has cured, then paint over it.
- Small quantities of paint may evaporate more quickly than you can use them. Reconstitute thick paint using
egg tempera base, not water. If leaving your paint for an hour or two, add a drop of egg tempera base.
- Store egg tempera paint overnight in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. Do not store over 2 days.
- Egg tempera has to cure or set up, so it is best to allow curing time between layers. Let your highlights cure
overnight, and preferably longer, before you "float" over them with dilute color.
- If conditions permit, work on two or more icons during the same session. Then the egg tempera will have
more cure time between applications.
- When cleaning up, wipe your palette well with paper towels before washing, to minimize the pigments and
bole going down the drain and potentially clogging it.
- Take good care of your beautiful natural-fiber watercolor brushes! Don't leave them nose down in the
water. Let them dry flat on your towel between uses. Tilt nose down slightly so water will drain out of the
metal ferrule.
| Betsy Porter at work in her home studio area |
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THE RULING PEN AND ITS USES - A ruling pen is a drafting instrument, intended to quickly make precise
ink or paint lines of even width. Many years ago in architectural school, we students were expected to make
presentation drawings of our building designs, using the ruling pen to draw with indelible black India ink on white
boards. Mistakes were not easy to erase!
The ruling pen tip consists of two flat parallel prongs, held in place by a screw which can be tightened or loosened
to adjust the width of the line. Don't let that little screw get lost! Some compasses come with a ruling pen tip as
well as a pencil tip.
To fill the ruling pen with liquid paint, fill a No. 2 brush and touch it to the space between the prongs, working from
the side of the pen. The pen will hold about two brush-fulls of paint. No more please - because an over-full pen
may suddenly drop a mess of paint on the surface of your board.
Practice on paper, to get the paint flowing and to make sure you like the line width.
The ruling pen starts and flows most easily if held at an angle to the surface. If you have difficulty getting it started,
touch the tip with a damp Q-tip or your slightly wet finger. Once the pen flows, you can just drag it rapidly along in
its path until it runs out of paint and has to be re-filled.
Work quickly! Don't let the paint dry up in the pen. Wash the pen promptly after you finish using it.
Use your ruling pen with a regular handle to make straight lines, with the help of a ruler or straight-edge. To avoid
spills from the pen, the edge of the ruler should be slightly raised above the surface of paper or board.
Use your ruling pen compass to make circles, such as the red circle around the halo. Before making the circle,
establish the center and radius of the halo. Make a small indentation for the compass point, and set the compass
to the desired radius.
Paint flows quite thickly from the pen, and may take up to 30 minutes to dry. While the paint is drying, avoid other
work near the line, so you won't smear the paint.
Keep a box of tissue and a damp Q-tip nearby, to clean up quickly in case of mishap.
ink or paint lines of even width. Many years ago in architectural school, we students were expected to make
presentation drawings of our building designs, using the ruling pen to draw with indelible black India ink on white
boards. Mistakes were not easy to erase!
The ruling pen tip consists of two flat parallel prongs, held in place by a screw which can be tightened or loosened
to adjust the width of the line. Don't let that little screw get lost! Some compasses come with a ruling pen tip as
well as a pencil tip.
To fill the ruling pen with liquid paint, fill a No. 2 brush and touch it to the space between the prongs, working from
the side of the pen. The pen will hold about two brush-fulls of paint. No more please - because an over-full pen
may suddenly drop a mess of paint on the surface of your board.
Practice on paper, to get the paint flowing and to make sure you like the line width.
The ruling pen starts and flows most easily if held at an angle to the surface. If you have difficulty getting it started,
touch the tip with a damp Q-tip or your slightly wet finger. Once the pen flows, you can just drag it rapidly along in
its path until it runs out of paint and has to be re-filled.
Work quickly! Don't let the paint dry up in the pen. Wash the pen promptly after you finish using it.
Use your ruling pen with a regular handle to make straight lines, with the help of a ruler or straight-edge. To avoid
spills from the pen, the edge of the ruler should be slightly raised above the surface of paper or board.
Use your ruling pen compass to make circles, such as the red circle around the halo. Before making the circle,
establish the center and radius of the halo. Make a small indentation for the compass point, and set the compass
to the desired radius.
Paint flows quite thickly from the pen, and may take up to 30 minutes to dry. While the paint is drying, avoid other
work near the line, so you won't smear the paint.
Keep a box of tissue and a damp Q-tip nearby, to clean up quickly in case of mishap.
Forward to Color Recipes
Forward to Roskrish or Base Colors
Forward to Painting and Highlighting
Back to Home Page
Back to Main Technical Page
Back to Supply List
Forward to Roskrish or Base Colors
Forward to Painting and Highlighting
Back to Home Page
Back to Main Technical Page
Back to Supply List
Lori Greenleaf at work on an
icon of Archangel Michael
icon of Archangel Michael
Load your ruling pen with paint from the side, using a full brush of fluid paint. Hold the pen at an angle
against a ruler, slightly elevated from the surface. Working quickly, pull the loaded pen across the surface
for a beautifully straight and even line! Wash the pen promptly after use, and don't let paint dry up in it.
against a ruler, slightly elevated from the surface. Working quickly, pull the loaded pen across the surface
for a beautifully straight and even line! Wash the pen promptly after use, and don't let paint dry up in it.
Load the ruling pen compass from the side, same as the straight ruling pen. Use 2 closely spaced
concentric circles at the edge of the halo, and fill in between the lines with a fine brush.
concentric circles at the edge of the halo, and fill in between the lines with a fine brush.
