1. Sacred Art
“Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified.”
Galatians 3:1

2. In Memory of:
Fr. Antonius Henein

3. Website for Ordering Icons

4. The 2nd Commandment
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them…” Exodus 20:4 & 5

5. After the Incarnation of Jesus Christ
“When you contemplate God becoming man, then you can depict Him clothed in human form. When the invisible One becomes visible to flesh, you may then draw His likeness.” St. John of Damascus

6. An Icon is Written A book is an icon written with words.
In the beginning, letter were images (e.g. Hieroglyphics)
An icon tells us a story depicted in lines and colors.
“A picture is worth a 1000 words.” (Old Chinese adage)
Images are more powerful than words

7. The Service of Icons: Windows into heaven Reveal the glory of God
Reveal the unseen heavenly host of Angels, Saints, and Martyrs
We use icons to illustrate the Gospel of Christ.

8. Praying with Icons: Icons are specifically written for meditation
Written by monks, devoted to meditations
Consecrated with Mayroon (holy oil)
Examples

9. Who can write an icon? Not every person can write an icon.
Qualifications for an iconographer:
An active member of the Church
Living a spiritual life
Possesses Theological knowledge
A skilled artist (secondary importance)
Monks have traditionally filled the role of icon-writers.

10. Technique of Making an Icon
Type of wood used
Preparing the wooden slab

11. Technique of Making an Icon
Covered with fine cotton cloth
Coated with a mixture of animal glue, chalk and titanium white pigment

12. Technique of Making an Icon
Copying or drawing the motif
Background covered with red brown bole
Dried, smoothed with sandpaper, and polished with steel wool

13. Technique of Making an Icon
Gilding with gold leaves
Leaves affixed with animal glue & alcohol
Brushed lightly and burnished with agate

14. Technique of Making an Icon
Halo punched
Paint emulsion made of egg yolk, water, vinegar & color pigments
Limited Color spectrum (spiritual inducing)

15. Technique of Making an Icon
Painted systematically – background to foreground
Working from darker to lighter shades
Here, folds in robes & facial features outlined

16. Technique of Making an Icon
Lastly, inscriptions are written
Varnished to protect & brighten surface

17. Some rules for writing icons:
The icon must include the worshipper in its subject.
There must never be any unnecessary lines or colors to distract the worshipper.
The background gilded with gold
Halos radiate from within the face of the saint.
The holy one is depicted as victorious and joyful, never as weak or full of pain.

18. Icon of Jonah the Prophet

19. Jonah the Prophet

20. Icon of Jonah the Prophet

21. Icon of Jonah the Prophet

22. Crucifixion Icon

23. Crucifixion Icon

24. Icon of St. Anthony the Great

25. Warning on Using Pictures
Watch a video on a convert: