MODELING THE FACE

Vocabulary usage:
proplasmos (Greek) = roskrysh (Slavonic) = base tone
psymithies (Greek) = ozhyvki (Slavonik) = bright accents and parallel lines in the brightest areas
pyrodismos (Greek) = rumyantsy (Slavonik) = a reddish color, a vey transparent glaze of vermillion with added first light, a "blush"

When we mix dry pigments with egg emulsion, the transparency and opaqueness
depend of the paint on the ratios of these two components. The more emulsion is there,
the more transparent the paint is, and vice versa. On top of the dark base tone,
transparent paint will have very little color and little saturation. The more pigment we add
to the mix, the thicker and more opaque it becomes. Then such lighter - opaque - paint is
less affected by the underlying dark base tone, which we call "proplasmos."
In the proplasmos technique, we suggest the following. The first light has to, on the
one hand, to stand out brightly and opaquely over the dark base tone in the places of
illumination, but on the other hand its edges and boundaries have to blend seamlessly into
the proplasmos.
Here is a way to do it effectively: when you model a specific spot, color it with opaque
paint in the center, without blending the edges. However, do not cover the entire area but
leave around enough unpainted space. This unpainted area is where the two colors will
eventually blend into each other as a soft transition from light to shadow. Take now some
of the thick opaque paint of the first light and add a few drops of egg emulsion. It becomes
more transparent. With this diluted paint, paint over the bright spot and then extend it
into the unpainted area. Let's assume the bright spot is circular; keep extending this lighter
but transparent color away from the bright area in concentric manner. Note that the
transparent color is rather toneless and is not as vibrant as the central opaque spot. Add
even more egg emulsion to the mix, and extend this transparent overlay even further into
the proplasmos. This extended area is even more subdued in terms of color saturation. So
basically, by adding egg emulsion to the initial opaque paint, we achieve various degrees of
transparency. When we lay these in a row with overlap, we can create a scale from the
most saturated tone to the barely visible one.
When we first cover the area with an opaque paint, there is a sharp distinct edge to
the brighter area. This sharp edge disappears once we cover it with a few glazes of
transparent color. If the edge is still stubbornly there, let it dry, and then pass this

transition area over again with a transparent color. Repeat this, until the transition of color
is gradual, and the bright color fades gently into the dark surface of proplasmos.
It is very important how we use the brush and how we apply the new color over the
base tone. First of all, the base color should be completely dry before application of a
brighter color on top of it. Make sure that you do not brush over the same spot repeatedly
because the underlying paint might get dissolved or softened by the moisture from egg
emulsion and will be lifted and dragged by the brush.
To prevent this, simply avoid applying brushstrokes in the same spot over and over
again. Put the brush aside, and let the area dry. If you do not want to lose time, work on
some other area that needs the same color and tone, and then when it is dry, test it by
touch, then work on it again.
When we take transparent paint and apply two coats of it, there is a small build up of
paint. As the result of this build up, the color becomes more saturated and less
transparent. And when we pass over the area the third time, it will become even more
saturated. We use this quality of egg tempera to create gradients between light and
shadows. This is only applicable when the base tone is dark and a brighter color is applied
on top of it.
HOW TO MAKE PROPLASMOS TONE AND THE FIRST LIGHT
The study of merging the two colors begins with making the correct tone for the
proplasmos. Do the following: combine 1/3 of yellow ocher, 1/5 of burnt sienna, 1/5 white,
and add some raw umber to it. This is the recipe of Panselinos for the proplasmos, typical
in the 14-th century, a somewhat dark grayish green. With this paint, cover a piece of
cardboard and let it dry.
After this, make another color - 1/3 ocher, 1/5 vermilion, and then add some white to
it. This will be the color of the first light, characteristic of the 14th century, and comparing
to the darker tone of the proplasmos, it is quite bright. With this second color, in an
opaque consistency, paint a large circle over the base tone. Dilute the second tone with
egg emulsion and extend the circle outward further into the proplasmos. Let it dry. Then
pull paint in parallel stokes - parallel to the round border of the opaque circle - outward.

Make sure that these parallel (or, should we say, concentric) brushstrokes are not
joined together as they are placed farther from the circle. The farther away from circle
they are, the lighter they get, and more widely spaced they are.
The purpose of this exercise to learn to merge the light and the dark tones. Now look
at the results and decide whether in some places the color is too weak where it should be
brighter. Should this be the case, add a few more brushstrokes to bring about the desired
results. Such corrections are often necessary if the merging of the two colors is not right,
and also the opaque paint may not be opaque enough, which could result in the dark
patches of proplasmos showing through. Passing transparent paint over the center of the
circle ensures that this does not happen. We work with the brush over the boundary
where those two colors meat until this sharp boundary disappears and is softly diffused.
This is a classical, smooth transition from light to dark. All brush strokes must be
executed in the direction parallel and concentric to the circumference of the lighter color
and never from the center of the circle, in a radial fashion.
Work on this exercise diligently, to get the smooth transition of the lighter color into
the proplasmos. We spend so much effort on detailed description because this is the
second major skill in iconography, second only to drawing and composition.
When you feel that you have finally mastered this exercise and learned how to make
seamless transition from light to dark, try to do the same on an actual face. The principles
are the same i.e., the only difficulty in this process is the smooth transition from the light
area to the proplasmos. We would like to reiterate here that all the brush strokes of the
color transition must be parallel to the edge of the opaque area, and never radiate from
the center, perpendicularly to the edge of the bright spot, unless there a specific reason for
that.
This way of transitioning from color to color is not the only technique known in
Eastern iconography.
Another way of merging the two colors is to fill some part of the transitional area with
transparent, ultra-thin, wispy lines of lighter color; this was a staple of the Cretan school.
In some other schools, the iconographers did not use the linear interpolation at all.
Instead, they applied very diluted and transparent colors with a flat brush, passing over the
area many times expertly, until the two colors merge perfectly. This was a method

developed by the Macedonian school in the 14th century and became a staple of the
Russian school of iconography.
Experiment with all these methods, practice these techniques diligently, and very soon
you will find that sky is the limit.
ON FACIAL HAIR
The lines of the beards are drawn in such a way that they approximately line up
towards and converge onto the center of the nose. To create an effect of hair growing from
the skin, thin out each line gradually until it disappears into the proplasmos. Do this
exercise first with a pencil, then with a fine brush using burnt umber.
When painting the mustache, make sure that the lines of the hair stay within the
darker area of the proplasmos and do not encroach upon the lighter areas. These hairs
should be longer and wider near the mouth. Make sure the ends of these lines are as thin
as possible; this gives the mustache their beauty and emphasize their volume. If these
ends are blunt and thick, the effect is as if the mustache is awkwardly glued to the face as if
it were stage make up.

TECHNIQUE OF SEAMLESS TRANSITIONS

At first, some theory.

Figure 1
Here we have two applications of the same lighter color over the darker background of
proplasmos. The brushstroke A is done with a thick mixture of pigment and egg emulsion,
with lots of pigment in it. Note that the color is very bright and light because it is opaque.
Now, examine the brushstroke B. Here, we have the same paint but we added a few
drops of egg emulsion to it. The paint becomes more transparent; it is not as bright as the
brushstroke A, and definitely less saturated. This is because its color is affected by the
color of proplasmos underneath, showing through.

Figure 2
Using a diluted mixture of brighter color, we make three horizontal and three vertical
passes with a flat brush. Observe the brightening of the tone at the point C - in fact, in all
nine points where these six brushstrokes intersect. The reason for this is obvious - in all
these points, there is a double layer of the paint. This helps us to understand how to build
a range of shades using the same pigment and the same degree of dilution, without adding
lighter pigment or making the paint more opaque. (More about this in Figure 4)

Figure 3
In this example, we painted the first (1) and the second (2) lights over the color of
proplasmos (3). The two arrows (at C), above and below, show the area where the two
lights join. In order to soften this abrupt transition, we need to fill the space between (b)
and (a) with the intermediate color, which we get by mixing the first light (1) and the
second light (2) together. The red dashed line shows where the intermediary color should
be placed in two coats. When the surface is dry, we make a third pass with the
intermediary color over the boundary line only. Make a note of this last important
brushstroke as it covers the boundary line and makes it invisible. By pushing on the brush
slightly to make the hairs spread, we cover more space on both sides of the color band. If
the boundary line is still visible, keep passing over it with intermediate color until it
disappears, Do this only when the surface is dry, otherwise pressure on the brush might
dislodge some of the paint, making unsightly holes which will be difficult to fix.
At the outer boundaries of the intermediate color (the lines A and B), the intermediate
color becomes more transparent and thin and blends with the first and the second lights.
This really helps to smooth the transition between the two lights.
Now, skip ahead and look at the vertical lines in Figure 9. These lines differ in
thickness, and as they become thinner, they are placed farther apart, in a manner similar to
broadloom.
The total of these brushstrokes, especially if observed from a distance, gives a smooth
transition from dark to light. The broadloom brushstrokes painted near the boundary line
end up being brighter, because they overlap each other two or three times.

Figure 4
Do the following exercise. Over a darker proplasmos, construct the following color
scale. First, paint with a flat brush a rectangle ABCD. For this, we use somewhat
transparent paint, with lots of egg emulsion in the mix. Make one pass with this color, from
side to side. After it dries, take the same paint, and draw another band on top of the first
one, but this time stopping before where it is marked 1. Let it dry again, and pass over the
section for the third time, this time leaving the sections 1 and 2 unpainted. Continue with
one more pass, stopping before the brush reaches section 3. The result is that in segment 1
you have one layer of paint, in segment 2 - two layers, in segment 3 - three layers, and in
segment 4 - four layers.
This exercise teaches us that the more layers of transparent paint are applied, the
brighter and more opaque it becomes because of the loss of transparency. The lighter
transparent color is affected by the color underneath, while opaque paint remains
unaffected. And this is one of the secrets of egg tempera which allows us to do so much
with very little.

Figure 5
Here is another way of understanding how to build gradual transitions from dark to
light. In this example, we have a range of lighter colors painted onto the base tone. The
segment A is a bright opaque paint. The segment B is the same opaque, undiluted paint
but with some color of the proplasmos added to it. In the segment C, more base tone is
added and so on, until in the last segment D we have a color very near the tone of the base
tone. The colors B and C we call "intermediary" because they contain in themselves both
colors, dark and light. Using intermediary colors, we smoothly connect light and dark
areas. Earlier, in the figure 4 we have shown how the lighter color ("first light"), when
diluted with egg emulsion, becomes transparent and looks darker because the dark
undertone shows through. We can use this quality of egg tempera to create smooth and
seamless transitions from dark to light. If you skip ahead and look at Figure 7, the
segments 7, 8, 9, and 10 are each joined with a smooth transition. Intermediate
transparent colors were used to create these seamless connections.

Figure 6
Modeling of the cheek

This is how the same principles of color transition work on a face

First, we paint the first light. Then we construct the intermediate color from the equal
amounts of the proplasmos paint and the first light, and add egg emulsion to it. With this
diluted intermediate color, we paint the smooth transition between the first light and the
proplasmos. Notice that the stokes are applied in a curved fashion, following the shape of
the first light area.
Under the eye, paint a large curve starting from the outside edge of the eye. Continue
this curve down the cheek and pass it onto to the chin applying the brushstrokes in the
same direction as the shape of the first light. Under the eye, in the area which we call
lacrimal sac, put a few horizontal brushstrokes of intermediary tone. The small illumination
in that place is made with a horizontal line of the first light.
This smooth transition of tone between the light and the proplasmos (representing
shadow on the face) is made with the technique described in explanations to Figure 7.
In the area under the eye, the second light is painted. The color of the second light is
made by taking some of the first light and adding white to it. Never should the second light
cover the area of the first light fully, but only a part of it. After the proper transition from
the second light to the first light is made, there always should be an area of the first light
left clearly visible and untouched by the second light. The same principle applies to the
relationship between the proplasmos and the first light: you can see in Figure 6 that there
is a substantial area of proplasmos by the jaw line left untouched by the transitional color.
This presents a significant difficulty to many a beginner. Oftentimes, a beginner
extend the transition area all the way to the jaw line, covering the entire proplasmos area,
with the first light even touching the ear. The same mistake is often repeated with the
second light, when it completely covers and obfuscates the first light. If the entire face is
uniformly covered with white light, it loses its lyrical beauty and its form and becomes flat
like a pancake. It is important to remember that the basic underlying shape of the face is a
sphere, and when the gradations of light and shadow are not there, the face looks like a
whitewashed wall.
This is how modeling is done, and not just of the face, but also of the hands and the
body. And this just the first light. The second light and the psymithies are only a small
addition to the first light. For that very reason an experienced icono-grapher will take
great care where to put the first light and how much of the proplasmos should be left
uncovered by the transitional tone. In fact, when we paint the first light and connect it
smoothly with the proplasmos, 85% of job on the face is practically done. If one makes the
first light too big and the shadow areas of proplasmos are all covered, this would be
difficult to correct; hence all care must be taken to do the first light correctly.

Figure 7
Here is a practical exercise in tone blending. In figure 7 we have the exact same colors
that we have in Figure 5. However, in Figure 5 the shades of color are not blended into
each other but have a distinct boundary between them. In Figure 7 these distinct
boundary lines are softened and blurred over with thin vertical brush-strokes of
intermediary colors. These patches of intermediate colors are skillfully and judicially
applied over the boundary lines to create the smooth transition from one tone to another.
Step 1
Replicate Fig. 5 with four bands of color. First, prepare the background with the
proplasmos color, then make the paint for the first light (area 7 in Figure 7, or A in Figure 5).
Mix this first light color in half with the paint for the proplasmos, and paint the area 8. Then add
more proplasmos color to it and paint the area 9. Area 10 remains the pure proplasmos color.
There will be distinct boundaries between all four colors. The next step is to eliminate these
sharp boundary lines with intermediate colors.
Step 2 - blending the four tones
Take some of the paint 7 and add a little egg emulsion to it, making it transparent. With
this transparent mix, extend the paint from area 7 into area 8, passing over the boundary once.
Since the area 7 was painted with opaque color, adding same transparent color on top of it will
not change it; but it will make all the difference when it is extended into the area 8. As you
work over the boundary line, it become less and less distinct, and after a number of repeated
brushstrokes the boundary line disappears altogether. In exactly the same manner, do it for
the other two colors, 8 and 9, that is, dilute the color 8 with egg emulsion and extend it into the
area 9 and so on.
Two common mistakes beginners make
1. When we work over the boundary line, the first coat of transparent paint should
not be pushed too far into the next darker area so that little of the darker area remains
visible.

2. The subsequent coats of transparent paint should not cover the first coat of the
intermediary color completely, but only in part. At its edges, this first coat of the
intermediary color should remain transparent, and if we keep adding coats to it, it will lose
its transparency and become brighter. In the very immediate area of transition, all we
need is a few faint brushstrokes which can barely register over the darker background.




Practice this technical exercise many times, and do it often. At first, this might seem to
be daunting, but with time and practice you will achieve the needed sense of how to
targeted specific areas, and how much paint to use.
When you finally are able to execute a smooth transition from the proplasmos to the
first light, the first and most important skill is under your belt. These seamless, smooth
transitions from dark to light are one of the most important skills, second only to drawing.
The correct shapes of the eyes, the nose, and the mouth infuse the face with
expression. The correct and skillful modeling infuses the face with beauty and light.
From day to day, spend your time practicing these two elements - drawing of faces
and light to dark transitions. Do not quit practicing until you master these elements.
Remember the experience that has been affirmed by many: work creates a master painter
and shapes an artist. Hours and hours of work, copying icon patterns correctly, the zeal,
and patience will bring about the revelation contained in the sacred art of iconography.

Figure 8
This exercise demonstrates the difference between intermediary color and
transparent color.
On a background of dark proplasmos, paint a segment with the opaque color of the
first light (A). Now, divide the paint into two containers, add some white to the second
container, and paint the segment B. This brighter segment is the second light.
Now, take equal amounts of both colors, and mix them together in a third container.
This is our intermediary color, segment C. All three paints are opaque at this point.
Now, add some egg emulsion to this intermediary color C, and paint the segment D, just
one coat of it. Then add even more egg emulsion to it and paint the segment E.
The point is that D, C, and E are the same color, but they don't look the same because of
difference in opacity/transparency. This difference is because of the varying degrees at
which the tone of the proplasmos is showing through.

Another way of making smooth transitions between the tones using a diluted
intermediate color

proplasmos

first light

transition

diluted C

second light

Figure 9
In Figure 9, closer to the right side, we see how the second light smoothly transitions
into the first light.
Let us take another look at Figure 8. In the lower part, we can see two colors, A and B,
the first light and the second light. They are just butted against each other, and even
though the colors are related, transition between them is abrupt. In the upper part, you
see the color (C) which is a mixture of the two colors A and B. That is to say, (C) is the
intermediary color mixed from equal amounts of A and B.
By using this intermediate color C, we will create a smooth transition between the first
light and the second as seen in Figure 9.
Take the intermediary color C, make this paint transparent by adding some egg
emulsion to it (D or E in Figure 8). Lightly brush it over the junction area, covering also
some of the areas of A and B, on both sides of the divide. You may use the technique of
placing thin parallel strokes, thinning out and spaced wider apart as they extend into the
darker zone (see on the left side of Figure).
Let the area dry, then repeat the same procedure with the diluted intermediary color C
over the boundary line, and making occasional brushstrokes to the right and to the left of
the divide.

Again, let it completely dry, and repeat it for the third time, but only if needed. Do not
overwork the area. Then take the brush, load it with diluted color C, and press it into a
piece of scrap paper so it spreads like a rake. Pass with thusly shaped brush over the
boundary with a wide stroke. Shaping the brush in this way is called "training the brush".
Sometimes we may miscalculate and dilute the intermediate color too much. As the
result, the boundary line might stubbornly show through after many repeated applications
of the intermediate color. Should this be the case, keep layering coats until it is all joined
smoothly together. However, with the right amount of practice and exercise, you will learn
very quickly how much egg emulsion is needed to create this intermediary diluted color.

THE MOUTH

Figure 21
Using burnt sienna, we add a little cinnabar (vermillion) and a little proplasmos color,
and make an outline of the mouth. Here are two pencil renditions of a classical mouth
shape:

Study the shape of the mouth from frescoes and icons of great masters. Copy and
draw this form in pencil so many times that you memorize it and eventually draw or paint it
from memory.

Observe that the darkest shadows are at the corners of the mouth on the line where
the lips touch each other. These shadows are done with the same paint we used to draw
the mouth shape but with more burnt sienna added (or even burnt umber).
The line between the lips is wavy . In the middle of the mouth, we make this line
lighter and redder, and we make it darker closer to the corners of the mouth. Do make
sure there is no dark line showing in the center between the lips. The whole beauty of the
mouth is at this point: the mouth is illuminated in the middle and gets darker towards the
corners.
Another element to watch for beginners are these dark corners of the lips. We do not
just draw a dark wavy line across the mouth line. The effect of the shadows on the upper
lip is created by line being the darkest at the line between the lips, and then becoming
gradually lighter towards the upper lip's line. That is, use the darkest color at the base and
then transition it upward with an intermediary transparent color. There should be a
noticeable difference between the dark line in the corners and the light line in the center of
the line between the lips, where they touch.
With the first light, fill the entire lower lip. On the upper lip, with the same paint,
illuminate the upper half of the lip, so that the upper part of that lip is illuminated, and the
lower remains the color of proplasmos. The upper lip receives light only in the upper
central portion of the lip; use intermediary or transparent color to extend it from that
bright spot to the rest of the lip, making sure that the first light does not cover the entire
lip, from edge to edge, but leaves some proplasmos tone exposed. However, in the center,
where the lips meet, this tone is extended all the way to the lower lip.
Make the color of the second light by adding some white to the color of your first light.
With the second light, illuminate only the upper half of the lower lip in the middle. Also,
model the area above the upper lip, and if the mouth is big enough, add the second thin
line at some distance from the first, as shown in Fig. 21.
With the second line, accent the line between the lips, and only in the area of the
lower lip, without getting it to the corners, where the dark line is.
The last step is to glaze the lips with a reddish color called pyrodismos. It is made of a
bit of vermillion plus a small drop of the first light. Use a generous amount of egg
emulsion; the best way to do a glaze is to make a very dilute solution first. Making the lips
too red is not a good idea, and lots of egg emulsion in the mix will ensure that. However, if
you see that the resulting color is not red enough, add just a little cinnabar.

With pyrodismos, pass over the lower lip with a single wide brushstroke. Many small
brushstrokes will not give you a uniform coverage, so take a soft wide brush, and with one
pass cover the lower lip from one side to the other.
Do the same for the upper lip, covering the shadows too.
Take a very small portion of the pyrodismos paint and add to it just a little of cinnabar
and an equal amount of sienna. With this redder pyrodismos, using a brush with a fine
point, draw a thin line between the lips in the center of the mouth. This red line does not
go over the entire mouth line, but only in the center, gradually terminating where the dark
shadows begin, on the right and on the left.
Look at the mouth again and determine whether the lips are red enough. If they are
still too pale, glaze it over one more time with the original diluted pyrodismos.




A few words on the dimensions of the eyes and the mouth in classical iconography.
We often see in ancient frescoes that the eyes are larger than in realistic paintings, and the
mouth is smaller. There is an expressive reason for that.
A small mouth is suggestive of avoidance of idle talk and unnecessary laughter; it is
evocative of reserved speech and fasting. Large eyes express vision; these eyes behold the
Eternally Living God. In ancient images, we always find that faces - and bodies in general display individual and specific virtues, but the whole image always expresses the most
important virtue of all: holiness.

actual size

enlarged schematics

Figure 21a
When we work on a small icon, the mouth will also be very small. In this case, we
cannot do all the above described steps and procedures. In rendering a small mouth, we
should say much with very little.
With the first light, we illuminate the lower lip and add the same paint to the upper
portion of the upper lip (see Fig. 21a). Then prepare the second, brighter light and draw a
few thin lines right at the line where the lips touch, as seen on the enlarged schematics.
When the paint is dry, go over the mouth with a transparent glaze of pyrodismos. And that
would be enough for small mouths.

Figure 22
The first stage in painting the mouth of Christ
The mouth and moustache of Christ begins with painting the first drawing onto
proplasmos. Observe in this illustration the use of the "first line" and "second line" tones.

Figure 23
We cover the lower lip with a reddish paint, a mixture of the first light and a bit of
vermillion.
Take now the some of that mixture, add to it more vermillion, and color the entire
upper lip with it.
Make the color of the first light, paint the face. Take some of it, and add egg emulsion
to it (very little), and paint the lower lip, from the top edge almost to the bottom of the lip,
on top of the reddish under-painting.
Then work in the second light, as was described above. The darker lines of the mouth
and moustache should be of the same color as the lines of the dark hair and beard of
Christ.
Make a note of the two white areas/lines to the right and to the left from the lower
lip. These illuminations are always placed on the faces of the saints if there is a desire to
emphasize intensity of facial expression.
In this example, we used a reddish under-painting on the lips. However, we can also
follow the classic method (described as pyrodismos in Fig. 20), without the use of this
under-painting.

Figure 24
The final highlights on the mouth of Christ

We make the third light by adding some white to the color of the second light, that we
already have. With this third light, we place two accents on the philtrum (the concave area
above the upper lip) as shown, two light accents on the both sides of the mouth, and a
small horizontal brushstroke on the lower lip. With the same color, we paint all the
psymithies on the face. Make a note how the area around the nostril is modeled.

Figure 25
The head of the Archangel Gabriel. Proplasmos and first lines of the face and hair.

Explanations to Figure 25
THE EYES
The curve of the upper eyelid flattens and becomes thick in the middle; it tapers off at the
corners. The pupil of the eye just barely touches the lower edge of the upper lid's line. This
element should always be present in all icons. The shape of the pupil is oval, not round.
The shape of the iris is oval, too - think of this as an enlarged shape of the iris.
These three elements - the upper eye lid, the iris, and the pupil - are done with burnt
umber. The lines of the lower eyelid and the "serenity line" (the skin fold between the
brow and the upper eyelid) are done with a lighter color such as natural umber, or
whatever is used for the proplasmos of the hair. Notice how the three lines - the serenity
line, the upper eyelid, and the lower eyelid - flatten and are nearly horizontal in the middle.
In your work, think of them as three parallel lines. This element gives the face a peaceful
and royal expression.
THE EYEBROWS
are thicker and darker near the nose, and as they go towards the temples, from about the
middle they get lighter and thinner.
The nose is generally painted with lines of a lighter color, and the bulb of the nose is even
lighter, redder color. The hole in the nostril is flat and dark. The line of the nose gets
gradually darker towards the eyebrow.
THE MOUTH
Observe the precise shape of the lines of the mouth. The upper and the lower lip lines are
of lighter color and somewhat reddish. The line former by the touching lips has three
undulations or "waves". The middle "wave" is lighter than the upper and lower lip and
more reddish. The two outer "waves" are dark (as if in shadows).
THE OCULAR RECESS
Near the left eye (i.e., the angel's left, our right), where the line of the forehead transitions
into the line of the cheek, several other lines converge. Observe how these line come
together at that point: the forehead, the cheek, the upper and lower eyelids, the serenity
line, and the eyebrow.
THE HAIR
Never forget a cardinal rule of painting the hair: in the shaded area, the lines must be
opaque and prominent. These lines are thicker in the middle, and they thin out towards
the ends, as they approach "weaker" shadows. In the illuminated portions of the locks,

these lines are either drawn very thinly or are not drawn at all. Observe the spherical
shapes of the curls above the forehead. The lower part of the "sphere" is done with thick
lines because there is shadow, but they too thin out at the ends. When modeled, this area
will blend better.
The whole shape of the head has to convey a form of a sphere, not of a circle. The face is
illuminated in a way to bring this about (see Fig 26 ad 27). The hair, too, should participate
in this shaping of the head. In the back of the head, the lines are written thick and dark
because this area should be most heavily shaded. The thickest and darkest lines are in the
area behind the ear; that is where the shadows are the darkest.

Figure 26. The first light on the face and on the hair

LIGHT ON THE FACE

Observe the brushstrokes in the area where the first light transitions into shadow of
proplasmos. These brushstrokes encircle the illumined area of the cheek and the chin.
Do not rush to pull strokes with enlightenment. First you'll notice fairly the illuminated part
being copied. You'll see that the enlightenment separated sharply from proplasmos and the
union of light and shadow is extinguished with intermediate color.
Do not rush to blend this first light right away. First, build the bright areas of opaque color
where you need it, and then smooth over the sharp transition with an intermediate color.
The sclera of the eye is accented with a separate gray light - mixed from while, black, and
very little proplasmos. This light can be slightly bluish.
Very important: this eye light should never touch the upper eyelid. Between the eyelid
and the light, there should be some distance.

MODELING THE HAIR

THE FRONTAL ROW OF CURLS
Look at the row of curls over the forehead. These have spherical shapes. The dark lines
represent shadow side of a sphere; where the shadow is darker, the lines become broader.
The areas filled with lighter brushstrokes are on the opposite side of the shape.
The proplasmos color of the hair is a mix of burned sienna with the proplasmos color for
the face.
The first light on the hair is done with a combination of
1. color of the hair's proplasmos
2. the first light used on the face
3. little vermillion
The illumination is painted with the following consideration: in those spots, where the light
should be the most intense, the brushstrokes are the widest. The spherical curls above the
forehead fall like a cascade; and these circles take the most intense light. Each brushstroke
begins as a round spot and then spirals around and falls downward. Each brushstroke
continuously tapers off throughout the length and ends with a fine point. The reason for
that is because it approaches the shaded part.

THE HAIR ON THE CRANIUM

The hair on the cranium area is wavy. Each wave row is thicker closer to the face, and the
brushstrokes become thinner as they go towards the back. These brushstrokes should not
fill the entire cranium, but fade out and leave enough area untouched by the first light,
with proplasmos only. The bright brushstrokes are followed by dark lines of the shadow.
The farther into the shadow these dark lines go, the wider they become. The outer rim of
the head is done by the widest line; this is because the contour line is darker than any other
line of the hair.

Figure 27. Finishing the face of Archangel Gabriel

On top of the first light, at the places which should be illuminated the most, paint the
second light. The second light should cover a small area and leave much of the first light's
area visible. Abide the holy law of the second light: "Thou shalt not cover the entire area of
the first light with the second light!" Always leave some area of the first light untouched by
the second light - be it large or small, depending on where on the face it is. The area of the
second light has to be smaller than you think, because you need some space to smooth out
the transition of it into the first light. This transition is done with an intermediate color.
Take equal amounts of paint from the first and the second lights, mix them together, and
add some egg emulsion to make it more transparent. With light and elegant brushstrokes
execute the transition.

PSYMITHIES
On top of the second light, paint the psymithies ("ozhyvki"), which is essentially the third
light. This third light requires precise calibration of color. The relationship between the
color of psymithies and the color of the second light should be analogous to the
relationship between the second and the first light. It is a big mistake to make the
psymithies too bright. These lines will look foreign on the face as if something was painted
on top of skin like a tribal face painting.
What was described earlier for the hair, applies to psymithies. The same principles: in the
those spots which emit the most light, the psymithies are painted larger and wider.
Observe the psymithies near the outer corner of the Archangel's right eye (our left). There
are three lines, and the nearest line to the eye is the brightest, the longest, and three times
as wide as the third one. There is a diminuendo of intensity.
For the final step, we take some white and mix into it the third light (the paint we used for
psymithies). With this nearly white paint, we accent the psymithies themselves, and only in
the brightest spots of the face. In both corners of the larger eye, paint an accent on top of
the largest white line, but only half the length, and on top of the next line to it - barely a
touch. The psymithies that are a row of long lines with wider middle and thinning ends
such as on the neck, accent only the largest one, only in the middle where it is wide, (never
cover the entire line), and also place a very tiny accent on the line next to it, just barely
visible.
Using the same principles, illuminate the nose, the forehead, the area of the mouth, and
the ear.

For the hair, the second light is made by adding some white to the first light used for the
hair. [Nota bene: do not confuse the first light for the face with the first light for the hair.
Remember, the proplasmos for the hair was darker than the proplasmos for the face; all
subsequent lights - first, second - are tonal extensions of proplasmos).
In the hair, just like on the face, we use the color of the second light to cover only small
part of the first light. Again and again we must reiterate: never, ever the second light goes
outside of the first light's area. This error spells disaster. The same rules applies to the
modeling of the garments.
Take some of the pyrodismos color (a transparent mixture of vermillion and the first light),
and give go over the following areas:

blush on the cheeks;

the serenity lines (the skin fold between the upper lid and the brow);
the shadow on the neck;
the ears;
the shaded side of the nose along the bridge, the nose bulb, and the nostril;
the mouth (a transparent glaze)

THE EYES
The second light of the eyes (the sclera) is made by adding white to the color of the first
light of the sclera. [Again, remember that the first lights of the face, the hair, and the sclera
are all different paints. Do not confuse them]

Colors of the face - the reference chart

(A) PROPLASMOS
raw umber + yellow ocher + green + burnt sienna + white
LIGHTS (B, C, D)
(B) - First light: Yellow ocher + cinnabar + white
(C) - Second light: first light (B) + white
(D) - Third light: second light (C) + white
LINES (E, F)
(E) - First lines on the face and the hair: burnt sienna
(F) - Second lines: burnt umber
Note: for the first lines and hair (E) instead of pure burnt sienna, we can use also a
combination of burnt sienna + yellow ocher

Modeling the face - step by step

Even though the face is the most important part of the icon, the rest of the image should
not be neglected and underworked. Still, the face is to be central to the icon.
FLESH PROPLASMOS
We make proplasmos for the flesh using the following proportions:
1 measure of raw umber
1/3 measures of yellow ocher
1/4 measure of burnt sienna
1/4 measure of white
If we use a very small measuring spoon, here is another way to make this proportion:
4 spoons of raw umber
1 1/2 - 2 spoons of yellow ocher
1 spoon of burnt sienna
1 spoon of white
This is the recipe for flesh proplasmos which Panselinos used. With this color, cover all
areas of the flesh that are not covered by garments - face, neck, hands, and feet.
When proplasmos is dry, re-apply your paper drawing onto the surface, and reiterate the
lines. Watch this step carefully as pressing too hard may damage the paint layer; this has
to be done with a very light touch, hard enough only to transfer the powdered pigment
from the back of the drawing onto the surface of proplasmos.
Mix some burnt umber with burnt sienna and some yellow ocher. We shall call this color
"the first lines." With this mixture, paint the lines of the drawing, including hair and beard.
The facial features - the nose, the eyes, the eyebrows, and the mouth - should be done with
a very fine brush and diluted paint. The contour of the face (as well as the neck and other
parts) should not be painted linearly but blend into proplasmos, and not all around the face
but only on one side, where the shadows are. The same applies to the neck, arms, and
legs.

Then, with the same color, reinforce the lines of the eyebrows, the eyes, and lower part of
the nose (the nostrils), the line between the lips, and the hands and feet where necessary
(in shaded areas only).
FIRST LIGHT
Then build a new color, a mixture of
1 part white
1/2 part yellow ocher
1/5 part cinnabar
Take some of this color and mix into it some of the proplasmos color to create the
intermediate color.
If we use a very small measuring spoon, here is another way to make this proportion:
5 spoons of white
21/2 spoons of yellow ocher
1 spoon of cinnabar
These first constructed light (white + ocher + cinnabar) is "the first light." Take some of it
and dilute with egg emulsion, making it a bit more transparent. Apply this to the part to be
illuminated as seen on the prototype - the bridge of the noew, the cheeks, the forehead,
the chin, the area around the nostrils, the area above the upper lip and so on. Apply the
same color to the lower lip, thickly. Apply it also to the ears, and also to the neck, hands,
and feet, where it should be illuminated. Application of this color should be done in such a
way that the light fades gradually into proplasmos rather than transition abruptly. To
make this transition, we requires a special technique: with the brush, gently pull the liquid
edges of the paint away from spot; however, this should be done by moving the brush in
concentric motion around the edges of the spot, not in radial lines.
Also, with the intermediate color, diluted with egg emulsion, in a soft and feathery way fill
the junction between the light and the proplasmos. Again, the movements of the brush
must be parallel to the edge of the lighter spot, not perpendicular to it. To create seamless
transitions, we always work with these two devices - transparent colors and intermediate
colors. The latter is traditionally called glikasmos or "sugaring".
Then, using the undiluted portion of our first light, we pass over the areas that require
more prominent light, making sure we do not encroach upon the transitional area. We can

do this a few times to build up the opaqueness. If correction is needed, take some of the
proplasmos and work over the shaded areas. This is the most important part of the face
modeling.
Now we take a small portion of the opaque first light, and add some white to it, and dilute
it with egg emulsion by adding a few drops. This is the second light. With this color, cover
only a small part of the first light, which should be brighter. These are as follows:

Bridge of the nose

Lower part of the nose bulb
the brow ridges on the forehead above the brows
the cheeks near the eyes,
the lower lip
the area around the nostrils
the chin (not too much), if there is no beard (male youth, female)
earlobes
some area on the neck
hands and feet

Make sure you connect the second light with the first light in exactly the same way as you
connected the first light with the proplasmos using the techniques of transparent color and
intermediate color. Apply a couple of passes of the second light to the brighter areas of the
flesh to reinforce the form. It is important to remember that the head is a sphere and not a
circle; it must not look like a cartoon. The same principle is extended throughout the body
- the forms on the face, hands, torso, and legs.
Now, take some of the color for the first lines and add to it some burnt umber. With this
darker color, paint over the lines of the eyelids and the lower part of the nose (not the
bridge of the nose!) With the same darker color, make the outline of the iris, and the iris.
Take some of the first line paint, make it transparent, and lightly cover the entire iris. With
thin lines, reinforce the shadow on the cheek (narrow side of the face). With the second
line, paint three or four lines of hairs over the eyebrows. Do the same for the moustache
and the beard, painting lightly and elegantly on top of the first line color.
We reinforce the shadows at the edges of the neck, hands, and feet. Under the jaw, we
paint with transparent first light and then reinforce it a bit with opaque paint of the same
color.
With the second lines color, paint the curved lines of the hair. In the areas closer to the
background, at the edges of hair, place the lines more widely. This will emphasize more the
spherical shape of the head.

After this, we take burnt umber and reinforce the darkest lines on the face as follows:

the upper eyelid

the pupil
the contour line of the iris
a few hairs of the eyebrows, of the moustache, and of the beard
holes in the nostrils
contour of the hair near where it meets the background

Then repeat the same, but only selectively, with black: the upper eyelid (in the middle
only), the pupil, a dash on the iris' lower part, the holes in the nose, two hairs on the
moustache, and a few distant ones in the beard.
Some iconographers never go to the black lines but stop at burnt umber stage; and some
don't even do that, leaving all the lines in burnt sienna. It is entirely an iconographer's
artistic choice.
PSYMITHIES ("Ozhyvki")
We are now nearly finished with the face; all is left to place the psymithies. These are done
with thin parallel lines at the brightest places of illumination. The color for psymithies is
made by adding white to the second light. Draw these lines with a very fine brush. In order
to do psymithies skillfully, one has to study their form and placement on historic
prototypes. The places for psymithies are as follows:

around the eyes

the bridge of the nose and the bulb of the nose
the ridges above the brows
above the upper lip
the lower lip
the neck
the earlobes
the hands and the feet

The brightest spot receives the bigger and thicker lines, and as the light falls off, the lines
become smaller and thinner until they vanish into the second light.
Psymithies must not be too bright and intense; this destroys a perfectly painted face. It is
better not to have them at all than to have them painted badly. Beginners usually have
most difficulty with them; but there is nothing a dedicated study will not remedy.

The shape of psymithies is similar to many other lines on the icon, that is thin ends and
wider middle.

Figure 1 is an example of psymithies placed on top of a spherical shape. These lines have
thin ends on both sides, the thicker middle, and are arranged in a parallel fashion yet
slightly bending around the "sphere".
Figure 2 shows the psymithies near the eye. The brightest and thickest lines are closer to
the eye, and then there is a gradual fall off of light as the lines get smaller and thinner.
In the Figure 3, the top part of the psymithies is covered by another object.
In the Figure 4, we have an alternating rhythms of psymithies, with two interpolated rows
of lines, big, thick and bright, and paler, thinner and smaller between them. This style
becomes popular after the fall of Constantinople.

With the color of proplasmos, paint the lights on the hair; the brushstrokes should be wider
in the front, but thinner as they radiate towards the edge of the head. Add more of the
first light into this color and illuminate the hair further; place two or three psymithies on
the hair.
BLUSH
Make a very diluted paint of cinnabar and lightly brush over the shaded part of the bridge
of the nose and the holes in the nostrils. Very lightly, add blush to the cheeks, under the
chin, in the shadow of the neck, hands, and feet. Also, add blush to the nostrils. Cover the
lower lip with cinnabar a bit more prominently but still very transparently; do the same to
the upper lip, using red oxide instead of cinnabar. Draw the line between the lips in burnt
sienna; glaze it over with cinnabar.
OCULAR LIGHTS
Mix white, black, and proplasmos tone. Using this color, place illumination onto the eye
balls, only on one side. This illumination touches the iris but never the upper eyelid. A
smaller second light can be nested inside the first light.
After many studies, one can experiment with glazing the shaded areas with green. This
green coloration is more common in frescoes.
if the face looks too bright, take some of the first light, dilute it with egg emulsion, and
using a flat brush, gently brush over the brightest spots only. All accents will harmonize
better, and the illumination will be more mellow.
If the face has yellow overcast, glaze it over with a very diluted cinnabar. If it is too red,
glaze it with transparent solution of yellow ocher.
THE LINES OF THE MUSTACHE AND THE BEARD
First, the areas have the color of the proplasmos for the face. Now, we cover these areas
with the same color as we use for the hair. On this, place fine dark lines of facial hair with
burnt umber. These lines are thin at both ends but thicker in the middle. The lines of the
moustache are nearly parallel. Usually, there are about four of these lines. The line closest
to the mouth is the thickest, and those above it gradually diminish and taper off.
The lines of the beard's hairs are visually oriented unto the center of the nose. The upper
ends of the hairs thin out to the point they disappear into the proplasmos. To master this,

draw the lines first with a pencil, and then with a very fine brush (burnt umber). It is also
important not to stretch the hairs into the first light of the face but keep them confined
within the area of open proplasmos. Again, as we said, near the mouth the hairs are longer
and wider. Make sure the ends of the hair lines are the thinnest possible; this gives the
beards and the moustache their beauty and volume.
The hair lines of the beard are thinnest near the mouth, then get wider towards the neck,
but again thin out in the neck area. The beard does not start right under the mouth but a
bit lower and thickens there closer to the neck. Painting a beard on young adult's face is
particularly challenging as the connection from beard to the skin has to be very smooth and
seamless. This is facilitated by drawing these lines are finely drawn orienting toward the
mouth and have proper "radial" direction.