Reflection 15

My plan to paint first digitally the icons and afterwards in the traditional way is progressing slowly at the beginning. Creating a digital icon is an attempt that needs a careful study so that the printed image will have a simillar  approach and the same influence to the viewer as with the traditional way. The purpose to create sacred art is difficult. Digital art will assist Byzantine art to bring spirituality with new technological means, software and hardware.

The icon that will be inside the proskinitari is the icon of Saint Raphael, Saint Nikolaos and Saint Irini.

 I have started with photoshop and illustrator to fill the various groups of elements like flesh, clothes, objects etc.These colours consist the tones that will be left on the shadowed parts of colours. The first pass of these tones are shown below:It’s called proplasmos in the traditional Greek Byzantine iconography. I follow this technique with photoshop.

The next phase in the traditional iconography is the so called grapsimo. During this phase the dark lines open the passage to the light.After this phase the lammata the lighter layers of paint are painted above the proplasmos. Here in the digital icon i will do the same. The use of layers in photoshop and also illustrator will assist for acheiving simillar effect. The second phase of lammata is shown below:The colours filling the various groups of elements are exprimental and might change along the process.

Reflection 14

Unfortunately i have to wait till September to start building the proskinitari. The approval by the municipality is given but i have to wait again to take permission for the exact location in the neighbourhood park.

I am looking for rocks in various places. I will need a symmetrical rectangular rock of about 1.20×1.20×1.20 m. On the rock the proskinitari will be built on the level of the eyes of a normal person of 1.70 m so that the icon of Saint Raphael can be seen inside. Some photos of my search at various places are shown below: