From Timber to Gesso: Preparing a Traditional Icon Board by Hand
Before an icon painter applies the first layer of colour or gold, a considerable amount of work has already gone into the surface beneath it.
At Dylan Hartley, we make traditional wooden icon boards by hand in our workshop in Jackfield, Shropshire. Our boards are made for iconographers and artists in the UK and internationally, and can be supplied either ungessoed or traditionally gessoed.
For a gessoed board, what appears at first glance to be a simple white surface is actually the result of a careful, multi-stage process.
It starts with the timber
Every icon board begins as a piece of carefully selected timber.
We primarily make our boards from Lime or Tulipwood, using traditional woodworking and joinery techniques to produce a stable wooden panel suitable for icon painting.
Depending on the size and specification, boards can be made with a flat face or with the traditional recessed centre known as the Kovcheg (Russian) or Kivotos (Greek).
We can also manufacture boards to bespoke dimensions rather than restricting iconographers to standard sizes.
Preparing the board for gesso
Once the woodworking is complete, preparation of the painting surface begins.
Traditional gesso preparation isn't simply a matter of painting a wooden board white.
The timber is prepared with rabbit-skin glue, followed by the application of linen. This creates the foundation upon which the subsequent gesso layers are built.
The board then receives approximately 15 coats of traditional gesso, applied progressively over several days.
It is a slow process, but an important one.
Each stage contributes to creating the traditional surface upon which the iconographer will eventually work.
The beauty is in the preparation
These photographs were taken in our workshop during different stages of preparation.
At this point, there is no icon, no gilding and no colour.
Yet the craftsmanship that will ultimately sit beneath the finished artwork is already there.
The white surface has been gradually built up, the edges prepared and the shape of the wooden panel carefully finished.
For us, this is one of the most satisfying parts of making handmade icon boards: producing something deliberately understated that will eventually become the foundation for somebody else's work.
Gessoed or ungessoed icon boards
Different iconographers have different preferences, which is why our boards can be ordered gessoed or ungessoed.
An ungessoed icon board allows the artist to undertake the entire preparation process themselves.
For those ordering a traditionally gessoed board, our standard preparation leaves the main painting surface unsanded while the edges are finished. This allows the iconographer to undertake the final surface preparation according to their preferred technique.
We can also supply the surface sanded when requested.
Bespoke icon boards made in the UK
Because our icon boards are made individually in our own workshop rather than being mass-produced, we can accommodate a wide range of requirements.
Alongside standard sizes, we manufacture bespoke icon boards to order, including different dimensions, proportions and recessed painting areas.
For particularly large or unusual commissions, we can discuss the construction with the artist before manufacture.
Our role finishes before the painting begins – but that's rather the point.
We create the wooden foundation upon which the iconographer can create something that may remain for generations.
Looking for an icon board?
If you are an iconographer, artist, church or studio looking for handmade wooden icon boards, please contact us with your required dimensions and whether you would like your board supplied gessoed or ungessoed.
We are happy to discuss bespoke requirements and can arrange delivery within the UK and internationally.
Dylan Hartley LimitedJackfield, Shropshire, UK
View our Icon Boards collection and request a quotation:Dylan Hartley Icon Boards
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