Welcome to Iconography Online:

Iconography Drawing Course I

Drawing the Frontal Face.


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Course one: Drawing the Frontal Face

We made Online Iconography Drawing Course because in iconography drawing is fundamental, so we teach how to draw and understand the structure of the models to provide you with the necessary skills: how to "read" the models and to draw frontal faces on your own icons.

Online Iconography Drawing Course includes the most essential knowledge of human face's construction and proportions, how they are applied and modified in iconography. Some hours after making the registration payment you will be invited to Google Classroom with immediate access to all 5 assignments. The assignments (calculated a weekly sessions)are tailored to teach the general relationships between different parts of the face, their construction and expressiveness. Each assignment is packed with 3-5 detailed video tutorials and a theoretical lecture, recorded at one of our previous online drawing courses.

Details

PRICE AND STRUCTURE

140 USD for 5 Assignments. Payments are non-refundable. Students are accepted on first come - first served basis.

DATES

The first assignment is delivered the 12th of March 2021. The last assignment is accepted for corrections no later than 14th of April 2021.

GROUP SIZE

Up to 16 students in one class

FOR WHOM

For Learners with no iconography or artistic background, for iconographers who trace/copy icons, while desiring to improve on the drawing of the face.

RESOURCES PROVIDED

Links to 3-5 practical video tutorials and a lecture per each of the 5 assignments, all shared through Google Classroom. All the videos and images remain available to the students after the end of the Course

LEARNING SUPPORT

Learners are expected to email photographs of their drawings to the instructors any time during the week. The instructors will respond in 48 hours (weekends excluded) with feedback; either written in words or drawn directly on the emailed image

NECESSARY SUPPLIES AND TIME FOR HOMEWORK

Students only need most basic materials, such as paper, pencils, eraser, and a compass with two needles. Plan to put in at least 1.5 hours for homework per assignment.

WILL I HAVE ENOUGH TIME

We made this program as extensive as possible, yet we split complex tasks into little manageable parts, making the assignments squeezable between routine work and family duties. We hope it will allow everybody to study with own pace.

Practical Matters

The face is the most complex part of an icon, so we split the learning process into manageable bite-sized assignments. To make the learning process as effective and interactive as possible we ask students to regularly post in Google Class stream or email us the photographs of their drawings for each assignment. Doing tasks one by one and getting assessments of your drawing skills on as-you-go basis, you will regularly be provided with individual corrections (drawn directly on the photographs) and given constructive critique with suggestions for improvement. Personal feedback from a dedicated team of instructors, given within 48 hour time (weekends excluded) is guaranteed for the whole period of the course (till the 14th of April 2021.

We use Google Classroom to share the assignments: links to the video tutorials, images and the recorded lectures because we think that sharing learning problems and issues, asking questions and making comments helps growing professionally

Important note: Access to the Google classroom and the videos is strictly limited to the online course participants and must not be shared with anyone.
The first short video: Materials and Tools for Online Iconography Drawing Course.

The Learning Process

The students are called to accomplish their drawing assignments on paper of A4 / Letter format or larger. We hope that at least these few hours during the week, when you will be drawing your images, you will switch off or put your cell-phones on Silent mode in a remote part of your room, and ask people near you not to bother you for this time. The learning process is more intense if drawing is done with complete immersion in the process, thoughtfully and carefully.

Should students experience any difficulty in dealing with Google Classroom or doing their homework, they are expected to send us their questions and comments via email.

Assignments

Basic plan

1. The Basic Structure

How to build up a frontal face for an icon.

Lecture 1: Why we need essential anatomy of the face.

2. Details of the Face I

Structure of eyes and eyebrows. Finding the structure on medieval icon models.

Lecture 2: Volume in Iconography and How It Is Rendered?

3. Details of the Face II

Structure of the nose and lips. Finding the structure on medieval icon models.

Lecture 3: What image transmits?

4. Proportions and Composition

Practice of drawing from a model with adjustments.

Lecture 4: Large Forms in Our Perception

5. Drawing the Head of Prophet Solomon

Turning the knowledge into professional approach

Lecture 5: Why Use a Method?

Reviews

Our Online Iconography Drawing Course overwieved by professional iconographers and course participants:

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Dear Olga,

Thank you for your corrections ( and for ALL of your teaching) - they are very helpful, and they make me look more carefully at what I've done, hopefully before I send it to you, but the learning is equally good when I get it 'wrong' anyway!!(...)

I now find this online way of working is actually more helpful for me - it gives me time to try to understand what I need to do before I try to do it. I am also allowed to work at a pace that suits my temperament - and being able to come out to the studio when I am in the right 'frame of mind' is very good also; sometimes even in the middle of the night, when everything is quiet.

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Dear Philip,

I just finished watching the video (...) First of all thanks for remembering me.

It’s a very interesting approach - I see the value straight away - instead of just copying, even good copying, you can now understand what you are actually copying! And therefore you can actually have more confidence and understanding when you’re constructing your own faces, or still copying for that matter. It’s a good solid way to learn.

***

Dear Philip and Olga,

Thank you for your reply. All constructive criticism is welcomed! That is how one learns. I respect your teaching methods and understand what you are striving for in your students.

Every lesson is building on the previous one. You both are excellent in the videos and explanations. I like how Olga illustrates the shape of the face and measurements in each lesson, this is a very good recap or repeat/reminder of the previous lessons! Now we are at assignment #4. I also realize more practice with the Basics is needed to learn, apply and understand. Analogy is: ( You can't build the frame of the house if the foundation is not well built).

This class is the first class that makes sense in learning from the very beginning from measurements- not tracings from a prearranged drawing to achieve a portrait. Your hard work, hours, planning and energy that both of you have achieved to produce a successful class on line is valued very much! Many cheers to you both!

Looking forward to the next week's lesson.
Thank you both again for helping me improve in this class!

OUR TEAM

Philip Davydov and Olga Shalamova; Sacred Murals Studio (Saint Petersburg, Russia).
Interactive Course for Drawing the Frontal Face Theory and Practice

Philip Davydov

Iconographer, iconography instructor and web-site administrator

Philip holds an M.A. in State Fine Art from the Academy of Saint Petersburg, faculty of Theory and History of Art. He is a professional, second-generation iconographer with more than 15 years of teaching experience. He is also a professor at the Institute of Theology and Sacred Arts and the head of The Sacred Murals Studio in St. Petersburg, Russia.

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Interactive Course for Drawing the Frontal Face Theory and Practice

Olga Shalamova

Iconographer and iconography instructor

Olga Shalamova holds an M.A. in State Fine Art from the Academy of Saint Petersburg, faculty of Theory and History of Art. She is a member of the Union of Artists of Russia and is chief artist of the embroidery workshop at Feodorovsky Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. She is also an active participant in exhibitions of contemporary ecclesiastical art.

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Ready to enroll?

The cost of the course is $140 USD. To make the reigistration payment, please provide us with your valid email address, because it will also be used to send you a personal invitation to Google Classroom and all the assignments. The Assignments are emailed on Fridays 00:00 Moscow time .

We launch this course as a first of a series, and the Course II (Off-Centered Faces) is scheduled to start the 12th of March 2021.

If you wish to be informed about our future courses and other events, subscribe to our regular Newsleter at the bottom of this page.







Interactive Course for Drawing the Frontal Face Theory and Practice
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Our Previous Iconography Workshops

We taught more then 100 iconography workshops in off-line classrooms. You can see what they were like on our main website: www.sacredmurals.com. You can also see icons, mosaics, frescoes, fabric prints and illustrations and complex church interior solutions.

See more