Each year we offer different courses, and our programs are usually not repeated, giving you the opportunity to explore new techniques and projects every time. Learn the art of iconography directly from your instructors in a supportive, hands-on environment. Receive personalized guidance, step-by-step demonstrations, and practice drawing and painting icons in person. Choose the course that fits your level.
The traditional workshop format involves creating a single icon, and this is the format we follow. However, the main goal of our in-person courses is not merely to copy an icon accurately, but to reveal to participants its artistic and visual language. Icons are often perceived as works in which “nothing can be changed,” leaving the student only to copy. We do not agree with this approach.
An icon is an art form with a long and diverse tradition, combining theology and artistic thinking. While it is impossible to cover everything in a single course, we always aim to show that behind the external form lies theological depth, and behind technical techniques lies artistic logic. We never work from pre-drawn outlines. Instead, we demonstrate how to create an icon independently from start to finish. We approach an icon not as a set of technical steps, but as a thoughtful work of art.
Working with a model, we help students understand the logic of the ancient master: how they handled the masses of the face and figure, structured the composition, and used color. This allows participants not just to replicate, but to consciously understand the structure of an icon. We present iconography as a living art form, explain important iconographic elements and their symbolism, discuss rules and limitations, while also highlighting where there is room for the artist’s creative freedom.
At the Iconography School of Seriate, we offer specialized courses, each dedicated to a single theme: drawing, composition, color work, or a specific iconographic aspect. In these courses, we do not create a separate icon; our focus is on a deep exploration of the chosen topic. This approach is truly productive for both beginners and professional iconographers, as it allows for an immersive study of a specific aspect and the development of skills in multiple directions.
For example, at the Iconography School of Seriate, we have conducted courses such as “Symmetrical Face in Pencil and Tempera” and “Asymmetrical Face in Pencil and Tempera”. For the school’s instructors, we have conducted courses like “Working with Color in the Icon” and “Composition of the Annunciation”.
