Icon Painting Workshop for Beginners

Frontal Faces. The Theotokos

Cambridge (NY, USA) May 12 - 16, 2026

Register here

What We Will Do?

Draw a frontal face freehand

Prepare and use egg tempera in various ways

Learn different approaches to working with medieval icon models

Learn how to compose an image to suit the format

Paint the face and garments using egg tempera

Short Description

This five-day foundational icon painting workshop is for iconographers who want to develop professional-level skills in freehand drawing and traditional painting.

Over the course of the week, we’ll study the proportions, structure and expressive features of the human face. You’ll learn how to analyse ancient examples, understand their unique visual language, and apply those insights in your own work. We’ll also cover traditional methods for painting facial features and for drawing the maphorion (veil) of the Mother of God. Each day includes focused drawing sessions to build fluency and hands-on practice in the egg tempera technique.

Model for this workshop: The mosaic of the Theotokos from the Archiepiscopal Museum in Ravenna.

Model for iconography workshop in the New Skete for 2026- mosaic of Theotokos from Ravenna Archiepiscopal museum

Goal

Making a new version of an old icon may seem easy, yet it is a complex mission. We have chosen a fragment of the mosaic Mother of God (Theotokos) from the Archiepiscopal Museum in Ravenna — however, we will not be copying it directly. The main focus of the course is learning how to draw a frontal iconographic face. Throughout the entire course, we carefully observe each student’s work and provide individualized feedback — including hands-on assistance when needed. You’ll receive personalised guidance throughout, with one-on-one feedback and hands-on support when needed. By the end of the course, you’ll have the confidence and skills to draw icon faces independently.
The course also teaches how to work respectfully and creatively with medieval models, using them as inspiration to develop original icons as unique pieces of liturgical art.

Program

Each day we will produce numerous drawings to help students build fluency in drawing and develop practical skill in egg tempera . The course follows this format: the instructor invites students to gather around the demonstration panel, where a particular action is shown and explained. Students are then asked to repeat this action on their own with advice or help of the instructor provided if needed.
During the final day and a half, you’ll produce a shoulder-length image of the Mother of God based on the chosen model. This consolidates all the skills learned and helps anchor the method in your future personal practice.

What to ExpectT

FOR WHOM

This workshop is ideal for anyone interested in iconography and the traditional techniques of drawing and painting. Whether you’re just starting out or a practising iconographer ready to move beyond tracing and copying, this workshop is designed to take your skills further.

COST

$1100 for 5 full days.

The fee includes:
Professional instructions and all materials including board, paints, and brushes.

Students are invited to join the monks for all meals.

To reserve a space, visit the New Skete web-site: https://newskete.org/iconography-workshop

SCHEDULE

Period: May 12 - May 16, 2025.
Icon Workshop Daily Agenda:
7:15 am – Matins – Holy Wisdom Church
8:00 am – Continental Breakfast – Emmaus House
8:30 am – Workshop - Emmaus House
12:15 pm – Dinner – Monks’ Refectory
1:00 pm – Tersext
1:15 pm – Workshop – Emmaus House
4:30 pm – End
5:00 pm – Vespers – Holy Wisdom Church
6:00 pm – Supper – Monks’ Refectory

ACTIVITIES

Hands-on demonstrations, drawing and painting with personalised mentoring and comprehensive feedback, lectures and discussions.

Attendees of the workshop are invited to participate in daily church services and to be the guests of the monks for meals.

NECESSARY MATERIALS

We provide students with all the necessary tools and materials, however we recommend bringing own aprons, textbooks and pens/pencils for notes.

LOCATION

The New Skete Monastery
273 New Skete Rd Cambridge,
NY 12816, USA
Website:
https://newskete.org/

See the New Skete on Google maps >>

Iconography Course on Freehand Drawing and Painting. New Skete, NY,USA

Preview

Practice

The workshop will begin on Tuesday May 12 at 8:30 AM and will end about 4:30 PM on Saturday May 16, 2025. Every day we will work according to daily agenda (see above) from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM with one hour break for lunch and tersext and two (or more) short breaks for lectures with coffee or tea (provided) accompanied by slides. The course follows this format: the instructor invites students to gather around the demonstration panel, where a particular action is shown and explained. Students are then asked to repeat this action on their own. Throughout the entire course, we carefully observe each student’s work and provide individualized feedback — including hands-on assistance when needed.

We will start our study drawing frontal face proportions, construction, and structure with pencil on paper. After performing several exercises we will begin drawing and paint with egg tempera, learning the traditional construction of head, face and garments. During the final 1.5 days of the course, all participants will begin and complete a shoulder-length image of the Mother of God based on the chosen example, consolidating the skills acquired throughout the course.

This course is conducted in a calm and quiet setting, without music or unrelated conversation. This atmosphere supports the slow, deliberate nature of icon painting and helps foster deeper focus and understanding.

To make learning process more effective, we have developed a series of instructional drawings and guidelines to help students better absorb the material and feel more confident both during and after the course.

Plan

Day 1.
Basic face proportions. How to draw face oval, nose, eyes, lips. How to connect head and neck to she shoulders. Pencil drawing, no models.

Day 2.
Drawing process: The importance of modelling the shape of the face. Drawing the veil and the bonnet, finding individuality of the image. Drawing with a brush. Arranging the image on paper or icon board. Painting drapery with egg tempera - modeling forms with shadows and creating soft an gradual ransitions.

Day 3.
Learning the basic principles of egg tempera: preparation of egg emulsion, mixing colours, varying the consistency of paint, learning to apply the paint evenly. Starting the final image.

Day 4.
Drawing and Painting the final image of Theotokos on a primed painting panel. Learning how to make color transitions, glazing, highlighting. Basic methods of face painting.

Day 5.
Drawing and Painting the final image of of Theotokos on a primed painting panel

Final Word: This is more than a technique course — it’s an immersive experience in the contemplative process of icon painting. You’ll come away not only with a finished work, but with a solid foundation in both freehand drawing and traditional tempera painting.

Ready to Enroll?

The Off-Line Iconography Workshop for Beginners Frontal Faces. Theotokos will begin on Tuesday May 12 at 8:30 AM and will end about 4:30 PM on Saturday May 16, 2026 and the cost will be $1100 USD for 5 full days.

The fee includes: Professional instructions and all materials including a gessoed board, pigments, and brushes for the period of the workshop. Students are invited to join the monks for meals. This includes a continental breakfast each morning, dinner (the monks eat their main meal of the day at 12:15pm), and a light supper. The registrations are handled by the New Skete. To reserve a space you can either visit The New Skete web-site or click the button below to make a registration.

Accommodations are not included. Due to the small class size. the cost of hosting this workshop, and the distance the instructor(s) will be traveling, we must adhere to a strict cancellation policy. Your $300 non-refundable deposit must be received at time of registration. You may pay the balance in full at any time, otherwise a monthly payment plan will be established. (Reminders will be emailed.) Balance must be paid in full by March 14, 2026. All payments are non-refundable unless the workshop is canceled due to lack of participation.

Should circumstances require you to cancel, New Skete will make all reasonable attempts to fill the vacancy. If the vacancy is filled, New Skete will refund all but the $300 deposit.

The registrations are handled by the New Skete. To make a registration, click the button below and you will be automatically redirected to a secure online credit card processing site to make your deposit.

Registration

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