Online Drawing Course

Background vs Figure in Iconography

June 4 - July 16, 2026

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Why Learn About Background vs Figure in Iconography?

Looking at icons, we sometimes feel amazed at how the masters manage to capture our attention so successfully.

It's because of the very way they built their icons: we just feel their unique approach to the relationship between negative space and figures. All objects and figures in traditional icons are transformed to maintain the spatial integrity of the image. Each element feels native to the whole and to one another — they work as a perfect team.

We created this course Background vs Figure in Iconography to teach the main principles of space organization in iconography, so that artists who create new icons, frescoes and mosaics in our days can use the traditional concept of space.

This course consists of 5 weekly assignments, each including several video tutorials and practical tasks (see list below). Students are invited to complete a series of exercises of increasing complexity. The assignments illustrate specific principles of space organization and the meaning of background in iconography. They allow students to master the "blocking in" method of drawing, apply it to different kinds of images, and to see theoretical knowledge put into practice.

Background vs Figure in Iconography is suitable for anyone practicing — or wishing to practice — traditional iconography. It works equally well for those who have completed our previous online courses and for those who have never studied with us before.

Details

FOR WHOM

For anyone interested in practically understanding how background and figures shape each other in iconography, and how mastering this relationship will make their icons more structured and meaningful

PRICE

$200 USD (€175 EUROS) for 5 weekly assignments with unlimited drawing corrections + 5 pre-recorded zoom lectures. Payments are non-refundable.

DURATION

6 weeks (5 assignments):
June 4 - July 16, 2026.
Assignments are published weekly on Thursdays: August June 04, 11, 18, 25, July 2. One more extra week is given to finish all the assignments. Drawings are accepted for corrections no later than July 15, 2026.

RESOURCES PROVIDED

Links to practical video tutorials, reference images, and a pre-recorded lecture per each of the 5 assignments. All materials are shared with students through Google Classroom. All the videos remain available to the students after the end of the Course

LEARNING SUPPORT

Learners are expected to share photographs of their drawings in Google Classroom Stream. Personal feedback from the instructors with their corrections / comments / recommendations is given within 48 hour (weekends excluded). Feedback is guaranteed for the whole period of the course either written in words or/and drawn directly on the emailed image.

NECESSARY SUPPLIES

Learners only need most basic materials, such as paper, pencils, eraser, eraser, and a compass with two needles (divider).

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. Plan to put in at least 1.5 hours for homework per assignment

Practical Matters

This course consists of 5 weekly assignments with increasing levels of difficulty, from basic to more complex. If you are short on time, we recommend at least watching the videos. Either way, avoid rushing through the practical exercises! If you have more time, we suggest completing all the tasks for a better understanding.

This course was first launched in 2020. All the Zoom lectures were recorded, and the links to these recordings are published together with the weekly assignments. The lecture themes were related to the assignments, and discussions were dedicated to the most pressing questions of contemporary iconography.

Access to Google Classroom and all course videos is for registered participants only and must not be shared with anyone else in any form.

Learning Process

After receiving the weekly assignments, students are encouraged to complete their drawings on paper of A4 / Letter format. We hope that for at least one or two hours of drawing they will switch off — or put on silent mode — their phones, placing them in another part of the room. We also recommend asking those around them not to disturb them, and to provide some peace for concentrated work. We insist on this because the learning process is more intense and effective when drawing is performed with complete immersion — thoughtfully and carefully.

If you experience any technical difficulties with Google Classroom, please let us know via email. We will get back to you as quickly as possible.
This video is only provided to demonstrate a beginning of one of our zoom lectures for Online Iconography Drawing Courses

Assignments

1. Introduction

  • Basic Understanding of Space
  • Image vs Environment as Mutually Influencing Elements
  • Blocking in as Method of Learning from Medieval Models
    • Zoom Lecture 1: Introduction

    2. The Borders

  • Role of Borders on Icon
  • Border “stealing” Space from Figure VS Borders as Additional Space
  • Finding Ratio of a Figure vs Negative Space: Artistic Solution in Iconography
    • Zoom Lecture 2: Space Solution

    3. Figure and It’s Parts

  • Identifying Difference Between Tonal Values and a Contrast
  • Evaluating Local Colors and Building Visual Hierarchy.
    • Zoom Lecture 3: Cropping

    4. Figures Interacting

  • Types of Relationship We Establish Planning an Icon with 2 or More Figures
    • Zoom Lecture 4: Lettering

    5. Image in Architecture

  • Principles of Cooperation between Image and Architecture
  • Framing Environment vs Surrounding Space
    • Zoom Lecture 5: Subordination

    Ready to Enroll?

    Online Iconography сourse Background vs Figure in Iconography consists of 5 assignments and costs 200 USD or 175 EUR. This course is for anyone, interested in practically understanding how background and figures shape each other in iconography. This course is equally suited for those with little or no iconography experience and for professional iconographers who wish to develop a more conscious and intentional approach in their work.

    This course starts on June 4 and ends on July 16, 2026.

    To register for this course we invite you to pay $5 US dollars (or €4 euros), so we will add you to the list of students, and the rest ($195 or €171) some days before the course. We will send you a special payment link.

    Making your registration payment, please provide a valid email address, - it will also be used to send you a personal invitation to Google Classroom and all the further communications.


    For payments in Dollars:


    For Payments in Euros:


    If within 80 days from the purchase date you experience health issues forbidding you to participate in the chosen course, we will fully refund the cost of your order.

    The assignments will be emailed on Thursdays at 00:00 AM Tbilisi time (GMT+4). Please, let us know if you have any questions.
    If you wish to be informed about our future courses and other events, get in touch with us (top-right of this page) or subscribe to our regular Newsletter at the bottom of this page.