Panel Preparation and Gesso making for Egg Tempera and Icon Painters

Egg tempera must be painted onto a stiff, inflexible panel, coated with an absorbent primer called “gesso.” In this one-day workshop, iconographer and instructor Marek Czarnecki will teach students the traditional process of making true artists’ gesso using rabbit skin glue, chalk, and marble dust.

There will be an examination of the historical types of panels that were used to support both egg tempera paintings and icons, as well as a discussion on contemporary options available today. Students will first apply linen to a ¾” thick 8″ x 10″ flat Baltic birch plywood board, followed by multiple layers of gesso. Both “cold paste” and “wet liquid” methods of application will be demonstrated throughout the day.

Because creating gesso requires many layers (10-12) to build up a smooth, absorbent ground, there will be necessary drying times and sanding between each layer. As a result, students will finish the day with a partially completed panel, and they will be provided with enough gesso to complete the task at home. These are the identical panels used for the Essentials of Iconography workshops and are suitable for all types of egg tempera painting.

We invite you to join us for Mass at 9 AM. Check-in and coffee will begin at 10 AM in the Sacred Art Studio, and a boxed lunch will be provided during the day. The workshop will conclude at approximately 6 PM. All materials will be provided for the workshop.