Iconographer's Rules
A number of people have asked me about iconographer's rules. These are the ones I received from my church. I give them to my students and to anyone interested in writing icons. Just keep in mind that with faith and humility, by allowing yourself to be guided, and with good measure of patience you can create beautiful, ever-lasting traditional icons.
- Before starting the work, make the sign of the cross. Pray in silence and forgive your enemies.
- Work with care on every detail of your icon, as if you were working in front of the Lord Himself.
- Pray during work in order to strengthen yourself physically and spiritually. Above all, avoid all useless words and keep silence.
- Pray in particular to the Saint whose Image you are writing. Guard your mind from distractions, and the Saint will be close to you.
- When you have to choose a color, reach out to the Lord inwardly and ask His counsel.
- Do not be jealous of your neighbor's work - his success is your success too.
- When your icon is finished, thank the Lord for His Mercy that granted you the grace to paint the Holy Images.
- Have your icon blessed by putting it in the altar for forty days. Be the first to pray before it, before giving it to others.
- Never forget the joy of spreading icons in the world, the joy of the work of icon-writing, the joy of serving the Lord shining through the icons, the joy of being in union with the Saint whose Image you are writing.