Haloes

Before tracing the outer edges of the haloes apply a layer of ox gall on the limits of the gilt. By this means, the painting will adhere without problems. We have chosen China red, but cadmium red is also suitable.

Calligraphy

Before painting, apply ox gall where the letters will be written and let it dry completely. Trace the letters in two steps: first of all, draw a fine line following the engraving of each letter. Then redo each letter widening its vertical bars. Finally, draw the contraction signs and the accents. To be more precise use a dry mixture.

The sticks

Use also China red to draw the sticks. Beforehand, we slightly engraved the lines with a metal point and a ruler.

The outer edges of the icon

Make a mixture of yellow ochre with a small touch of red ochre, a lot of water and not to much egg emulsion to avoid spots. Apply this transparent color on the outer edges of the icon using a very soft and wide brush (a squirrel paintbrush for washing).

The red line

The red line drawn on the outer edge of the frame was traced with China red. We used a ruler to obtain a constant thickness.

After two or three months, the icon will be completely dry and we'll be able to varnish it.