preparing the wood panel

Icons are painted on wood panels. Each kind of wood can be used, but it must be free of knots and resin. The wood pieces must be glued together such like, that the annual rings of the wood are standing horizontal if possible, to prevent that the icon later will be curved.

Wood is a natural material and is "working". To prevent that the painting gets broken later, a piece of cloth is glued on the panel at first. Then it is prepared with several layers of gesso, which must be smoothed to a perfect surface. Then only the panel is ready for drawing.