 The development of a new icon of St Michael the Archangel. The first set of photos from late September/early October:  Gold leaf is applied over an underlay similar to clay bole. This particular St Michael Archangel is based on a late Byzantine icon from Crete. I recommended it to my client because I saw that it was a very good composition. Firstly, my apologies. I was given permission to copy the icon photograph by the archival source and in the way desired - but not to post it. And because this historical photo reference was presented in B&W only, it required that I develop an agreeable color palate. Below you can see that this icon has a flow or movement that is not found in earlier, more static, models. This feature was attractive to my client for that reason and others.  The gold is completed but not burnished. The preliminary sketch lines will be covered with paint.  My client requested that the eyes be looking out, that simple changes be made to the armor and finally, that the scales be replaced with a banner that read Sanctus, Sanctus Sanctus* . As for the rest, I relied on iconographical intuition particularly since the pattern wasn't too clear.  *The Inscription Holy Holy Holy may be inscribed in Greek, Slavic, English etc.  The build up of color. Already there have been many layers of paint applied and will take many more.  This icon has come a long way since the above photos were taken. As expected, St Michael Archangel has turned out to be a strong icon, well composed, and definitely pleasing to the eye!
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"...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." St Paul
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