1. Icons are painted on carefully chosen boards of lime, birch, alder, or oak. The wood is dried and two slots are cut out of the back. Wedges are inserted in these slots to prevent excessive warping.

2. The front of the icon is cut out to leave a raised frame. While the artist is painting he or she can rest his hand on this frame. The frame also serves to isolate the central image.

3. The front surface of the icon is roughened and covered with a liquid size (a thin, pasty substance) which is allowed to dry for 24 hours.

4. A loosely woven linen is then glued onto the size.

5. The surface of the board is covered with a thin layer of gesso (fine plaster mixed with glue.)

6. The gesso is applied in several layers to the woven linen. After the last coat of gesso is dry and cleaned, an outline drawing is made by the artist on the dried plaster with a pencil or brush.

7. A pointed metal instrument called a stylus is used to scratch into the plaster coating following the contour of the preliminary drawing.

8. The artist then applies gold leaf to large areas which appear as the background in the finished icon.

9. The pigments (paints) are combined with an equal volume of water and fresh egg yolk, mixed with a little vinegar for preservative.

10. The darker colors are painted first, then the lighter shades are painted. The pigments are applied following the recessed contour boundaries made with the stylus previously. Then the highlights called “enliveners” are added. The icon then dries for several days.