Two Weekends in Lisbon: Egg Tempera — Byzantine Icon Painting

Available classes — January 2026
Class A: 10, 11, 17 & 18 January
 
Overview
This practical course offers an in-depth introduction to the painting of icons, with emphasis on the traditional Byzantine techniques of egg tempera and gold-leaf gilding. It is suitable for beginners and for experienced artists who wish to broaden their technical skills and understanding of this sacred art. The class will work from the Pantocrator of Mount Sinai, a sixth-century encaustic prototype that has served as a model for thousands of icons throughout history. A rare opportunity to study sacred painting inside one of the most spectacular Baroque convents in Lisbon, dating back to 1681.

By joining this workshop, you are also supporting the Convent’s social mission: €100 of the fee goes directly to the care of the blind girls who live in this historic house.
 
Programme (summary)
Class A — 4 days (10, 11, 17 & 18 January 2026)
Day 1 — Introduction and panel preparation: presentation of materials and tools; selection and preparation of the wooden panel; beginning the drawing; surface burnishing and levelling; transfer of the design using medieval methods; introduction to gilding and preparation of the panel with gesso and Armenian bole.
Day 2 — Gilding (continuation): application of gold leaf; mordant and water-gilding techniques; burnishing and correction of flaws.
Day 3 — Egg tempera techniques: preparation of the emulsion (yolk, water and pigments); application of the Proplasmos layers; colour mixing; tonal modelling — practice of shading and light according to Greek methods.
Day 4 — Completion and symbolism: building thin layers, ornamentation, retouching and study of the symbolism of the light layers; final discussion on varnishing and conservation (note: icons typically require months of drying before varnishing).
 
About the instructor
Nelson Ferreira is a practitioner and teacher specialising in classical techniques of painting, drawing, and gilding. His teaching emphasizes traditional processes and their contemporary application, while respecting the ritual and symbolism inherent to iconography. His clients include the National Portrait Gallery, Walt Disney - Industrial Light and Magic, and several fine arts universities around the world.
 
Practical information
• Materials: All art materials will be provided.
• Language: Instruction in English and Portuguese; 
Places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.