Orthodox Icon Patterns: Patterns & Sketches for Iconographers

This is a really excellent resource book for anyone who wants to start painting/writing icons. It is a collection of patterns (ie: outlines which you can trace and use to create finished pieces). There is an info page included with each pattern, which shows prayers or information relating to the subject, plus a guide for what colours to use. At the back there are also some background/fabric designs which can be used with the outlines. It's simple to use and is ideal for those who don't feel confident drafting their own outline. The price is definitely an issue that needs mentioning. It's a LOT of money for a slim paperback book. However, I understand why it is so expensive (small target audience and must have taken a lot of work to produce it - it's very well laid out). After a lot of thought, I am therefore not dropping a star for the price - the purchaser is paying for the work that went into this book and the resources it offers, not for the mere paper and ink of the book itself. Personally I'm on a tight budget so this was a big spend for me, but I'm pleased enough with the book to feel OK about the spend.

I am ver happy with this as it has the prayers to go with iconagraphy. The drawings also have colour guides. Brilliant.

I bought this book “Orthodox Icon Patterns” as a birthday present for my Dad who likes to create them. What a disappointment! He found that the printed type is faulty through a corrupted font and almost impossible to read. A number of the pages are also damaged through ridges or folds from the assembly process. The drawings are childlike and unlikely to inspire any reasonably competent iconographer. They lack the detail needed and it would be hard to trace any of the patterns back to their originals. [ As I understand it, that’s what iconographers do, they attempt faithful copying that respects the original but allows some interpretation by the iconographer.] Anyway given the poor quality of the product I have returned this item to Amazon and am posting this review on Amazon to warn off anyone attracted by the Amazon product write up. It certainly isn’t worth the £25.50 charged

PAINTING

The printed words almost indecipherable. Very bad print quality For what it cost Bad value

Waste of money indeed. Good for very expensive coloring book perhaps. Complete disappointment.