Lettering on the Icons
The next step is to add lettering of the name of the Saint, as is shown here for St. Damianos. The classic Greek lettering is accompanied with a highlight, outlining the halo.
The lettering can be added prior to the completion of the detailed facial features, as shown on St. Nicholas, below.
The skilled iconographer can hand-paint the lettering directly onto the icon without the use of stencils. The hand lettering is performed with a fine brush and a steady hand.....and, of course, years of experience. Here, George hand paints the name of St. Basilios to the icon.
